Students at Pennsylvania’s Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) will benefit from a $25,000 donation from the Constellation Energy Corporation that will go toward scholarships and the college’s TRIO Upward Bound program.
Constellation initially presented a gift of $10,000 for MCCC student scholarships for the 2023-2024 academic year. Then, through the TriCounty Area Chamber of Commerce, MCCC and Constellation crossed paths again. Nora Embert, organizational effectiveness manager at Constellation’s Limerick Generating Station, and Angela Scott Ferencin, MCCC’s student support programs manager, were among the members of the Leadership TriCounty Class of 2023. As they participated in the program, Embert and Scott Ferencin got to know each other and realized they and their employers shared similar missions.
“Nora and I share a passion for helping young people achieve their goals,” Ferencin said. “While in the leadership program, Nora shared Constellation’s commitment to the same values.”
“We’ve been working over the last two years to build relationships with local schools to support underserved students with a passion for STEM,” Embert said. “We already had a relationship with MCCC and Pottstown High School. Adding an Upward Bound program seemed like the next logical step.”
As a result, Constellation presented a gift of $5,000 to the TRIO Upward Bound Program and another $10,000 gift for MCCC student scholarships for the 2024-2025 academic year. Currently, 63 students are participating in the TRIO Upward Bound program at MCCC.
Michigan
Monroe County Community College (MCCC), in partnership with the cities of Monroe and Luna Pier, has received a $45,000 federal electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure planning grant via the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments.
The funding will help with program and advocacy support for EV planning and EV charging infrastructure in the county. The college will educate MCCC students and residents throughout the region on EV-related jobs and the technician and engineering technology curriculum being created by MCCC and partner institutions in the EV Jobs Academy, an initiative to develop and expand a skilled workforce in the automotive mobility and electrification industry.
The awareness and outreach will include public forums on EV technology, media outreach and an EV show this fall.
New York
Guttman Community College received $50,000 from an anonymous donor to support programs that empower students to stay enrolled at Guttman. The funding will strengthen the college’s United Men of Color (UMOC) program and the Connect Center, an on-campus food pantry and resource center.
“These funds will help us continue to provide critical, holistic support to ensure Guttman students are able to meet their goals,” said Guttman President Larry Johnson.
With the funds, UMOC will develop a personal growth program focused on community building with weekly workshops and other activities. The college will use part of the funding to hire additional UMOC mentors and a full-time coordinator to manage and expand the program.
At the Connect Center, the funding will provide free lunch options for students during the fall and spring semesters.
North Carolina
Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) can purchase trucks and equipment for its new supply chain transport complex thanks to a $400,000 grant from the Cannon Foundation, Inc. and the Charles A. Cannon Charitable Trust No. One.
FTCC is developing the complex to address truck driver and diesel mechanic shortages in the state and beyond. The complex will help meet regional demands and respond to economic growth in the warehouse, distribution, manufacturing and food-processing sectors. The new facility will house the fleet maintenance technician program and the commercial truck driver’s license program (CDL).
The college also received a $5,000 grant from the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County to develop a fine arts series that will bring in three diverse guest artists for the 2023-2024 academic year.
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Forsyth Technical Community College’s National Center for the Biotechnology Workforce (NCBW) is hosting the first BETA Skills Workshops this summer. These professional development programs for college instructors are supported by a nearly $80,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.
The workshops will be open to deans and other high-ranking higher education professionals who wish to understand more about the converging biosciences in biomedical emerging technology applications, or BETA.
“We’re grateful for the continued support of the NSF Advanced Technical Education to help address critical biotechnology workforce needs that will be emergent for the foreseeable future,” said NCBW Executive Director Russ Read.
The college has received a supplemental grant to host national college administrators next year.
Ohio
An anonymous donor has provided a historic gift to Lakeland Community College‘s foundation totaling nearly $2.33 million. It is the largest donation in the 40-year history of the foundation.
The money will help to establish an endowed scholarship fund for students in Lakeland’s nursing program. The college said the donor has had a long relationship with the foundation and has given regularly to support nursing scholarships.
“We know this donor felt strong ties to Lakeland and we are proud to honor their legacy,” said Greg Sanders, vice president for institutional advancement and executive director of the college’s foundation. “From conversations we had, I know that this donor thought very highly of Lakeland’s nursing program and wanted to ensure future students would have access to a Lakeland education.”
Wisconsin
A $25,000 donation from WESTconsin Credit Union will support Northwood Technical College’s new medical laboratory technician program, which was created in partnership with a local hospital to help address job vacancies in the field.
