Northwest Florida State College’s “Step Up to the Plate” campaign recently received two major donations. The campaign is raising money for a new indoor practice facility for the college’s sports teams.
Dr. Jerry “Doc” Hollingsworth contributed $25,000 to the campaign. He was the team doctor for area high schools for nearly 35 years and helped establish the All-Sports Association of Northwest Florida. Hollingsworth also helped found the first chapter of Special Olympics in Florida.
Cathy and Mike Marcantonio and their sons, Matty and Will, presented a gift of $10,000 at the final home game of the NWF Raider Baseball team on April 25. The Marcantonios own and operate Marcantonio Dentistry and are involved in many community projects, including Northwest Florida State College Give Kids a Smile Day.
California
Norco College received a $95,000 grant from the Dart Foundation. (Photo: Norco)
Norco College’s manufacturing technology program is getting some new equipment thanks to a $95,000 grant from the Dart Foundation. The college will purchase a new Y-Axis Computer Numerical Control lathe for its advanced manufacturing lab, which is used by more than 800 students each academic year.
“This grant will enable the college to replace a severely outdated piece of equipment, and in doing so enhance the learning experience for hundreds of manufacturing technology students each year,” Riverside Community College District Foundation Director Launa Wilson said in a release.
North Carolina
Forsyth Technical Community College will use a $579,961 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to define the workforce skills technicians will need for manufacturing jobs where biomedical devices intersect with tissue engineering. The three-year project, Skills for Biomedical Emerging Technology Applications (BETA Skills), will run through the National Center for the Biotechnology Workforce (NCBW), which is located at the college.
“With the development of combination devices, sensors, photonics and implantable systems, employers will need technician specialists who understand more than classical biological and chemical sciences and traditional engineering,” said Russ Read, NCBW executive director and principal investigator for the BETA Skills grant.
Forsyth Tech will work with Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana, Anoka-Ramsey Community College in Minnesota and College of the Canyons in California on the project. Including North Carolina, the four states account for about 25 percent of the employment nationwide across all biosciences industry subsectors and 32 percent of jobs in medical devices and equipment.
“Working across geographic regions will help create a national platform for defining, providing instruction and promoting technician careers around new specialized skills,” Read said.
Pennsylvania
HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, is establishing two new scholarships after receiving new funding. HACC alumnus Joseph Porter has pledged $15,000 to establish the Porter Family Scholarship Fund. A least two scholarships of $1,500 will be awarded each academic year to benefit full-time HACC students who are graduates of Steelton-Highspire High School, maintain a 2.5 GPA and present a financial need.
The second scholarship is the Northwest Bank Scholarship, established with a $10,000 contribution from the Northwest Charitable Foundation. At least one scholarship will be awarded each academic year to a part- or full-time student who maintains a minimum grade point average of 3.0 and demonstrates financial need.
HACC also received a $13,833 donation from the John L. and C. Jeanette Witmer Charitable Trust to support students facing emergency needs at the college’s Lebanon Campus. Emergency funds provide one-time assistance of up to $500 to HACC students facing a financial emergency and unexpected financial burdens unrelated to tuition.
Texas
DCCCD Chancellor Joe May at an event last month announcing JPMorgan Chase’s investment in the Dallas County Promise program. (Photo: DCCCD)
The Dallas County Promise program recently received a $3 million investment from JPMorgan Chase. With its investment, JPMorgan Chase became the first corporate partner for the program, which was established in part by the Dallas County Community College District, along with the Dallas Independent School District and the University of North Texas at Dallas. The program has since grown to include multiple school districts, colleges and universities, and business and community partners who are working together to increase college completion and student success.
“The investment made by JPMorgan Chase through its New Skills for Youth initiative illustrates the critical need for financial support from industry partners, especially in the areas of health care and information technology, and the network we have created for student success,” DCCCD Chancellor Joe May said during an announcement event at Brookhaven College last month.
With that investment, Dallas County Promise aims to support 3,500 community college students in completing degrees leading to careers in health care and information technology. Specifically, the investment will help introduce students, beginning early in high school and through college, to workforce opportunities in those sectors. Students will be paired with coaches to guide their college experience, ensuring that they have a clear pathway to high-demand careers.
“It’s a powerful force for good when public institutions and private-sector leaders form partnerships to prepare our youth for high-skill, high-wage jobs. Working together, JPMorgan Chase and Dallas County Promise will transform lives by putting more young people on the path to success,” said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings.
