Thanks to $850,000 in new federal funding, Santa Ana College in California can work to expand several workforce programs.
The funding, secured by Rep. Lou Correa (D-California), will focus on creating the modern infrastructure needed to expand the automotive technology, diesel-electric transportation technology, robotic manufacturing and welding programs by retrofitting a vacant lot and a classroom adjacent to the existing training space for these programs. This project is expected to add five automotive, two diesel technology and three welding courses each semester once complete.
Correa visited Santa Ana College in August for a check presentation ceremony.
“Santa Ana College has always been a launching pad for opportunity in our community, and this funding makes sure it stays that way,” Correa said.
Arizona
A $350,000 grant will help South Mountain Community College (SMCC) expand the capacity of its Construction Trades Institute (CTI).
With the grant from the Diane and Bruce Halle Foundation, SMCC will support a full-time electrical faculty position for one year who will teach advanced coursework and assist in second-level commercial and industrial electrical training.
The funding also will help sustain the adjunct faculty support within the carpentry and electrical pathways, ultimately creating greater opportunities and access for the high school students pursuing careers in the skilled trades.
In addition, SMCC will use grant funds to purchase new instructional equipment.
“This investment is about more than building programs, it is about creating opportunities,” said Travis May, SMCC’s associate vice president of workforce strategies and external relations. “Through these efforts, we are preparing the next generation of skilled trades professionals and helping build the workforce that will drive Arizona’s future.”
Arkansas
Northwest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) has received a three-year grant of nearly $600,000 from the Walton Family Foundation to strengthen and expand the college’s Learning, Improvement, Fun and Empowerment (LIFE) program.
Over the next three years, the LIFE Program will expand opportunities for students, families, mentors, alumni and community partners to build lasting connections through culturally responsive programming, family engagement, leadership experiences and community-based activities.
The grant also introduces the LIFE Mentor Volunteer Leadership Stipend, a new initiative that recognizes the leadership and service of LIFE mentors with a $1,000 stipend.
Florida
Miami Dade College has received a $75,000 grant from Amazon to support the Eig-Watson School of Aviation. The funds will provide scholarships to help more students pursue careers as pilots, air traffic controllers, aviation technicians and more as demand for aviation and aerospace talent continues to grow.
The grant is part of a $1 million investment from Amazon that supports organizations making an impact across South Dade.
Massachusetts
Quinsigamond Community College (QCC) and Saint-Gobain North America, a leader in sustainable construction, have announced a $300,000 partnership to support an advanced manufacturing learning space and cutting-edge equipment in the college’s future QCC Center.
In recognition of Saint-Gobain’s $300,000 investment, the advanced manufacturing space within the future QCC Center will be named the Saint-Gobain Advanced Manufacturing Center at QCC. The three-year sponsorship will fund lab and classroom furnishings and equipment, allowing the advanced manufacturing program to expand and integrate computer science, engineering, and robotics programming that aligns with current industry standards.
Scheduled to open next year, the QCC Center will feature advanced manufacturing classrooms, student engagement spaces, a gymnasium and dedicated space for the hospitality program.
Michigan
A new donation at Glen Oaks Community College will help students cover essential expenses and stay enrolled. Dr. Richard Wedemeyer has established the Wedemeyer Student Support Fund with a $100,000 endowed gift to help students facing unexpected financial hardships remain enrolled and continue their education.
Annual distributions from the fund will provide financial assistance for essential expenses not covered by State of Michigan aid, foundation scholarships or federal financial aid programs.
The fund reflects the belief Wedemeyer and his late wife, Kathleen, shared in the power of education to transform lives and create opportunities. Their vision for the endowment is to provide timely support that helps students remain focused on their goals and move forward with confidence.
“From my experience in financial aid, I have seen how unexpected emergencies can force students to leave college. This fund is designed to help students stay enrolled and continue their education,” Wedemeyer said.
Also at Glen Oaks Community College, faculty will benefit from an $11,000 commitment from Meemic Insurance and the Gleaton family. The gift establishes the new Meemic Insurance–Gleaton Family Faculty Enrichment Fund, which will help Glen Oaks faculty pursue professional and program development opportunities that strengthen teaching, enhance academic programs and improve student outcomes.
Funding may support conference attendance, professional certifications, continuing education, curriculum and program development, instructional equipment and technology, educational materials and supplies, and applied research or scholarly projects.
“When faculty have opportunities to explore innovative teaching practices, emerging technologies and evolving industry standards, students benefit from stronger programs, more engaging learning experiences and clearer pathways to careers, transfer and lifelong learning,” said Adam L. Cloutier, vice president of academics.
Montana
Philanthropist Jerome Broussard has donated $7 million to Flathead Valley Community College (FVCC), the largest single gift in the college’s history, to support infrastructure expansion of the FVCC Trades Institute.
“This investment will help prepare students for the in-demand jobs that exist today, while positioning us to educate and train the workforce far into the future,” said FVCC President Jane Karas.
Broussard’s gift will help fund a phased expansion of the institute, adding approximately 24,000 square feet of new space alongside roughly 23,400 square feet of renovated and modernized facilities. The project will create dedicated, full-service labs for electrical, HVAC, plumbing and machining programs, a new building trades work area and flexible classroom space built to adapt as programs and technology evolve.
The gift builds on strong early support for the project. FVCC has already raised $12 million toward the project’s $16 million cost.
South Carolina
Florence-Darlington Technical College (FDTC) received a $474,296 Advanced Technological Education (ATE) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
A key focus of the grant will be integrating several mechatronics robotic technologies into CNC courses within the machine tool technology program. The project will allow FDTC faculty to develop and test new instructional approaches that better connect mechatronics, robotics, automation, and CNC machining, preparing students with the cross-disciplinary technical skills increasingly needed by advanced manufacturing employers.
“Our dedicated faculty have developed an innovative approach to training that has the potential to shape future curriculum not only at Florence-Darlington Tech, but beyond our campus as well. This award reflects our ongoing commitment to continuous improvement, innovation, and providing students with the skills they need to succeed,” said FDTC Interim President Debbie Cheek.
Tennessee
An Oak Ridge couple recently gifted $100,000 to Roane State Foundation in support of the Knox Regional Health Science Education Center, a new Roane State Community College campus in West Knoxville.
Bonnie Carroll and her husband, Roy Cooper, are the latest community members to become major donors to the project, which will expand healthcare training for the region.
“When we were introduced to the plans for the new facility, we felt it was an investment that would have an immediate and then a continuing impact on the health of our community and the region,” Carroll said. “After seeing the operating simulation center, we are even more convinced that our investment will be an enduring one.”
The new location houses health science programs offered by both Roane State and the Tennessee College of Applied Technology Knoxville. The flagship Roane State Simulation Center – the first of its kind in Tennessee – is fully integrated within the 130,000-square-foot facility.
The State of Tennessee contributed more than $67.5 million toward this $75 million project. Roane State Foundation has raised more than $6 million of the additional $7.5 million needed to equip the campus and sustain operations.
Texas
The Charles C. Matthews Foundation has donated $1 million to Panola College. The foundation is a long-time supporter of the college and in recognition of that support, Panola College’s board of trustees voted to name the new Gateway Center the Matthews Foundation Gateway Center.
In 2018, the foundation established the college’s only endowed scholarship dedicated specifically to students in workforce programs, which has since supported more than 300 students. Over the years, the foundation has established additional endowed scholarships, funded equipment for college programs, and made significant contributions to the Charles C. Matthews Foundation Student Center and Matthews Foundation Energy Building.
The new 25,000-square-foot, two-story center will serve as a hub for workforce and continuing education, cosmetology, social and behavioral sciences and additional academic programming.
“The Matthews Foundation Gateway Center will stand as a lasting reminder of that generosity and the opportunities it continues to create for our students and community,” said Kevin Smith, chair of the Panola College board of trustees.
