Harper College is preparing to launch an aviation maintenance program to address a gap in affordable training and education in northern Illinois. Helping to jump start the program is $500,000 secured by U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi.
The federal funding will go toward program expenses such as curriculum development and the cost of tools and instructional equipment like brakes, sheet metal and other aircraft components.
Krishnamoorthi was at the college this month to present the funds. He was joined by aviation leaders who took part in a roundtable discussion about the challenges and opportunities facing the industry and the role Harper can play in developing the next generation of skilled workers.
“It’s long been a priority of mine to expand career and technical educational opportunities for students across our state, and I can’t wait to see the new heights to which Harper soars thanks to this funding,” Krishnamoorthi said.
Alabama
Coca-Cola Bottling Company United has donated two 16-bay side-load, manual transmission trucks to the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) during a ribbon-cutting ceremony this month at the company’s facilities. It was United’s first donation to a community college system.
Gianetta Jones, the company’s senior vice president and chief people officer, said the donation is the result of a discussion two years ago with ACCS regarding the need for more trucks to train Alabama drivers. Truck orders by ACCS colleges were backlogged for several months at a time when the number of students training for truck driving careers increased.
“Our hope is that the availability of these trucks can help increase class sizes and put more people in the trucks which, in turn, results in more people being able to earn a living for their families,” Jones said.
The trucks will be housed at Trenholm State and Southern Union State community colleges.
California
The Cuesta College Foundation raised more than $109,000 at its 50th Anniversary Celebration this month. The funds will support the foundation’s endowment for the Cuesta Assistance for Student Emergencies (CASE) Fund.
The fund is a vital resource to the campus community providing emergency grants to students facing urgent and unforeseeable expenses that could cause them to drop out of college.
Hawaii
Windward Community College has received a $3.5 million National Science Foundation grant for its Kiaʻi Loko Center for Limu Research.
The center focuses on applying traditional Native Hawaiian knowledge alongside Western scientific methods to study questions important to Native Hawaiians about limu (algae) and the traditional Hawaiian fishpond.
The objectives of the grant project are to partner with community members, Native Hawaiian cultural experts and STEM professionals in engaging 120 Native Hawaiian high school and college students in culturally relevant STEM courses, student internships and the completion of STEM certificates that prepare students for positions as aquaculture technicians.
In recent years, interest in algae cultivation has risen for uses such as renewable biofuels, nutraceuticals, human foods, nutritional supplements, livestock and aquaculture feeds, wastewater cleanup and carbon dioxide sequestration. In addition, algae culture promises to support the development of new industries for the state.
North Carolina
Mitchell Community College received a $20,000 donation from the Sunshine Volunteers to support students in the health sciences.
The Sunshine Volunteers have recently lost their home within Davis Regional Medical Center but wanted to continue their legacy of giving through Mitchell’s scholarship program. The donation was made in the name of Lillie Norket, who was a registered nurse and staff member at Davis Hospital for more than 60 years.
The donation will establish a scholarship fund for students pursuing a career in the medical field.
