Palm Beach State College (PBSC) has received an $8 million gift that it will use to cover tuition for local middle and high school students who later enroll at the college.
The gift, the first contribution of the Related Together grantmaking foundation, will also fund college readiness programs for students in grades 7-12 to help prepare them for pathways to a postsecondary education and career credentials. The emerging scholars program will carry the name of Related Companies chair and philanthropist Stephen Ross.
“This gift is going to accelerate opportunities for West Palm Beach residents and businesses by helping remove the leading barrier to economic growth, and that’s the knowledge gap,” said PBSC President Ava L. Parker. “What’s so amazing about working with Stephen and his vision is that he understands that it’s not enough just to say to 12th-graders it’s time to go to college and here’s a scholarship. He understands the communication and the partnership must start so much earlier in the lives of these students.”
Additionally, an Early College Academy will be developed at two West Palm Beach high schools, which will include paid academic advisors and peer-to-peer student mentors, according to PBSC. The program will focus on the STEM fields.
Arkansas
Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food and a department of NorthWest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) recently received a $1.5 million grant from the Walton Family Foundation to support its operations, increase professional development opportunities and develop new academic programs and community-based programming.
Brightwater plans to use the grant to continue to develop new academic programs that focus on artisanal butchery, food entrepreneurship and whole health and wellness, as well as U.S. Department of Labor-approved registered apprenticeships, according to a press release. It also will use the funds to expand community-based programming, such as core kitchen practices and fundamentals, and free job training through its five-week Restaurant Readiness Culinary Bootcamp.
“Brightwater offers vital workforce training opportunities to a rapidly growing region,” said Robert Burns, Walton Family Foundation Home Region Program director. “The creative programming and state-of-the-art facilities provide unique upskilling and career pathways in the culinary sector.”
New Jersey
Hudson County Community College (HCCC) has received $25,000 from the Ellucian Foundation that it will apply toward scholarships to help 22 HCCC students address needs such as housing costs, tuition expenses and food.
While more than 80% of HCCC students qualify for federal Pell grants — with the college’s full-time students receiving an average financial aid package of $6,125 — expenses beyond tuition are a constant challenge for many students.
“Many of these students are on the precipice of academic and career success, and this additional funding will give them the extra boost they need to help them break through,” said HCCC President Christopher Reber.
The funding comes through Ellucian Foundation’s 2023 Progress, Accomplishment, Thriving, Hope (PATH) Scholarship Program, which was established in 2020.
New Mexico
Sante Fe Community College (SFCC) will receive a $500,000 federal grant to recruit and train workers for community revitalization and cleanup projects.
The funding comes via the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Brownfield Job Training Grants program, which is supported by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and aims to boost workforce training in underserved and overburdened communities.
“SFCC has long led the way in providing EPA Brownfields Job Training to build a skilled workforce,” SFCC President Becky Rowley said in a release. “This vital training program addresses environmental justice issues while leading to careers with family-sustaining wages that promote economic growth in our diverse communities. The new grant will allow SFCC to greatly expand our regional partnerships with community and tribal stakeholders in seven northern New Mexico counties.”
SFCC plans to use the grant to train 134 students and place at least 125 in environmental jobs. The training program includes 168 hours of instruction, and students who complete the training will earn up to 11 state or federal certifications, according to the college.
North Carolina
Fayetteville Technical Community College‘s (FTCC) foundation has recently received grants to support an endowed scholarship and the college’s lineworker program.
A $25,000 gift from the Robert P. Holding Foundation will go to the college’s First Citizens Bank Endowed Scholarship. Holding was the founder and CEO of First Citizens Bank.
Hank Dunbar of First Citizens Bank said the Robert P. Holding Foundation is proud to continue its commitment to Fayetteville Tech.
“The Holding Foundation knows well the impact that Fayetteville Technical Community College has on students, business and industry, and virtually every facet of our community,” said Dunbar in a statement. “It is proud to support the college’s mission of transforming lives through affordable, accessible, valuable learning experiences.”
The FTCC Foundation also has received a $20,000 grant from the Duke Energy Foundation to support the college’s lineworker program. The funds will go toward buying safety gear, tools and training materials and recruitment, outreach and scholarships for underrepresented students.
“This investment will not only empower students from underrepresented communities to achieve their full potential but also contribute to the development of a robust workforce of skilled lineworkers in our region,” said FTCC President Mark Sorrells.
Pennsylvania
HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, will receive a $2.3 million Title III Part A Strengthening Institutions Program grant.
The federal grant will got toward aspects of the college’s strategic plan and to support its work with Achieving the Dream to improve student outcomes, according to HACC. Specifically, the college said it will use the five-year grant to develop and implement a first-year experience program, create academic and workforce development pathways, offer more holistic academic advising, and understand its student data to make informed decisions.
“As a result of this funding, HACC employees will have increased capacity and resources necessary to enhance the way we change lives, destinies and family trees among our diverse community of learners through enhanced transformational educational opportunities,” HACC President John J. “Ski” Sygielski said in a release. “This funding will help us continue to play a significant role in eliminating barriers that impede access to student success and achievement while preparing them for good-paying jobs.”
Texas
The Alamo Colleges District has received a $1.96 million U.S. Education Department grant for its Open Educational Resources (OER) Consortium Project.
The project will support the AlamoBOOKS+ initiative, an innovative, dual-investment program that provides Alamo Colleges students with universal access to instructional materials, including open educational resources, according to the college.
Over three years, 75 faculty will complete professional development in OER and develop open content for high-enrollment courses, including five introductory courses in government, history, English, psychology and math, Alamo Colleges said. The Open Textbooks program is estimated to serve approximately 10,000 students.
The district also plans to use the funds to develop a repository to share OER and to support faculty collaboration across its five colleges.
Vermont
The Community College of Vermont (CCV) also has received a PATH Scholarship grant from the Ellucian Foundation. The $10,000 grant will go toward the college’s “Life Gap Grants,” which are awards of $500 to $600 to help students with car problems, laptop repairs, food insecurity and other small costs that can sidetrack an education.
Since 2017, 186 individual donors have gifted more than $1 million to Life Gap Grants, according to the college.
“Two-year public colleges are at the heart of the U.S. higher education system, serving as educational and career launch pads for students by providing critical skills and access to a wide range of learners,” Laura Ipsen, president and CEO of Ellucian, said in a release. “It’s imperative that we support these students by mitigating the obstacles that make it difficult to stay in school and develop the skills that are integral to our workforce and society.”
Wyoming
Union Pacific has provided a three-year, $300,000 grant to Laramie County Community College’s welding and diesel programs for new equipment, recruitment, program expansion and more.
“LCCC’s relationship with Union Pacific helps our programs stay relevant and capable and grow as the industry demands,” Scott VanHorn, the trades and technical studies pathway coordinator at the Wyoming college, said in a release.
Expanding the program and training individuals to work in the field also benefits Union Pacific and other companies that seek technicians with those skills.
