The estate of Truman and Dr. Bobbie Glassco has bestowed $793,000 to Snead State Community College in Alabama.
Bobbie Glassco served Snead State for more than 40 years as a teacher and administrator. The college plans to use the gift to benefit students through scholarships and campus upgrades.
“We are deeply grateful for the Glasscos’ generosity. We will be able to use the donation to provide students with more scholarship opportunities, and we will apply some of their contribution toward necessary improvements to the Maze Music Building,” said Snead State President Joe Whitmore.
In 1987, the Glasscos teamed with others to organize the Alabama School of Gospel Music (ASGM), which is held in the Maze Music Building on Snead State’s campus. Now a cornerstone event, ASGM recently held its 38th session with more than 100 students participating.
The Glasscos also bestowed $793,000 to the Marshall Medical Centers.
* * *
Wallace State Community College’s Future Foundation raised a record $384,621 at its 20th annual Student Investment Luncheon this month.
Of the amount raised, $176,831 was generated through seven new scholarships, three of which are endowed, said Suzanne Harbin, vice president for advancement, before announcing the grand total. Those new scholarships include the following:
Another $146,350 was raised through table sponsorships. The silent and live auctions raised a combined $48,390 and a paddle-raise brought in $13,050 to establish a new scholarship.
The luncheon not only marked the 20th anniversary of the Future Foundation “but also celebrates the incredible progress we’ve made since our founding in 2004,” said Wallace State President Vicki Karolewics. “Starting with just six visionary board members and $35,000 in assets, the foundation now holds close to $8.5 million — a testament to the dedication and generosity of our supporters.”
Maryland
The Community College of Baltimore County’s (CCBC) Center for Business Innovation (CBI) has received a $40,000 grant from Wells Fargo to support its ongoing efforts to foster an ecosystem of entrepreneurship in the Baltimore region. The funding will enhance coaching services and provide seed money to small business startups through CCBC’s Elite Accelerator Program.
For more than a decade, the CCBC Center for Business Innovation has boosted entrepreneurship, helping more than 4,000 students, alumni and community members enhance their business skills, access capital and expand their entrepreneurial networks. The grant from Wells Fargo will allow the center to double its seed funding awards distributed through its accelerator program.
The Elite Accelerator Program is an invitation-only initiative for the top 10 companies from CCBC’s Business Plan Competitions and retail initiative, The Collective. Members benefit from monthly coaching sessions with leading business experts, one-on-one mentoring, and a grant for successful participation — all at no cost.
Wells Fargo’s grant will match the funding from the Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation, further enhancing the resources available to participants. The grant also will enhance professional coaching services through the Center’s Think and Grow Seminar Series, which offers free speaking engagements to aspiring and established entrepreneurs.
* * *
A $50,000 grant from the Truist Foundation will support Howard Community College’s (HCC) forthcoming Cathy & Danny Bell Workforce Development and Trades Center. The grant will provide technology and equipment for industrial training programs such as mechatronics, information technology and cybersecurity, HVAC, construction management, welding and more.
This new center will serve as a central hub for training students in various trades, equipping them with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in the workforce upon graduation.
Mississippi
Itawamba Community College’s (ICC) School of STEM and its Trading Post will benefit from a recent $20,000 contribution from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).
“The School of STEM is very excited about the TVA donation,” said Heather McCormick, mathematics division chair and STEM lead. “Through field trips, student research and special speakers, this donation will support our study of clean water and energy as we explore conservation in our area and encourage our community to be good stewards of our natural resources.”
The college’s Trading Post provides essential items to students, including food. Funds designated for the Trading Post will allow the student-led resource to fully restock supplies to serve ICC students in need.
North Carolina
Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) has received $1.5 million in grant funding to support its health programs over the next two years.
The funding comes from the North Carolina Community College System’s High-Cost Healthcare Expansion Grant, a $55 million initiative aimed at strengthening the state’s healthcare workforce pipeline. Through the initiative, grants were awarded to all 58 members of the state system.
FTCC’s portion will expand two existing programs — nursing and respiratory therapy — and help launch a new cardiovascular technician program scheduled to begin classes in fall 2025.
The cardiovascular technician program and respiratory therapy programs will receive $500,000 and $400,000, respectively. The associate-degree nursing program will receive $600,000 to increase enrollment capacity from 280 to 400 students, including funding new faculty positions, and help fund a regional partnership with Bladen Community College to help address the need for high-quality healthcare workers in Bladen County.
Tennessee
Four community colleges and seven Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology are receiving grants totaling nearly $4.8 million to boost career and technical education (CTE) programs, through the federal Perkins Grant program.
The newest round of Perkins READI (Reimagine Engage and Develop for Innovation) grants were awarded by the Tennessee Board of Regents. Chattanooga State, Dyersburg State, Northeast State and Southwest Tennessee community colleges will receive funding ranging from $283,000 to $500,700.
CTE programs supported by the grants include automotive technologies, digital graphic design and graphic arts, mechatronics, emergency medical services, massage therapy, funeral services and HVAC and refrigeration.
This is the second round of Perkins READI grants awarded this year. In February, six community and technical colleges received a total of $2.7 million for equipment and instructor professional development for similar CTE programs.
