LaGuardia Community College, part of the City University of New York system, recently announced that it has received three new grants.
With a $1.2 million grant, LaGuardia will enhance one of its programs to help internationally trained professionals (ITPs) from the healthcare field improve their English-language skills and rebuild their careers. The grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation was specifically for the NYC Welcome Back Center (NYCWBC) in LaGuardia’s Center for Immigrant Education and Training (CIET).
LaGuardia’s project will assist immigrant healthcare professionals in restarting their career pathways, aiming to ensure that a pipeline of qualified and diverse healthcare workers is available to meet the healthcare needs of all New Yorkers.
“The center encounters many healthcare professionals whose English level is too low to participate successfully in healthcare training programs leading to certification and employment. We hope to help these participants qualify and transition successfully from these programs to the healthcare field,” said Paula Da Silva Michelin, director of LaGuardia’s CIET/NYCWBC
The college also received a $210,000 renewal grant from the Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation to enhance its English Express program, which helps asylum seekers and others learn English. CIET manages the program, which started in 2023 with an initial $210,000 grant from the Petrie Foundation.
LaGuardia is the largest provider of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) instruction in New York City, and the English Express program offers orientation and assessment activities, English language workshops contextualized to the immediate needs of daily living, and referrals to educational and training programs at LaGuardia and other providers.
With the new funding, LaGuardia plans to expand its ESOL offerings to provide classes contextualized to transitioning services, which specifically target 120 English language learners from Year One of English Express who are eager to continue with the program.
And LaGuardia has received a $300,000 grant from the Heckscher Foundation for Children to launch “Pipeline to Degree.” The new initiative aims to increase the number of students who complete workforce training and pre-college programs and then transition into the college to pursue associate degrees.
Pipeline to Degree will offer customized outreach, advising, and support for adult and continuing education (ACE) students, particularly younger adults (ages 18 to 24), those from low-income and first-generation backgrounds.
“This program will encourage individuals who complete ACE programs to pursue associate degrees, expanding their career opportunities and increasing lifetime earnings,” said LaGuardia President Kenneth Adams. “We want ACE students, particularly working adults, new immigrants and first-generation college applicants, to see pre-college and workforce training program gateways to college degrees.”
Minnesota
South Central College (SCC) has received a $611,234 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program to expand its Independent Mechatronics Education Curriculum (iMEC) distance learning model. The three-year project will increase access to mechatronics education for rural and underserved communities while enhancing the curriculum to meet evolving industry needs.
SCC is working with Lake Superior College and Fond du Lac Tribal Community College to launch the next generation iMEC 3.0. The three colleges will deliver mechatronics instruction and hands-on remote training equipment for high school students in northern and southern Minnesota.
Students will be able to take several iMEC courses and receive up to 12 college credits while still in high school. From there, they can enter the workforce, continue toward a mechatronics associate of applied science degree at SCC, or both.
This is the third NSF grant SCC has received for iMEC.
NEA grants
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced recently 1,474 awards totaling nearly $36.8 million to support the arts in communities. A handful of community colleges were on the list of grant recipients.
The Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) Foundation received two NEA grants: $25,000 for the annual Tri-C JazzFest and $15,000 to host performances and residency activities by hip-hop and breaking dancer Raphael Xavier.
In Illinois, Elgin Community College was awarded a $10,000 grant to support an artist residency by Tibetan monks.
Meanwhile, Central Oregon Community College will use a $10,000 grant to provide summer art camps for low-income youth in rural communities.
Other grant awards include $15,000 to College of DuPage in Illinois and $50,000 to Berkshire Community College in Massachusetts.
Nebraska
Norfolk Iron and Metal is supporting the Northeast Community College iHub project with a $250,000 donation.
This investment will support the development of a 16,000-square-foot workforce development and community fabrication facility currently under construction in downtown Norfolk.
“It is rewarding that major employers in the Norfolk area understand the value the iHub will bring to their industries,” said iHub Director Erin Sorensen. “From youth robotics practice spaces and STEM camps to adult upskilling and professional development, the iHub is a launch pad where education meets real-world application, community engagement flourishes, and a new generation of innovators and skilled professionals will be nurtured.”
Ohio
Sinclair Community College will use a $900,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to create a student resilience center.
Over the next three years, the funding will help create the center and enhance resources within Sinclair’s accessibility services department, furthering the ability to support students on their academic journey. The grant is part of ED’s Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program, which funds initiatives that address students’ essential needs while improving their overall success and well-being.
Texas
Austin Community College District (ACC) received a $15,000 gift from the Moody Center, a local entertainment venue. The donation will fund the Moody Center Endowed Scholarship at ACC, which will provide ongoing support for aspiring music business professionals enrolled in the college’s audio technology and industry program.
“Music is the heartbeat of central Texas, and this endowed scholarship is a testament to the power of collaboration in removing barriers and empowering students to follow their dreams,” said ACC Chancellor Russell Lowery-Hart.
Scholarship recipients will also have access to mentorship and shadowing opportunities with Moody Center’s award-winning team, providing invaluable industry insights and hands-on experiences.
Washington
An anonymous donor who made a record-breaking $1.2 million donation to the Bellingham Technical College (BTC) Foundation in 2022 has added more than $780,000 to support students and programs.
The donor finalized the newest gift in late December, with $300,000 dedicated to student scholarships and $480,000 to help programs purchase equipment to ensure that students are trained on the most up-to-date tools that employers use in the field.
“This latest generous gift will make a big impact on our students, both relieving their financial stress and giving them access to train on equipment that might have otherwise been out of reach without this donation,” said BTC Foundation Director Dean Fulton.
This academic year, the foundation has awarded more than $1.3 million in scholarships to nearly 500 BTC students.
