The Moving Forward Scholarship Program at Delaware Technical Community College (DTCC) got a boost with a $2,000 pledge from Southern Sussex Rotary.
Through the program, DTCC provides funding to students who are looking for additional training, reentering the workforce or may have taken an unconventional path to pursue their education.
Colorado
Students at Colorado’s Northeastern Junior College will benefit from a $5,000 donation from Bank of Colorado. The gift funds scholarships for second-year nursing students, second-year agriculture students and students from surrounding area high schools.
The intent is to renew this scholarship donation annually.
Illinois
The Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) will use a $745,200 Lumina Foundation grant to improve employment outcomes for African-American and other minority students throughout the state.
As part of Lumina’s Employment Connection Project, ICCB will leverage agency resources to strengthen the connection of Workforce Equity Initiative (WEI) students to employment opportunities within their communities.
“Since its founding, the WEI has enrolled over 5,000 students across 100 high-demand training programs, operating with a focus on historically underinvested Black and Brown communities,” said Gov. JB Pritzker. “Lumina’s grant will enhance the program’s ability to help students transform their credentials into careers, and I’m incredibly grateful for the Foundation’s partnership.”
The 18 Illinois community colleges with WEI programs will use employment mentors to work with students and connect them to job opportunities within the community. Mentors also will help students with essential employability skills activities including workforce preparation, resume writing, mock interviews and more.
With the grant funding, ICCB also will strengthen its ability to obtain and track individual job attainment and retention in high-demand jobs that pay 30% above the regional living wage. Using this data will help shape better job placement outcomes for more students.
Massachusetts
Cape Cod Community College (4Cs) will work to inspire the next generation of cyber stars with a grant for an unspecified amount from the National Security Agency (NSA). The college will launch “GenCyber” programming for middle school students across the region, bringing cybersecurity camp experiences to local communities and teachers, igniting and increasing awareness of K-12 cybersecurity content, career opportunities and post-secondary college options.
The flagship programming for GenCyber will take place this August with a free exploration program for kids entering grades seven through nine. Students will learn about the importance of cybersecurity and explore networks while engaging in a space challenge with a rocket launch mission. They also will build a robot rover and program it for a Mars surface exploration.
Ohio
Belmont College has received $151,200 in Choose Ohio First grant funds. The scholarship grant targets STEMM (science, technology, engineering, math and medicine) professions to encourage students to pursue education and training in these high-demand career fields.
“This generous funding will assist in furthering the education of our students, while bolstering Ohio’s economic strength, ensuring a ready workforce for STEM-related industries,” said President Paul Gasparro.
Tennessee
Columbia State Community College has received $13,000 to continue the Tennessee Board of Regents Digital Engagement Initiative Open Educational Resources grant project. The funds will expand on the English Composition II pilot course that was implemented last fall.
“As we continue to work on the course, we want to create more opportunities for students to engage in self-initiated and self-authored learning activities,” said Judy Westley, Columbia State associate professor of English and grant project director of English Composition II courses. “We believe that students learn better when they have a say over what happens in class. We also want to expand the kinds of readings that are offered in the course. We do hope to develop approaches that can be adapted for other English courses as well.”
In the pilot courses last fall, with 480 students in total, the only potential cost to students was books. The OER materials are now loaded in the Tennessee Open Education Hub, a statewide professional learning community for faculty, which provides a place to build and share resources for the common goal of improving student success.
Washington
North Seattle College is investing in the career pathway for the next generation of building technology innovators. Through a $100,000 grant from the Johnson Controls Community College Partnership Program, North Seattle College will expand its associate degree and certificate programs in electronics.
The funding will directly support the college’s enrollment and persistence of 40 to 60 underrepresented students (over four years) as they work toward completion of electronics certificates and degrees that lead to in-demand careers with local employers, including Johnson Controls.
The students will receive mentorship and guidance from local Johnson Controls employees.
In addition to the initial investment, North Seattle College is eligible for up to three years of renewed funding, allowing the program to expand and serve future students.
