Washington State Community College (WSCC) has received more than $2 million in grant funding from the U.S. Education Department. The funds, which will be disbursed over the next five years, will support the college’s efforts to create new in-demand academic programs, update curriculum to align with industry needs, and expand workforce and career services to build upon the success of its guided career pathways work.
Among other projects, WSCC will use a portion of the grant funds to develop career learning communities to increase student engagement and motivation centered on common career objectives. The college also will add occupational therapy assistant and physical therapy assistant programs and expand its process technician certificate program to include a process engineering technology two-year associate degree.
California
MiraCosta College has announced that it raised $10.6 million as part of its five-year fundraising campaign, which had a $10 million goal.
Nearly half of all MiraCosta College students who enroll annually come from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Since the campaign began, more than 5,000 students have received scholarships to help offset the cost of college, and an additional 5,200 students have received emergency financial support for basic needs, such as food scarcity, transportation and housing.
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Sacramento City College (SCC) will rename its library in honor of renowned author Joan Didion for a $500,000 gift from the Didion family and the Sacramento Historical Society (SHS).
Born in Sacramento in 1934, Didion attended Sacramento City College briefly in the 1950s.
“We’re proud that she started her college career here. Her status as an author of international renown, as a creative and incisive thinker, makes her a wonderful inspiration for our college community,” said Sacramento City College President Albert Garcia.
The gift will support writing scholarships for students and faculty research programs that align with the late author’s intellectual interests.
“Attending SCC was important to Joan, and we believe she would have been thrilled to support the scholarship for promising young writers who may not otherwise have the opportunity to be recognized,” said Kelley Didion Peters, Didion’s niece.
Didion passed away in December 2021 at the age of 87.
Massachusetts
With a $2.25 million federal grant, Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC) can expand its capacity to serve low-income students.
The Strengthening Institutions grant from the U.S. Education Department “will be a catalyst for transformative change within the college as we address longstanding equity issues, enhancing student-centered initiatives, and furthering our strategic goals listed in our five-year Strategic Plan,” said MWCC President James Vander Hooven.
MWCC plans to strengthen student onboarding and student support systems, improve curriculum and career alignment, fortify student readiness and competitiveness in the workforce, upgrade technological systems and processes, and improve student persistence, retention, engagement, achievement and three-year graduation rates.
Michigan
Mott Community College (MCC) has received two grants from the Community Foundation of Greater Flint.
A $90,000 grant will support the literacy efforts of the Flint Genesee Literacy Network (FGLN), of which MCC is a lead partner. FGLN’s mission is to seek out, convene, align and build capacity in partners who improve lives in Flint and Genesee County by radically raising literacy levels.
A second grant for $7,790 will support the Women in Education Fellowship Program (WIE), whose mission is to provide financially challenged MCC female students with an opportunity for academic and personal support from professional women in their designated fields of study.
New York
LaGuardia Community College/CUNY will use a three-year, $900,000 U.S. Department of Justice grant to provide educational, training and wraparound services for residents of Queensboro Correctional Facility.
The reentry facility, which serves male prisoners scheduled for release on parole within 120 days and those on work release, is located across the street from the college. Through the Accelerated College Transition (ACT) project, LaGuardia will offer eligible prisoners the opportunity to take credit-bearing, transferrable classes taught by LaGuardia faculty and instructors leading to an associate degree, as well as GED, ESL and professional workforce training courses offered through the college’s continuing education division. In addition, a new one-stop, on-campus transitional resource center will provide support, case management and transitional services for post-release Queensboro students at LaGuardia.
North Carolina
The N.C. State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) Foundation awarded Southwestern Community College $18,000 to assist students who enroll in workforce continuing education programs.
Thirty students will receive $500 scholarships to enroll in short-term workforce programs that lead to a state or industry-recognized credential such as basic law enforcement, emergency medical technician, real estate, phlebotomy or nurse aide.
The funding is through SECU’s Bridge to Career scholarship program.
Supporting student parents
Four community colleges have been selected to partner with Ascend at the Aspen Institute on its Postsecondary Leadership Circle Activation Fund. The colleges will receive $75,000 in grants and technical assistance to expand effective and equitable student-parent supports.
The selected colleges are El Paso Community College (Texas), Long Beach Community College (California), Los Angeles Valley College (California) and Montgomery College (Maryland)
During the two-year effort, the four partners will leverage a cross-campus task force to identify, plan and implement two strategies that align with their current efforts and will contribute to increasing student-parent persistence and attainment with a special focus on single mothers.
