Sacramento City College (SCC) has received a $1 million gift from Christopher and Dana Daubert to support management of the Gregory Kondos Gallery, which houses a multi-million dollar art collection. The gift — the largest to a Los Rios college by a living donor — will establish the Christopher D. and Dana Daubert Endowment for Art Education.
The funds will allow the college to hire a gallery lead who will curate art shows throughout the year, coordinate more opportunities for use of the permanent collection in the classroom and increase access to the permanent collection for art students learning about the creation, curation and showing of art. The gallery lead also will recruit and supervise student assistants for the art gallery.
Christopher Daubert is an emeritus professor who taught art at SCC for 23 years.
“Dana and I spent our careers in education,” Daubert said. “Over the years, as we watched students come, grow, graduate and move on to careers of their own, we realized what a valuable investment education can be.”
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The 10 community colleges in the San Diego and Imperial Counties region are part of a collaborative using an $18.1 million state grant to prepare students for college and careers.
The collaborative also includes the region’s 17 school districts, San Diego State University, California State University San Marcos and the University of California at San Diego, and representatives from workforce and economic development and industry.
The partners are working to increase the number of students going to college, particularly Latinx and Black students. Ultimately, the goal is to increase representation of Latinx and Black professionals in the workforce, increasing their access to high-wage, high-demand careers.
“We want to make the education system more welcoming, supportive and inspiring so that promising young people in our region have the education and experience they need to lead our region into a prosperous future,” said Sunny Cooke, chair of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Community College Association (SDICCCA) and superintendent/president of MiraCosta College.
The four-year grant will focus on four career paths: business, health, education, and computing and engineering.
Among the collaborative’s planned actions are embedding work-based learning into students’ coursework, strengthening student supports and providing improved advising. The grant also will fund paid internships.
The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District is administering the grant on behalf of the region.
Arkansas
National Park College’s (NPC) science labs will get an upgrade thanks to a $500,000 grant from the Oaklawn Foundation. The college will buy new equipment, including an autoclave, culture loop incinerators and lab kits.
Grant funds also allow NPC to make security upgrades to instructional buildings. In recognition of the grant, the science labs will be named the Oaklawn Foundation Science Labs.
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With a $747,759 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, North Arkansas College will work to increase the number of low-income students entering STEM careers.
The five-year grant will fund scholarships to at least 28 students pursuing degrees in cybersecurity, data science, information technologies, or science, engineering and math. Scholars will join a cohort of students in the same or a related field of study. Cohorts will share a pair of faculty and staff mentors and will have access to a broader mentoring network. This project also will provide career development activities.
Illinois
Parkland College’s precision agriculture program will benefit from a $75,000 grant.
The grant, which comes from Compeer Financial as part of its Agriculture and Rural Initiative, will cover equipment and technology purchases that supplement the hands-on learning and real-world experiences built into the curriculum. The college also will receive two annual $1,250 scholarships to award students enrolled in the agriculture program or pathway over the next four years.
Washington
Highline College will use a $1.38 million TRIO Talent Search grant to ensure low-income, first-generation students can enroll and succeed in college.
The U.S. Education Department grant will fund a director and two advisor positions, and the development of the Talent Search program at the college. The program team will provide wraparound advising, tutoring and college prep services to about 500 first-generation, low-income students at a local middle and high school.
“We know that the relationship and mentorship first-generation college students have with an educator can make all the difference navigating K-12 and college,” said Ay Saechao, Highline College’s dean of student support and funding services. “If the student has a school staff member who knows their goals, their challenges and strengths, that can propel students to overcome obstacles to reach their destination.”
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Peninsula College secured a $201,278 Job Skills Program (JSP) grant to help McKinley Paper upskill entry-level employees at its Port Angeles mill.
This is the second JSP grant Peninsula College has sought and received on behalf of the mill.
“In March of 2019, McKinley Paper employed 24 people. Now we have over 200 employees due to assistance from Impact Washington and Peninsula College,” said Peter Johnson, human resources manager for McKinley Paper.
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More Spokane Community College (SCC) students will have access to emergency aid thanks to a $400,000 grant from the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges.
The grant was awarded to SCC’s WorkForce Transitions Office and will help students who have faced unexpected life events that threaten financial security.
