Louisiana’s River Parishes Community College (RPCC) has received a $294,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for advanced industrial instrumentation control technician education. With the funding, RPCC will develop a new curriculum for the industrial instrumentation degree program with a focus on advanced automation control and troubleshooting skills in chemical manufacturing control systems.
RPCC will develop the content by working closely with industry partners, such as BASF and Shell. The course will immerse students in an ecosystem approach to plant operations and troubleshooting.
Maryland
Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) will use a $213,237 grant from the Leonard and Helen R. Stulman Foundation to support scholarships for continuing education students pursuing a certified nursing assistant or geriatric nursing assistant certificate.
The goal of CCBC’s three-year Stulman GNA Scholars Initiative is to meet workforce demands of the healthcare industry and improve access to college for low-income students by focusing on scholarship funding for nursing assistant students. The grant also supports a part-time retention coordinator to help students successfully navigate classes and requirements needed to gain internships and employment.
Harford Community College (HCC) will receive a $493,912 NSF grant for its Building Interest and Opportunities Through Engagement and Collaborative (BIOTEC) Pathways program. The grant will create pathways for future biotechnicians as students progress from the local public school system to HCC to pursue an associate of science degree, and then transition into a biotechnology career or transfer to a four-year institution.
Minnesota
Alexandria Technical and Community College is teaming with manufacturer Aagard to train 104 employees, supported by a nearly $50,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development‘s Minnesota Jobs Skills Partnership.
Training participants will gain leadership skills and enhanced skill sets to better help them meet customers’ needs.
North Carolina
North Carolina community college students will benefit from a $500,000 Golden LEAF Foundation award to the North Carolina Community College System. The grant will create a scholarship fund for students affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Golden LEAF Scholarship COVID-19 Fund will help community college students who live in eligible rural counties that are tobacco-dependent or economically distressed, demonstrate financial need and have been affected by COVID-19. A list of participating colleges is available here.
Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) can expand training for pre-K teachers thanks to two grants from the PNC Foundation totaling $500,000. The college will use the first grant of $255,000 to, in part, hire a recruiter/academic coach for CPCC’s early childhood education program. The coach will promote the program in high schools and youth programs.
The college will use the second $245,000 grant for scholarships and other assistance to incumbent childcare workers in need of additional college classes and credits to earn an associate degree in early childhood education.
“Providing opportunities for more Mecklenburg County children to attend pre-K school is an important economic mobility initiative in the county. The success of this effort will depend in large part on having enough Pre-K teachers,” CPCC President Kandi Deitemeyer said in a release.
Ohio
Columbus State Community College (CSCC) can make improvements to its campus thanks to voters in Franklin County approving a $300 million bond issue on April 28. The funding will allow a number of upgrades to take place beyond basic repairs and maintenance. Included in CSCC’s 10-year improvement plan is an update to instructional technology and equipment and upgrades to classrooms and labs.
Wisconsin
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) is one of 40 Brown County groups to receive a grant from the Green Bay Packers’ Packers Give Back COVID-19 Community Relief Fund. In total, the Packers fund awarded $1.5 million across the county to help organizations provide immediate support to Wisconsinites facing challenges caused by the pandemic.
NWTC will use its $10,000 grant to support students with unforeseen financial emergencies through an on-campus food pantry, a limited assistance fund that covers short-term costs and a childcare assistance fund.
