Central Oregon Community College’s (COCC) “Growing Together” capital campaign got a big boost with a $500,000 grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust. The grant supports the college’s Madras campus transformation, specifically supporting a portion of the facility that will house COCC’s nursing, certified nursing assistant and medical assistant programs.
The campus extension is helping bring a new training center and community childcare to Jefferson County, with a grand opening anticipated by winter 2025. The capital campaign is supporting COCC’s development of a 24,000-square-foot building designed for early childhood education programs, registered nurse and other health career pathways, and a 100-capacity childcare center to serve the community.
Fundraising for the $22 million campaign — coming from both public and private sources — began in 2022.
Arizona
The Yavapai College Foundation this month launched a 30-day, $25,000 matching grant donation challenge to help with scholarships and operations of the Del E. Webb Family Enrichment Center (FEC). Yavapai College District Governing Board member Ray Sigafoos is matching the funds raised.
FEC is a child development center located on the college’s Prescott campus that provides a child-centered program that focuses on promoting children’s learning. As a laboratory school, FEC provides a setting for Yavapai College early childhood education students to develop the skills and competencies necessary for careers with young children.
Kentucky
The Kentucky Community and Technical College System raised more than $1.5 million during its inaugural KCTCS Giving Day. More than 1,000 donors in 27 states contributed to help ease financial barriers for students.
Funds will be used for need-based scholarships, food pantries, emergency aid, enrichment programs and other initiatives identified by the state’s 16 community colleges. All initiatives aim to help students ease financial needs so they can stay in college and complete their programs.
Minnesota
Minneapolis College has received Intervention for College Attendance Program-Formerly Incarcerated Students (ICAP FIS) grant funding from the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. The college will use $291,000 to provide support services to formerly incarcerated students.
Through the Transformation and Reentry through Education and Community (TREC) program, Minneapolis College, in partnership with Metro State University and the Minnesota Department of Corrections, currently operates in three correctional facilities where students can work toward two- and four-year degree programs.
As some students can’t complete their degrees while incarcerated, ICAP FIS will fund a re-entry program at the Minneapolis College campus to support the continuation of their academics. Part of the re-entry services program includes a mentorship program for justice-impacted students, pairing them with students who have similar lived experiences. In addition, Minneapolis College will develop a unique orientation program, monthly reentry workshops and guidebook, as well as a referral and tracking system to ensure students are benefiting from resources.
“These students can have very difficult barriers as they are trying to transition from incarceration back into our communities,” said Ann Deiman-Thornton, dean of education, public and human service. “In addition to access to all of the resources that any Minneapolis College student has, we can provide them with that added support to help overcome barriers as they earn their credential, whether it be with housing, food insecurity or finding a career.”
