Funding roundup

Everett Community College received a $25,000 donation from Coordinated Care to help train healthcare students. (Photo: EvCC)

Everett Community College (EvCC) will use a $25,000 donation from Washington health plan Coordinated Care to train the next generation of healthcare students.

Ten $2,000 scholarships will help students in nursing, medical assisting, phlebotomy, pre-medicine or other healthcare programs. Coordinated Care also is donating $5,000 to the student emergency fund for healthcare students who had a financial emergency that threatens their ability to stay in college.

California

With a $5 million U.S. Education Department grant, Moreno Valley College (MVC) will address education delivery techniques to help increase transfer opportunities for Hispanic and low-income STEM students.

The college will use experiential learning to develop an array of applied learning options that foster student interest and enrollment, improve student success and facilitate degree completion and transfer.

MVC will build an Outdoor Learning Laboratory and leverage virtual and augmented reality to tackle historically challenging classes, including math, to better engage students in the learning process. The college also will use its on-campus makerspace as well as the mobile makerspace to allow staff to take applications and resources out into the community.

Students work in the makerspace at Moreno Valley College. (Photo: MVC)

Iowa

Kirkwood Community College has received more than $2.5 million in student support grants from the U.S. Education Department for two separate programs under TRIO. The funding will benefit 1,350 students per year with educational assistance at the college.

The larger of the two grants is designated for the TRIO Education Talent Search program, which identifies and assists middle and high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds with the potential to succeed in higher education. The second grant is for the Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) program, which aims to increase the number of adults who enroll in postsecondary education.

In both cases, program activities are designed for students with limited English proficiency, students with disabilities, homeless students or those who are from traditionally underrepresented groups in postsecondary education.

“Our mission is to identify community needs and to provide accessible, quality education, which is exactly what we’re doing with these programs,” said Kirkwood President Lori Sundberg. “This funding will give us an amazing opportunity to have a huge impact in working with students from our area that need it the most.

Maine

Maine’s seven community colleges can expand and strengthen short-term training and education thanks to a $15.5 million grant from the Harold Alfond Foundation (HAF) to the Foundation for Maine’s Community Colleges (FMCC).

The Maine Community College System (MCCS) will combine these funds with $35 million in funds through the governor’s Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan, enabling Maine’s community colleges to provide low- or no-cost workforce training to more than 24,000 frontline Maine workers over the next four years.

The $60 million initiative will be housed in a new virtual Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine’s Workforce. The new funding is supplemented by another $10 million in matching funds provided by the private sector, other grants and existing workforce training funding.

“Maine’s community colleges have demonstrated over the years that they can quickly provide workforce training that is highly responsive to employers’ needs and gives Maine workers the skills they need to enter and progress in today’s workforce,” Greg Powell, chairman of the board of trustees for HAF, said at a press conference this month. “This is a life-changing opportunity for Maine workers at a transformative moment in time for our state.”

In addition to expanding the number of low- or no-cost workforce training offerings across the state, MCCS is using the investments to overhaul its workforce training portfolio. The system is working with businesses and adding new supports and resources for workers who want to earn a college degree or other credential. In recent months, more than 80 businesses and associates have signed a compact with MCCS pledging to help.

Maryland

Longtime Cecil College supporters Barb and Jim Sweigard have provided a $31,000 gift for the Eva M. Muse Memorial Scholarship, which assists students of color studying in the field of education.

The Cecil College Foundation presented Barb and Jim Sweigard with the Mary A. Maloney Distinguished Service Award for public service and scholarship support.

In 2012, the Sweigards helped establish the Charles and Mary Cole Scholarship and provided annual donations to grow the endowment to $159,600.

For their support and service, the Sweigards have received the Mary A. Maloney Distinguished Service Award, which is presented annually by the Cecil College Foundation to individuals dedicated to public service.

Jim Sweigard worked in molecular biology research, while Barb Sweigard was a stay-at-home mom. After their children grew up, she attended Cecil College and graduated from the nursing program in 2002.

“Our philosophy is that every student should be able to focus on achieving an outstanding education regardless of their financial situation. Through the creation of a scholarship in my parents’ honor and supporting other scholarships financially, we know this is creating a brighter future for the next generation,” Barb Sweigard said. “It is inspiring to meet the scholarship recipients and to hear the students speak about their experiences at Cecil College.”

Michigan

Washtenaw Community College (WCC) and its partners in the MI-LSAMP (Michigan Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation) were awarded a $3 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to increase equity in STEM fields.

WCC’s partners are the University of Michigan – the lead institution on the grant – and Mott Community College, Michigan State University, Wayne State University and Western Michigan University. The institutions have been collaborating since 2017 on an earlier $4.25 million NSF-funded phase of the MI-LSAMP program.

MI-LSAMP provides a learning community to increase retention, graduation and success among traditionally underrepresented minority students by expanding opportunities in STEM.

“Opening STEM doors to minority students is critical to our shared goal of increasing equity and is especially important as we quickly forge new ground in mobility, smart cities and technological advancements that will shape tomorrow,” said WCC President Rose B. Bellanca.

The six institutions will each create and drive their own school-specific initiatives, with some shared programming. WCC offers a three-week summer intensive that concentrates on life and team skills, conflict management, critical thinking, financial literacy, financial aid and study skills. Students participate in research opportunities and internships, hear from speakers and more.

Additionally, WCC offers an overlapping STEM Scholars program, which includes dedicated advisors, mentors and tutors and weekly lunch-and-learn sessions throughout the school year.

About the Author

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