Funding roundup

Rep. Charlie Crist visits St. Petersburg College’s Midtown Center to announce a $1.5 million federal grant for the Tampa Bay Bridge to the Baccalaureate (TB-B2B) program. He is joined by SPC President Tonjua Williams. (Photo: SPC)

A few Florida colleges are getting support for their workforce education programs from the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund. Nearly $23 million was awarded to 11 projects across the state.

“These projects will help meet infrastructure and workforce training needs across the state in order to promote economic development” and add more than 18,600 jobs, Gov. Rick Scott said in a release.

Broward College will receive about $3.2 million to create the Critical Occupation Response through Education (CORE) program, which will provide training for advanced manufacturing, aviation and information technology. St. Petersburg College’s $1.6 million grant will help create the mechatronics and electromechanical technician training program, an accelerated, competency-based technical program that meets the advanced manufacturing industry’s skill requirements.

Chipola College will use its $76,240 grant to purchase equipment for its welding program. And Valencia College, receiving $2.3 million, will start an advanced manufacturing and distribution logistics project, which will provide students with skills for advanced systems in manufacturing and industrial industries.

St. Petersburg College (SPC) also received a $1.5 million National Science Foundation grant for its Tampa Bay Bridge to the Baccalaureate (TB-B2B) program. The program gives students research opportunities and aims to increase the number of minority students transferring into baccalaureate science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs by 50 percent.

SPC serves as the lead institution for the project, working with Hillsborough Community College and State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. The three colleges typically see more than 400 of their minority students transfer into STEM programs at a four-year university every year.

The grant was presented by Rep. Charlie Crist (D-St. Petersburg).

“I am so proud of St. Petersburg College’s efforts to diversify the STEM workforce,” Crist said. “This well-deserved grant will help further this important work, greatly benefiting our community and economy.”

Arizona

Central Arizona College (CAC) received $5,000 from TransCanada Corporation for the Promise for the Future program and the CAC Foundation’s newest campaign, 25 Changes Lives.

Promise for the Future is designed to encourage students to stay in high school and graduate. During their 8th grade year, students — and a parent or guardian — complete the Promise Pledge. Students must complete 20 hours of community service and graduate with a 2.75 grade point average or higher.  In return, CAC offers a tuition-free education for four consecutive semesters.

TransCanada Corporation provided a $175,000 initial endowment to the CAC Foundation in 2011 to assist with the initiative. With the $5,000 grant this year, the company’s community grants program has continued to provide annual support for Promise totaling $29,500.

California

Saddleback College’s Emeritus Institute received a $630,000 gift from former student Robert C. Harman. The Emeritus Institute provides courses for older adults in 33 locations throughout south Orange County.

Harman, who passed away in 2017, began taking classes at the institute in 2003 and continued to do so for the next 14 years, never missing a semester. He took a total of 132 classes, and was even a guest lecturer in 2005, speaking on “Aging in the 21st Century: A View from Anthropology.”

“Dr. Harman cared deeply about Saddleback and believed it to be a top-notch college that does a wonderful job educating its students.  Education was something he most highly valued and felt passionately about,” said Sharyn Charnas, the trustee of his estate.

Harman was a professor of anthropology at California State, Long Beach, for 36 years until his retirement in 2005.

Ohio

Cuyahoga Community College’s Adult Diploma Program got a boost with a $10,000 grant from Dominion Energy Ohio. The program was named a winner in Dominion’s 23rd annual Community Impact Awards competition, co-sponsored with Cleveland Magazine. The Adult Diploma Program connects under-educated Ohio residents with education and training that leads to good jobs. Participants are adults who left high school before graduation.

About the Author

Tabitha Whissemore
Tabitha Whissemore is a contributor to Community College Daily and managing editor of AACC's Community College Journal.