The Dalal Family Foundation has committed to a $2 million gift to renovate the current Middlesex College Performing Arts Center (PAC), while also providing ongoing support to the New Jersey college’s arts program.
“In today’s digital age, where face-to-face connection is often missing, live performances provide something special,” said Nayan Dalal, who created the foundation. “The performing arts offer an emotional, human experience … that fosters connection, creativity and self-expression. That’s powerful, especially for young people.”
The donation will provide funding to build a new exterior façade, relocated lobby, updated theater and maintain a facilities and programs sustainability plan. The enhancements will complement a $1.7 million audio/visual technology upgrade funded, in large part, by a Higher Education Leasing Fund grant from the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education.
The project is set to break ground next spring. This is not the first donation from the Dalal Family, who have supported Middlesex College through scholarships and other programs for the past decade.
Illinois
More high school students can benefit from Sauk Valley Community College’s (SVCC) Impact Program thanks to a $12,500 donation from Babson Farms. Over the next five years, the gift will provide local high school students with continued access to the program.
SVCC’s earned-tuition Impact Program provides eligible students who graduate high school within the college’s district the opportunity to earn tuition and fees to the college through community service and other activities.
Kansas
Hutchinson Community College in August received a $708,965 FRAME (Fostering Residential Advancement through Mentoring and Education) grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce. The funding will support the construction of three new residential dwellings in Hutchinson, providing hands-on learning opportunities for students, while addressing the community’s affordable housing needs.
As part of the project, students in the Hutchinson Career and Technical Education Academy construction technology program will build a duplex in a residential area, gaining experience in residential construction. In addition, the college is partnering with Interfaith Housing and Community Services to build a single-family home. Interfaith will employ youth apprentices associated with the construction technology program in the building of this home.
“These projects represent a win-win for our community,” Hutchinson Community College President Tricia Paramore said in a release. “Our students are developing marketable, in-demand skills while contributing directly to Hutchinson’s housing development and revitalization efforts.”
NASA robotics competition grants
Nine community colleges have received funding through NASA’s Minority University Research and Education Project to develop NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS) Robotics Competitions.
Among the grantees is Elgin Community College (ECC) in Illinois. During ECC’s robotics competition, 40 students will learn about designing and programming lunar rovers, assuming specialized team roles and solving real-world challenges inspired by NASA’s mission. The hands-on experience will enhance students’ technical, leadership and problem-solving skills, while inspiring them to pursue pathways in STEM fields.
“Hosting this event will elevate ECC’s reputation as a leader in STEM education, strengthen our regional STEM networks, and contribute to building a diverse and skilled workforce ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow. It also reinforces ECC’s mission to expand educational opportunities for underrepresented groups in STEM,” said Principal Investigator Farah Bennani, dean of math, science, and engineering at ECC.
In California, Orange Coast College (OCC) will partner with another community college in the state to host a competition next June. OCC students have a track record for landing NASA internships after completing the program and may even find NASA jobs after graduation, according to a press release.
Los Angeles Pierce, Mission and Valley colleges also will partner on a program that targets MESA (Math, Engineering, Science Achievement) students pursuing STEM degrees and aims to make competitive robotics and NASA career pathways more accessible.
Texas
At Houston City College (HCC) – formerly Houston Community College – professor Karen Fortune obtained an $8,000 grant from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and the Gates Foundation to support faculty in designing courseware to improve student success in general chemistry.
The grant provides an opportunity for faculty to work together, with other chemistry instructors outside of HCC, with instructional designers and teacher coaches to design a course that incorporates best practices in teaching science, and specifically, chemistry.
The grant will fund a chemistry-learning platform designed to allow students to engage with real-world examples that connect chemistry to everyday challenges and easily break down complex concepts with interactive assignments. It also will support students with personalized adaptive feedback and an AI-support tutor, among other things.
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A $300,000 donation from the Charles C. Matthews Foundation will help sustain the Panola College Promise Program, which covers tuition and fees for up to three consecutive years following high school graduation for all qualifying students.
“The continued support of the Charles C. Matthews Foundation is not only generous, it is deeply impactful,” Panola College President Jessica Pace said. “Thanks to their ongoing investment, we can help ensure that every student in Panola County has a pathway to a brighter future – whether through a certificate, associate degree, or transfer to a four-year university.”
