Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) received a $1 million grant from the MassMutual Foundation – the largest philanthropic gift received by the Massachusetts college in the past 15 years – to help with the relocation of the School of Health and Patient Simulation (SHPS).
The college plans to move its health programs out of its current building, an 83-year-old structure with a history of expensive emergency repairs. Most of the programs will be moved to a newer, seven-story structure on the STCC campus.
The total estimated project cost to relocate is approximately $50 million, with committed funding from the Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance ($38 million), STCC board of trustees ($11.5 million) and the STCC Foundation ($500,000).
With an enrollment of more than 1,500 students, SHPS offers 13 associate degrees and five certificate programs in health.
ACCJC project grant
The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) has received a $400,000 grant from the College Futures Foundation to advance its Transparency, Storytelling, and Value Literacy Project launched this fall.
ACCJC will work with its member institutions to help them increase transparency for students, parents and the public, with one goal being to highlight the positive impact of institutions’ programs and offerings.
The grant will help fund a series of regional convenings with member institutions, and the development of a student return on investment (ROI) and social mobility metric (or set of metrics) that can be used in accreditation processes. ACCJC also will work with institutions to develop templates that could present college data in a way that highlights improvement in student achievement and more. Through the project, ACCJC also will create cohorts of institutions with similar resources and outcomes to support them in elevating data and outcomes.
“Ultimately, ACCJC’s goal is to amplify the value of higher education, the work of our member institutions, and the amazing social mobility of students within programs at ACCJC member institutions,” said ACCJC President Mac Powell.
Alabama
Gadsden State Community College will use a $1 million grant from the Gene Haas Foundation to support its precision-machining program. In recognition of the contribution, the college is naming its precision-machining lab the Gene Haas Center for Advanced Machining and Engineering Technology.
“This grant ensures that our students will have access to excellent equipment and training that will give them the skills they need to thrive in high-demand careers,” said Elizabeth Wheatley, who wrote the grant for the college.
Georgia
Savannah Technical College will continue to operate the Coastal Georgia Center for Driver Safety after the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety renewed a $190,638 grant for the fifth year.
Grant funds will continue to provide distracted and impaired driver prevention education for youth, young adults and parents in local counties. The activities include community- and school-based workshops, virtual reality simulation education and social media messaging.
Over the last year, the Coastal Georgia Center for Driver Safety partnered with the public school system and colleges and attended resource fairs. Through outreach and networking, the center reached nearly 20,000 high school students and their parents.
Maryland
Howard Community College (HCC) has received a $148,176 state grant to fund the Central Maryland Logistics Workforce Pipeline Partnership project at the college.
The workforce training program helps students with disabilities transition into careers in the logistics industry, while helping employers adopt and create more inclusive work environments. The courses for the project will begin in late October, which also marks the celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month. The funding comes from the Maryland Department of Labor’s Employment Advancement Right Now (EARN) Maryland program.
HCC partners on the project with the Autism Society of Maryland, the Arc of Howard County, the Howard County Office of Workforce Development and the Maryland State Department of Education Division of Rehabilitation Services
The partnership will serve 18- to 24-year-old high school completers with disabilities and provide two entry-level certifications: Certified Logistics Associate and Certified Logistics Technician.
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Montgomery College (MC) received a $100,000 grant for the fourth year as part of the Johnson Controls Community College Partnership Program. This year’s award will support HVAC scholarships, updated equipment for the HVAC labs, student recruitment efforts and support from academic coaches.
The funding from Johnson Controls also enables the college to purchase benchtop integrated trainer units that students will use in new building automation systems classes that MC is developing.
With last year’s funding, the college offered scholarships, held a mentoring event that matched our HVAC students with employees from Johnson Controls, and supported student retention and enrollment.
New Hampshire
A $60,000 grant to Great Bay Community College (GBCC) from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation will support college access and completion for residents of Dover and Portsmouth Housing Authorities.
The funding enables the college to help individuals in the community who face financial barriers to gain access to postsecondary education opportunities that may have previously been out of reach.
“This program provides critical support and services to seacoast residents so that they can successfully accomplish their educational goals,” said GBCC President Cheryl Lesser. “Grant funds enable us to remove barriers and break a cycle of poverty. By providing access to a quality education, academic support, and a host of resources, we are able to ease the challenges felt by this population while providing a gateway to a more economically stable future.”
Residents of the Dover and Portsmouth Housing Authorities will receive a wide range of support services such as academic coaching, access to program exploration, and connections to key social service resources in the region.
New York
Bronx Community College’s primary athletic field – the Ohio Track & Field – is getting an upgrade thanks to a $4 million capital funding investment. The funding was awarded by Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson, along with the Bronx delegation of the New York City Council and State of New York.
The college will use the funds to upgrade the entire baseball field, soccer field and track, with infrastructure updates including a new outdoor control booth and audio-visual components, such as a new electronic digital scoreboard and LED field lights.
BCC held an event on October 22 to celebrate the work of student athletes who joined together last spring to advocate for the funding and the effect the project is expected to have on students and the community.
“With these upgrades, our stately athletic field will be a more attractive, modernized space that will positively impact the College’s athletic program for decades into the future. Our athletic field also is used by the community, so we are excited to provide our neighbors and community partners with this upgraded facility,” said Interim BCC President Milton Santiago.
Tennessee
The First Horizon Foundation recently presented the Cleveland State Community College Foundation with a check for $10,000. The funds will support community projects such as Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss, an Evening with Scott Hamilton and alumni programming.
