Eastern Florida State College (EFSC) Foundation received $5,730 from aerospace company Embraer to educate minority youths about careers in aerospace and aviation and the programs at EFSC that can lead to those careers.
The college will work with Brevard Public Schools, Brevard County Parks and Recreation and local non-profits to identify students who could most benefit from workshops about these careers.
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The Hillsborough Community College Foundation announced the first corporate gift that supports the college’s new bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program. The $5,000 donation from Gale Healthcare Solutions will be matched by the Gregory Foundation for a total of $10,000.
The donation will provide scholarships to 10 students who will be part of the inaugural class starting this fall. The students will receive $1,000 each to help with tuition, books and other expenses as they begin their BSN completion program.
Alabama
Serving a meal prepared using mostly locally sourced ingredients, Wallace State Community College’s culinary arts program made good use of a $47,200 Alabama Specialty Crop Cooking Demonstration grant.
The grant helps promote the preparation and use of specialty crops in restaurants and home kitchens through demonstrations. The funds are part of the USDA AMS Specialty Crop Block Grant administered by the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries.
For the epicurious: the menu included a lemon basil spritzer as an aperitif, followed by a tomato and cucumber salad on rosemary focaccia with avocado mousse, red onions, blueberry goat cheese and basil balsamic vinaigrette. The main dish featured brisket en glace with shitake mushrooms, a sweet potato and jalapeno galette and asparagus with hollandaise sauce. Dessert consisted of blackberry cobbler and vanilla bean ice cream.
The culinary arts program will use a food trailer to bring more demonstrations to the region and spotlight in-season produce and other locally sourced products.
Kentucky
Bluegrass Community and Technical College’s (BCTC’s) “Girls Can Too” program got a boost with a $347,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. The three-year program will encourage middle and high school girls to pursue a career in advanced manufacturing.
Eighty middle and high school girls will learn about careers relating to industrial maintenance technology (IMT). High school girls can participate in dual-credit courses, preparing them to transfer into the IMT program to earn certificates, diplomas and associate degrees. Mentoring and support by professional women employed in IMT will provide students with leadership opportunities.
“As a professional woman in a male-dominated field, I see every day how necessary it is to encourage young women to pursue the high-demand, high-wage careers in advanced manufacturing and the trades,” said BCTC Dean Laura Lynch.
Massachusetts
MassBay Community College will receive $735,000 as its share of a state-funded workforce training grant. The funds will help to create and expand training programs in high-demand industries, while helping populations who have traditionally experienced higher rates of unemployment and barriers to employment.
Some of the programs the college will expand are healthcare, cybersecurity, education and information technology.
Texas
Lone Star College will use a $324,792 grant from the Texas Workforce Investment Council to develop the LSC Strategic Engagement for Student Career Planning Initiative, which will provide workforce and job readiness planning to first-generation students in the areas of manufacturing, information technology, business, visual communications and healthcare.
“One unique aspect of this program is the workshops and training that will be offered to consider starting their own business,” said LSC Chief Diversity Officer Carlecia Wright. “Students will have access to networking techniques, business plan advice, Houston economy orientation and funding opportunities.”
