A $82,661 grant to North Idaho College (NIC) from the Idaho Department of Lands Urban and Community Forestry Program will help to restore trees lost during recent windstorms and strengthen the college’s campus tree canopy.
The grant will fund the purchase of 74 trees and planting materials, professional planting services and labor costs for NIC employees involved in the project that will start this fall. The restoration comes after the loss of 71 trees during two major wind events at the Coeur d’Alene campus in December and March.
“We lost a significant part of our campus forest in these storms,” said NIC Arborist J.D. Reeves, who will lead the restoration project. “This grant gives us an opportunity to rebuild that canopy in a thoughtful way. We are not simply replacing trees. We are creating a stronger, more diverse and more resilient urban forest for the next generation of students and the entire community.”
Tree selection will emphasize species diversity and site suitability. The goal is to increase the campus canopy while improving its ability to withstand pests, diseases, severe weather and other climate-related changes.
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The College of Southern Idaho (CSI) Foundation has announced a $500,000 gift from the Wells Fargo Foundation to support workforce training and program expansion at the new LeRoy Craig CSI Jerome Center. The investment is part of Wells Fargo’s Rural Initiative Tour and reflects a shared commitment to strengthening economic opportunity, workforce development and educational access in rural communities.
“This funding is an investment in electricians, builders, technicians, entrepreneurs, and the future of rural Idaho. Economic growth depends on people being able to afford to live where they work, so building a stronger workforce development program in Jerome can help people stay local and strengthen the regional housing supply with their skills,” said Tim Rios, who leads Wells Fargo’s rural philanthropy.
Maryland
As a part of a $5 million grant through the Maryland Department of Labor’s Industry Apprenticeship Accelerator, Harford Community College will use $872,469 to help address the state’s shortage of qualified early childhood educators while increasing access to high-quality, earn-and-learn career pathways.
The funds will help Harford expand its child care apprenticeship program into a coordinated statewide network serving at least 20 Maryland counties and Baltimore City. Gov. Wes Moore announced the Industry Apprenticeship Accelerator program on July 30. It’s expected to recruit nearly 150 employers and add more than 650 apprentices in occupations across the state.
Harford Community College also has received two Nurse Support Program II grants totaling nearly $200,000 from the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission and the Maryland Higher Education Commission.
A $46,294 grant will fund additional professional education opportunities for the college’s nursing and allied health division faculty.
The college also will use a $150,000 grant to update healthcare simulation manikins and to support culturally responsive education.
Minnesota
Several community colleges were included in $2.8 million Student Parent Support Initiative (SPSI) grants through the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.
Saint Paul College, awarded $125,000, will expand programs and services designed to help student parents stay enrolled, complete their credentials and create stronger futures for themselves and their families.
Student parents comprise a significant portion of the Saint Paul College community, with nearly 27% of students identifying as parents. Over the past year, SPSI funding helped launch several initiatives at the college, including the Pregnant and Parenting Student Hub, student-parent scholarships, family-friendly spaces and opportunities for student parents to help shape services through a Student Parent Advisory Council.
Among the other grant recipients are Minneapolis Community and Technical College, Minnesota State College Southeast, Normandale and North Hennepin community colleges and Rochester Community and Technical College.
New Hampshire
Granite Edvance has donated $100,000 to the Student Emergency Aid Fund tht it helped create in 2024 with The Foundation for New Hampshire Community Colleges, bringing its total contribution to $280,000. The fund, which has already supported 276 students across the Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH), helps cover short-term, non-academic expenses such as food, housing, childcare and transportation.
“Our students are resilient and hardworking, but their lives are complicated, often balancing school with jobs and family responsibilities, and the last thing we want — and the last thing that New Hampshire’s employers want — is for their plans to be derailed by one of life’s unexpected challenges, particularly if it’s one that can be easily resolved,” CCSNH Chancellor Mark Rubinstein said in a statement.
The average award is approximately $600. The top needs are housing, transportation and food.
North Carolina
The Alamance Community College (ACC) Small Business Center got a boost with a $50,000 grant from the Truist Foundation. The funding will help to develop and expand training, technical assistance, support services and educational programming for entrepreneurs and small business owners.
“Together, these collaborations form a robust network of education, business and workforce stakeholders dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs at every stage — from ideation through launch and growth,” said Phydesia Lewis, director of the ACC Small Business Center.
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The South Piedmont Community College (SPCC) Foundation has accepted a $6,000 donation from Leitner, Bragg and Griffin in support of the Law Enforcement Management Academy. This is the second year the law firm has donated to the academy.
SPCC’s academy offers a six-month training program for entry- and mid-level officers. Topics include leadership, media relations, budgeting and team building.
Texas
El Paso Community College (EPCC) has received a $372,377 National Science Foundation IUSE: Innovation in Two-Year College STEM Education grant to build new credentials that respond to emerging technologies.
The project will support the development and implementation of EPCC’s new certificate in artificial intelligence (AI), which includes an embedded Occupational Skills Award. Through the grant, EPCC will expand its capacity for AI education and create pathways that prepare students for transfer and employment opportunities in high-demand technology fields.
“This award represents an important step forward in preparing EPCC students for emerging opportunities in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and the modern software engineering workforce,” said EPCC computer science professor Christian Servin, a principal investigator on the grant.
This latest award brings the total grant funding secured for El Paso Community College’s computing education initiatives to more than $1 million.
