Allan Hancock College is the first school selected to participate in the Nurses Project, launched by the Cloverlane Foundation. The college received $35,000 in grant funding to resources for nursing students.
A new fund will create a textbook loan program for students in the college’s licensed vocational nursing (LVN) program, which will expand to include textbooks for registered nursing students starting in 2026. Funding also will help cover costs for an online study and testing program required for the LVN program.
The Nurses Project was conceived in collaboration with the Allan Hancock College Foundation and a committee of six individuals from Cloverlane — including a current Hancock nursing student — to support students who are pursuing nursing.
Louisiana
Baton Rouge Community College (BRCC) will use $350,000 grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation to tackle the nursing shortage.
The funding will enhance BRCC’s nursing and allied health programs by expanding student enrollment and completions. The college aims to grow annual graduates from 200 to 500 and ensure that 85% of them secure healthcare positions within six months.
BRCC also is hiring two additional faculty members to support student learning, retention and success.
Mississippi
Northeast Mississippi Community College (NEMCC) has received more than $2.2 million in workforce training grants from Accelerate Mississippi.
Most of the funding will go toward the development of a new composites lab, developed in partnership with Accelerate MS and Northrop Grumman Corporation. It will help students gain cutting-edge skills for industries such as aerospace, automotive, marine, construction and energy.
The funding will help to enhance the college’s workforce systems infrastructure with new software and equipment.
“Northeast is proud to partner with our existing industries to grow the skilled workforce in northeast Mississippi. We will continue making workforce training a major tool in economic development in the area,” NEMCC President Ricky G. Ford said in a release.
Oregon
Thanks to a $110,000 grant from the Oregon Center for Nursing, Clatsop Community College (CCC) can enhance faculty recruitment and retention within its nursing program.
“CCC appreciates the OCN’s support of faculty retention – especially in rural areas like ours,” said Tina Kotson, director of nursing and allied health at CCC. “This generous donation will offer clinical teaching relief and will allow adequate instructional time to meet the individual learning needs of our students.”
Pennsylvania
Northampton Community College (NCC) will use a $194,025 state grant through the Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career (MTTC) program to implement new precision machining and computer numerical control courses.
The goal is to help students at all levels master the skills needed to operate machinery found in manufacturing spaces. Students who complete the program will earn three industry-recognized credentials from the National Institute for Metalworking Skills.
In total, 30 students will be accepted into the program.
“NCC’s goal is to provide these individuals with the skills and knowledge necessary to secure successful careers, as well as pathways into various apprenticeships and college credit opportunities for those pursuing a college degree,” said Ken Nasatka, NCC’s dean of automotive, industry and manufacturing.
South Carolina
A recent $75,000 contribution from McLeod Health will help Florence-Darlington Technical College (FDTC) maintain their nursing program.
“The need for healthcare services is increasing due to many factors including the national shortage of nurses as well as the growing number of aging baby boomers,” said Tony Derrick, chief nursing officer for McLeod Regional Medical Center. “This is why it is vitally important to McLeod that Florence-Darlington Technical College continues to educate nurses.”
Texas
College of the Mainland (COM) has used a $324,916 Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grant to enhance nursing education. The grant, awarded through the Texas Workforce Commission, funded advanced simulation equipment and 25 hospital beds with built-in scales and alarms.
The new simulation equipment, which includes a MamaAnne maternal and birthing simulator and a SimBaby manikin, will help students gain both clinical skills and interpersonal skills, according to COM Nursing Program Director Rachel Fano.
Nearly 90 students have already benefited from the equipment additions.
