Western Nevada College is able to expand hands-on experiences for students enrolled in its machine tool technology program thanks to the donation of two new ProtoTrak CNC milling machines from Trak Machine Tools. The equipment will help students stay current with the latest technology used by area manufacturers.
Richard Leonhard, the creator of the ProtoTRAK product line, and his wife, Marion, donated the two machines to WNC.
“The machine tool industry has been very kind to me and my family,” Leonhard said. “This donation program is our way of giving a little back and promoting manufacturing in the USA.”
Massachusetts
Mount Wachusett Community College will host a summit on the future of early college education using a $30,000 grant from the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts. The regional summit will involve the area business community, K-12 education institutions, higher education institutions, economic development and civic learning organizations. These groups will help to refine the proposed plan for early college, offer expertise and direction, and better define what early college means for the region.
Pennsylvania
The Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) is one of 24 institutions across the country to receive a mini-grant from the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). The Civic Prompts: Civic Learning in the Major by Design initiative is designed to advance civic learning and social responsibility as expected dimensions within students’ majors.
CCAC will use the $515 mini-grant to incorporate health care advocacy and leadership throughout the physical therapist assistant program. That will serve as a catalyst, model and resource for other CCAC allied health programs. Faculty will identify health care issues and related legislation on instructional topics, such as affordable health care, fairness in co-payments and rising insurance deductibles, providing students with the opportunity to develop their advocacy skills.
Among the 24 grant recipients, three were community colleges: CCAC, Southwest Tennessee Community College and College of the Canyons (California).
Tennessee
Columbia State Community College will use a $33,000 grant from the Tennessee Board of Regents for the Internationalization of Pre-health Sciences Courses and Medical History Study Abroad Program. The first phase of the grant project is to internationalize three science courses for the fall 2018 semester. The second phase of the grant project is to recruit students enrolled in a fall 2018 internationalized course to take a research course in spring 2019 that will continue with international themes. In the second half of the course, students will take part in a study abroad experience during spring break in London.
The college also recently accepted a $3,000 donation from the Brentwood/Franklin Woman’s Service Club. The donation adds to its endowment through the Columbia State Foundation.
“The women in the club are dedicated to serving their communities and to providing support to other women,” said Bethany Lay, Columbia State vice president for advancement and executive director of the Columbia State Foundation. “Columbia State is delighted to partner with them in accomplishing this.”
Texas
Several Texas community colleges received grant funding from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to host summer youth camps that focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). TWC awarded 13 grants totaling $992,526 to Texas colleges and universities through the Governor’s Summer Merit Program. The camps introduce students to advanced technologies and manufacturing, aerospace and defense, biotechnology and life sciences, information and computer technology and energy.
“The complex challenges of tomorrow require us to prepare today, and Texas’ continued investment in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math are an essential part of that preparation,” Gov. Greg Abbott said in a press release. “The Governor’s Summer Merit Program and the Texas Workforce Commission provide valuable tools in training students to excel. As our state’s workforce becomes more technologically advanced, the success of Texas depends on the skills of our youth to contribute to the growth of our workforce.”
The grants provide more than 1,000 scholarships for students ages 14 to 21 to attend camps that will help prepare them for future high-skill, high-demand jobs.
Among the grant recipients is Tarrant County College, which received $76,793. The funding allows the college to provide 83 scholarships for STEM-focused summer day camps. Camps will focus on biotechnology, EKG certification, arts and technology, career exploration, entrepreneurship and more.
Cedar Valley College will use its grant of more than $95,000 to provide 120 scholarships for STEM campers. The college will host several camps, including Black Girls Code, Coding with Drones, Cyber Defense Camp and Mobile Virtual Reality.
A full list of grantees can be found here.
