California’s San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC) is one of 42 non-profit recipients of the 2018 Environmental Champions Grant presented by Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas). The $25,000 grant will support SBVC’s automotive and heavy/medium duty (diesel) departments. The college will purchase equipment necessary to help expand the compressed natural gas, electric and hybrid heavy-duty engine repair training program.
“This will allow students to gain hands-on experience with state-of-the-art equipment,” said Albert Maniaol, dean of applied technology, transportation, and culinary arts. “The partnership between SBVC and SoCalGas is a win-win for students and our community.”
Also in California, San Diego Miramar College can help more underrepresented students pursue science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) degrees thanks to a $75,000 grant awarded by the San Diego Foundation. The grant will support scholarships for 40 STEM students.
“As a community college, it is our mission to help under-represented students achieve their educational goals,” Patricia Hsieh, president of the college, said in a release. “We understand that STEM fields are growing and San Diego Miramar College is uniquely positioned to offer several STEM degrees to under-represented students. This grant will allow for many of our students to get a head start in the STEM field while lower their financial burden.”
North Carolina
Stanly Community College (SCC) students will benefit from the new Dr. and Mrs. Michael R. Taylor Scholarship Endowment. The Taylors have pledged $20,000. They also will donate $1,000 annually in scholarship support, which will be earmarked for the principal to grow on the $20,000 endowment.
Michael and Alice Taylor have pledged $20,000 to Stanly Community College. (Photo: SCC)
Dr. Taylor served as the third president of SCC from 1996 until 2011. He is a veteran of the North Carolina Community College System and retired with 32 years of service. His wife, Alice, served as a secondary school teacher for more than 30 years before retiring.
“Collectively, Alice and I spent over 60 years in education with over 30 of those years in Stanly County,” Taylor said. “Working in the county was a great experience and a great opportunity for both of us. We hope this scholarship will provide opportunities for others.”
Vance-Granville Community College (VGCC) announced a $200,000 investment from Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas. The college will use the funds to connect students with hands-on training and career development opportunities.
The investment supports the Vanguard Apprenticeship Collaborative, a VGCC initiative designed to cultivate highly skilled workers for companies in several industries. Grant funds will provide scholarships to adult students who are accepted into registered apprenticeship programs. The funds also will help purchase some equipment used for technical training and other supplies.
“Apprenticeships are key to meeting the workforce needs of our region’s industries while also supporting students’ academic and career success, and this new grant will allow Vance-Granville to continue to grow this exciting initiative,” VGCC President Stelfanie Williams said.
Pennsylvania
Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) received a $1 million gift from Shell for the creation of the Shell Center for Process Technology Education at CCBC. The gift also will help expand the college’s process technology program. With the gift, CCBC’s foundation has secured nearly $6 million toward a five-year goal of $12 million to better help the college serve students and the region.
Over the past four years, CCBC has partnered with industry, government and the philanthropic community to develop the process technology program to satisfy an unmet industry need. The four-semester associate degree program has grown to enroll nearly 70 students at the beginning of fall 2017. Graduates are prepared to fill critical roles responsible for the set-up, operation, monitoring and control of advanced manufacturing facilities and processes.
Virginia
J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College will use a $100,000 grant from Capital One to help with relocation of the college’s culinary arts program to a 25,000-square-foot facility in Richmond’s East End.
