Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation & Affiliates is expanding its Career Ready Internship Grant to two-year institutions. A combined $2.1 million has been awarded to 16 community and technical colleges in Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio and Wisconsin. Starting this spring, the colleges will work to create more than 1,000 paid internships.
The colleges will partner with employers in their communities. The funds will cover internship wages and other expenses. The colleges also are tasked with building their internal capacity to recruit students and match them with available internships while providing them support for success.
Washington
Edmonds Community College’s first 5K Walk and Run, which included more than 400 participants, raised $42,300 for student scholarships, emergency funding and program support. Students provided vignettes and entertainment for runner along the course, and culinary arts students prepared smoothies to keep runners and walkers going through the home stretch.
California
San Diego Miramar College will use a $200,000 grant to integrate enrollment management into the college’s Student Success Model. The grant come from the Santa Clarita Community College District. Included in the college’s plans: evaluate and implement online tutoring software and options available, and develop and disseminate course sequencing schedules for all instructional programs.
Santa Monica College (SMC) will use a $250,000 gift from the William and Sue Gross Foundation to help students in the “forgotten middle” – who have an unmet financial need and are ineligible for a full Pell Grant or other aid – pursuing a career technical education (CTE) degree or certificate. During the two-year demonstration phase of the scholars program, students will be eligible to apply for scholarships in CTE programs, including broadcasting, accounting, computer science and information systems, cosmetology, early childhood education and many more areas.
The college also has received a $1 million gift from longtime Pacific Palisades philanthropist Miriam “Mitzi” Blahd. The gift honors the legacy of retired SMC political science professor and current radio talk-show host Harvey Stromberg. Scholarships will be provided in Stromberg’s name and also fund the filming of “living histories” of eight students enrolled in the SMC Emeritus Program for older adults.
Blahd first met Stromberg when she took a Chinese history class he was teaching at SMC in 1974. She said she knew immediately that “this was somebody special.”
“He is such a great teacher…that’s why he stands out,” Blahd said.
Georgia
Savannah Technical College (STC) announced that it raised $7.27 million at its 13th annual Opportunity Gala. That’s the most money ever received in private funds to support the college. More than 200 people attended the event, which honored technology. STC’s fundraising campaign, “Where Excellence Meets Opportunity,” is focused on five key areas: precision manufacturing, health sciences, culinary arts/heritage tourism, technology and student support.
Maryland
Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) received an initial scholarship contribution of $4,000 from the Hometown Heroes Scholarship Fund. The fund was started by state Delegate Cory McCray and other community leaders to assist BCCC students who need a small amount of money to further their education. The group hopes to grow the fund.
North Carolina
Edgecombe Community College will receive more than $2 million over the next five years from the U.S. Department of Education to help increase the retention and graduation rates of low-income and black students. The grant will fund, among other things, two student success centers, which will provide case management services, tutoring, help with registration and counseling to students.
