Montgomery County Community College’s (MCCC) Challenger Learning Center will continue to provide immersive STEM education thanks to new $500,000 federal grant.
The funding, secured by U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean and Sen. John Fetterman, will support expanded programming, enhanced technology and simulation experiences and increased access for students, helping more young learners explore STEM.
MCCC joined the national network of 30-plus Challenger Learning Centers in 2022, when it opened the first and currently only Challenger Learning Center in Pennsylvania. Since opening, the center has held 16,000 youth engagements through in-person and virtual missions.
Following the Challenger tragedy in 1986, the crew’s families established the Challenger Center to honor their loved ones and carry forward their education mission. The MCCC community last month celebrated 40 years of the center.
California
Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) has received a $710,000 grant from the state Wildlife Conservation Board to support the college’s work in restoring Trout Creek Meadow. The meadow is adjacent to the LTCC campus.
The college will partner with the Washoe Tribe of California and Nevada in this work.
LTCC also will team with the Washoe Tribe on a new $110,000 Tahoe for All grant project. It will provide three-day wilderness education trips for tribal youth and young adults. Participants will learn about camping, backpacking, kayaking and wilderness first aid. The California Tahoe Conservancy awarded the grant.
Michigan
Bay College students at the Iron Mountain Campus will benefit from new training equipment thanks to an anonymous donor. A recent gift helped to buy a new muscular anatomy model and hospital beds, providing valuable resources for students preparing for careers in healthcare.
The new anatomy model allows students to study human body systems in detail, strengthening their understanding of anatomy and physiology. The addition of hospital beds provides a realistic setting for students to practice patient positioning, mobility assistance, and other fundamental clinical techniques before entering clinical placements.
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Glen Oaks Community College and the Glen Oaks Community College Foundation announced recently a $100,000 endowed gift from Dr. Richard Wedemeyer to help students facing unexpected financial hardships. It will cover essential expenses such as housing, transportation, childcare, textbooks and medical needs.
North Carolina
Southwestern Community College’s soon-to-launch dental hygiene associate degree program received a $225,000 boost from the Cannon Foundation and Charles A. Cannon Charitable Trust No One. The funds will help with the purchase of new dental simulation equipment for the dental simulation lab.
Southwestern already has a thriving dental assisting program and completed a brand-new clinic last year. The new dental simulation lab is equipped with 16 high-tech simulators and cabinetry.
The dental hygiene clinic, expected to be fully operational in 2028, will offer low-cost preventative dental healthcare for area residents. Services that students will provide through the clinic include teeth cleanings, fluoride treatments, X-rays and other preventative treatments.
Tennessee
OxyChem recently presented Nashville State Community College leaders with a $4,000 donation for the college’s industrial processing control technician (IPCT) program.
Since 2013, OxyChem has contributed $42,500 to the IPCT program.
Texas
There are more scholarship opportunities at McLennan Community College (MCC) with the new Magnolia Scholarship Endowment, established by Chip and Joanna Gaines and Magnolia. The new fund, housed at the MCC Foundation, will begin this fall and is expected to support more than 50 Central Texas students annually.
Joanna Gaines, who founded Magnolia with husband Chip Gaines, began her academic journey at MCC.
“Education has the power to transform lives,” said Chip and Joanna Gaines. “We’re honored to partner with McLennan Community College to help create opportunities for students to pursue their passions and chase after their dreams.”
Wisconsin
Madison College will use a $156,000 Wisconsin Technical College System Career Pathways Grant to launch a new education program to address teacher shortages in rural communities.
The college will expand its Education Pre-Major University Transfer program to the Reedsburg campus, where education courses will be offered beginning in spring 2027.
The initiative aims to create a more accessible pathway for students in northern and rural regions to begin their education degrees locally before transferring to four-year institutions, said education department chair Penny Johnson.
“This is something we’ve worked toward for a long time,” Johnson said. “Rural school districts face unique challenges, especially when it comes to attracting and retaining teachers. In rural communities, students often must travel significant distances to access education programs. This pathway helps remove that barrier.”
The new program is part of a broader effort to strengthen the teacher pipeline in rural Wisconsin, where many school districts face ongoing staffing challenges.
Also at the Wisconsin college, trade apprenticeship students are getting a boost in their education and careers, thanks to $228,000 in Ascendium Tools of the Trade grants.
A total of 114 Madison College students received individual awards of up to $2,000 to support their training in high-demand technical fields. Apprentices can use the funds for training-related expenses such as tools, equipment, clothing and tuition.
Ascendium has awarded more than $8.8 million in scholarships to over 5,000 apprentices across Wisconsin in the last 13 years.
