Gadsden State Community College’s automotive service technology program has received a $16,000 donation from the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Foundation.
The Alabama college’s automotive service technology program prepares students for employment as entry-level automotive technicians and provides advanced training in diagnostics, repair and maintenance of today’s complex vehicles.
“When talking to dealerships, their biggest challenge is finding and retaining skilled technicians,” said Thomas R. Dart, president of the Automobile Dealers Association of Alabama, at a recent check presentation. “We like to support programs, like Gadsden State’s automotive program, that produces quality people and prepares them for the job. It’s a win-win for everybody.”
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Wallace State Community College Future Foundation raised a record-setting $416,161 at its annual Student Investment Luncheon. More than 600 people attended the event, with money raised going toward student scholarships.
At the luncheon, Wallace State President Vicki Karolewics also announced two new endowed scholarships recognizing the impact of longtime Wallace State faculty. The Deborah “Pepper” Hoover Endowed Scholarship will support future nurses and the Coach Randy Putman Endowed Scholarship honors a legendary Wallace State coach.
Maryland
Philanthropists Thomas P. Clement and Wonsook Kim have made a second gift of $1 million to Howard Community College (HCC) through their T&W Foundation.
The gift complements the couple’s $2.5 million donation in 2024, the largest single gift in the college’s history. Their total of $3.5 million in gifts support faculty and students in HCC’s engineering department with scholarships, equipment upgrades and teaching resources. Money also go toward to the college’s food pantry programs.
“Community colleges play a vital role in nurturing the next generation of innovators and leaders, and in sustaining a high quality of life for a diverse citizenry,” Clement said. “We are excited to deepen our partnership with HCC and [President Daria] Willis as the vision for HCC — growing as Howard County’s premier resource for higher education — expands at a historic pace.”
Ohio
As Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) and the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Mandel Humanities Center, the Mandel Foundation is committing an additional $3 million to expand the Mandel Youth Humanities Academy.
The summer program for rising high school juniors and seniors is held annually at the Tri-C Eastern Campus. It offers a unique opportunity for students from across Northeast Ohio: a fully paid curricular experience in the study of the humanities. Participants read and discuss core texts in philosophy, history, literature and other disciplines under the umbrella of the humanities while also connecting those ideas to film, new media (such as virtual reality) and “City as Text” experiences across Cleveland.
This new investment by the Mandel Foundation extends its partnership with Tri-C, which began with a landmark $10 million gift in 2015.
“The Mandel Humanities Center has become a beacon of possibility for students who want to lead with purpose and make a difference,” said Tri-C President Michael A. Baston.
Texas
Houston City College (HCC) Northeast received a donation of a Class 8 semi-truck by PepsiCo to HCC’s heavy vehicle, diesel and industrial technology program. The gift is the latest investment in the partnership between HCC, PepsiCo, the PepsiCo Foundation and the HCC Foundation through the PepsiCo Foundation Uplift Scholarship program, which supports underserved students in their pursuit of valuable credentials in high-demand fields.
The donated truck will support HCC diesel technology students — including PepsiCo Foundation Scholars — as they gain hands-on experience diagnosing and repairing high-tech, computer-controlled systems.
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Lone Star College-North Harris has received $280,908 TRIO-Student Support Services grant from the U.S. Department of Education for the 2025–2030 grant cycle.
Lone Star College’s TRIO-Student Support Services program provides students with academic advising, financial aid support, career advising, college and cultural field trips and academic tutoring. Students also will have the opportunity to earn scholarships to assist with tuition and fees.
Virginia
A $3,250 grant will boost Mountain Gateway Community College’s (MGCC) forestry program. The Farm Credit of the Virginias (FCV) awarded the grant through its Agricultural Career Enhancement (ACE) grant program.
MGCC will use the funds to support its ongoing outreach efforts by helping fund a forestry career advisor recruiting position, aimed at introducing students across Virginia to careers in natural resources.
The ACE grant program, launched in 2024, is designed to strengthen agricultural career development programs at colleges and universities, including those in agricultural sciences, technology, education, agribusiness, forestry and conservation.
Wisconsin
A $4.5 million gift from W. Jerome Frautschi will significantly expand scholarship opportunities for Madison College students.
The Frautschi Family Pathway Scholarship Fund was established in 2022 with a $1 million gift from Frautschi. Since its inception, this fund has supported 187 Madison College students.
The new $4.5 million commitment furthers the initial vision to support students with the greatest financial need. It is the largest non-capital contribution in Madison College Foundation’s history.
“This gift has significant power,” said Madison College President Jennifer Berne. “It removes the upfront barrier of cost, which we know is a deciding factor in whether someone pursues higher education, and it stays with students across four semesters, helping them stay enrolled and finish what they start. These barriers are rarely one-time events, so to have a scholarship that recognizes and responds to that reality is essential — and quite literally life-changing.”
Wyoming
Central Wyoming College has received a $1 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to support innovation in the geospatial information science and technology program and strengthen the preparation of geospatial technicians.
Through the NSF Advanced Technological Education Integrated Geospatial Information Science and Technology Program (I-GIST), Central Wyoming College is developing and modernizing geospatial information science and technology curricula, creating an educational pipeline for high school students, offering professional development opportunities for educators and early-career professionals, and establishing paid internships to enhance workforce readiness.
I-GIST builds on an earlier NSF-funded pilot project, GEOBridges. The pilot provided condensed course offerings and paid internships for students applying geospatial technologies in natural and cultural resource management. Over three years, the pilot supported more than 75 students, providing them with college credit and practical field experience. The result was a well-prepared group of employment-ready technicians equipped with geospatial science and backcountry skills to meet Wyoming’s workforce needs.
