In Michigan, Washtenaw Community College (WCC) students have some new lab equipment to learn on for STEM-based careers, thanks to a donation from Fluke Corporation. WCC’s new tools include handheld meters, cameras, thermometers, oscilloscopes and more used in chemistry, physics, geology and other physical science laboratories on campus.
A chance meeting last year with WCC alumna Aisha Bowe, a former NASA rocket scientist and soon-to-be Blue Origin astronaut, led to the donation. Bowe was being honored at the Women of Power Summit hosted by Black Enterprise and caught the attention of Toffee Coleman, Fluke’s strategic education partnerships manager. Coleman wanted to meet with Bowe to explore collaborative partnership opportunities, ultimately leading to the WCC donation.
Bowe is founder and CEO of STEMBoard and LINGO, which produces coding kits for youths. Bowe sponsors a scholarship for WCC engineering students and frequently returns to campus to interact with the STEM Scholars program and other activities.
California
The Compton Community Health Professions Partnership has received a $1 million grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation. Compton College is a partner in the initiative that aims to create a pipeline that leads to careers in healthcare.
The grant will help to address the shortage of nurses and healthcare professionals in the Compton area, establish clinical rotation sites, increase interest in healthcare professions and remove barriers to healthcare.
Compton College will receive funding through the grant to hire an apprenticeship/internship program coordinator who will help students find opportunities in health-related fields. Funding also will go toward professional development for math and English faculty at the college and the Compton Unified School District, and to bring community outreach staff to the St. John’s Community Health Center, located at Compton College. The outreach staff will serve as navigators and will recruit potential students for health partnership academic programs.
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The Orange Coast College (OCC) Foundation has received its largest gift ever from an anonymous alumnus. The $9.44 million gift will support students in OCC’s visual and performing arts programs.
The gift will establish the OCC Endowment for the Arts, which will provide scholarships for students continuing their education at OCC or transferring to other institutions. The endowment fund will also support performance and exhibition opportunities for students in art, music, dance and drama.
“Investments like this one in our OCC arts students can have a profound impact on an institution like OCC,” said OCC President Angelica Suarez. “Donors are recognizing that their investment in our community college can benefit a greater number of students compared to other sectors of higher education.”
Idaho
North Idaho College has received nearly $300,000 to develop a heavy equipment operator registered apprenticeship training program as part of the Federal Highway Administration’s Highway Construction Training Program.
The program will offer two five-week apprenticeship training courses over two years, targeting a total of 50 students with an emphasis on enrolling underrepresented populations, including veterans, minorities and women.
The program is scheduled to launch summer 2025.
Maryland
The Maryland Association of Community Colleges (MACC) and BCR Cyber, a cybersecurity training provide, have received a $935,680 grant for their Cyber Workforce Accelerator (CWA). The grant was awarded through the new Equitech Growth Fund from TEDCO (Maryland Technology Development Corporation).
Developed by MACC and BCR Cyber, the accelerator provides all 16 Maryland community colleges with access to BCR Cyber Series 3000 cyber ranges that deliver experiential training and education technology to train and certify thousands of entry-level IT and cyber practitioners.
The Equitech Growth Fund award will facilitate procurement, configuration and deployment of three BCR cyber ranges. The CWA will now have 13 cyber ranges available to all Maryland community colleges.
This latest grant from TEDCO brings the total amount awarded year to date for CWA to $6.4 million.
Massachusetts
North Shore Community College has received $42,000 in state funding to help its community prevent youth gang violence. NSCC will be the Local Action Research Partner for the city of Lynn, marking the 11th consecutive year it has served in that role.
The city has already been working to reduce youth gang violence thanks to funding through the Sen. Charles E. Shannon Jr., Community Safety Initiative Grant Program. This work has included developing strategies in social intervention, suppression, opportunity provision, organizational change and community mobilization.
NSCC is assisting the Lynn initiative by providing strategic, analytic, technical and research support. For example, NSCC conducts research on local crime trends and provides training on the latest research in the field and current issues in criminal justice. In addition, NSCC places three student interns from the criminal justice program to agencies such as the Lynn Police Department.
North Carolina
A $10,000 donation will assist Blue Ridge Community College (BRCC) with its Hurricane Helene relief efforts. First Citizens Bank recently made the donation to BRCC’s Education Foundation on behalf of the Robert P. Holding Foundation.
Nicola Barksdale, First Citizens senior vice president and manager of business and banking for the Western Carolina area, said that delivering the gift had special meaning for her.
“It’s incredibly personal to give back to the community college where I started my educational career,” Barksdale explained. “The way that Blue Ridge stepped up to provide disaster relief, and for us to be able to offer a small portion of funds to support the college in their efforts, that’s what community is all about.”
Tennessee
Students at Southwest Tennessee Community College (SWTCC) will benefit from enhanced support services through the Saluqi Cares program, thanks to a $895,504 grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
The Saluqi Cares program addresses barriers such as mental health, transportation and food insecurity. With the grant, SWTCC plans to expand transportation assistance and access to mental health sessions, as well as providing college-wide suicide prevention training for faculty and staff. The funds also will help to enhance partnerships that connect students to federal and state benefits, including food and housing assistance.
