The Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation has awarded the Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) Foundation a three-year, $1.68 million commitment to support students in the Entrepreneurial Studies Institute, health sciences and workforce development programs.
Twenty-two years ago, with Phil and Carole Ratcliffe’s support and encouragement, the Maryland college launched the Entrepreneurial Studies Institute (ESI) to prepare aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners. The Ratcliffe Foundation also played a leadership role in helping the college realize the vision of opening the Clauson Center for Innovation and Skilled Trades in 2022.
In 2024, recognizing the shortage of workers threatening the viability of local healthcare infrastructure and Anne Arundel’s commitment to providing solutions to this challenge, the Ratcliffe Foundation created the Ratcliffe Foundation Scholarship for Critical Allied Health Professions.
“This timely grant will help AACC prepare future entrepreneurs, caregivers and employees for sectors of our economy that face critical labor shortages,” said President Dawn Lindsay.
Alabama
The City of Glencoe donated a fully equipped 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe to Gadsden State Community College’s police and public safety department for just a dollar.
Students from Gadsden State’s collision repair program, led by instructor Bruce Hill, fixed the car, saving the college thousands of dollars in labor and parts. The Tahoe, already equipped with a protective cage, radar, emergency lights, sirens and other police gear, will go into service to support patrol operations and campus events.
“These students got an education and saved us thousands,” said Chief of Police Jay Freeman. “We are blessed to have these programs at Gadsden State to help create job opportunities for our students. It was a win-win.”
Louisiana
River Parishes Community College (RPCC) has received a $100,000 grant through the Future Use of Energy in Louisiana (FUEL) initiative.
RPCC is one of 13 institutions across the state – and the only community college — to receive a portion of nearly $900,000 in workforce development funding. The funding, through FUEL’s Seed and Scale Funds, aims to advance Louisiana’s energy talent pipeline.
With the grant, RPCC will create an electrical concentration within the electrical and instrumentation technology program, enriching the program with industry-relevant certifications, usage of virtual and augmented reality technologies, dedicated energy training activities/courses and professional development opportunities for the faculty.
FUEL is a collaborative led by Louisiana State University. It’s supported by a $160 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s Engines Program Development. The initiative brings partners together to support energy-focused research and development, workforce training and commercialization of emerging technologies.
Michigan
The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential (MiLEAP) is awarding $8.1 million in Reconnect Community Action Grants to seven community colleges.
The grants will fund community-driven strategies to increase adult learner enrollment, provide college and career navigation guidance, enhance wraparound student support and strengthen regional partnerships.
Mott Community College, for example, will use the funding to place college and career navigators at six community partner locations to connect residents to postsecondary opportunities. Northwestern Michigan College (NMC), in partnership with Northwest Michigan Works!, will coordinate the NoMI Attainment Collaborative, uniting more than 20 organizations across 10 counties to support adult learners through wraparound services and a step-by-step credentialing path.
“This collaboration is a powerful example of what happens when we imagine more for our region: more opportunity, more access, and more futures unlocked. Together, we’re building a community where learning truly lasts a lifetime,” said NMC President Nick Nissley.
The grants are part of Michigan’s broader effort to achieve the Sixty by 30 goal, which aims to ensure that 60% of working-age residents have a postsecondary degree or credential by 2030.
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Henry Ford College’s lactation consultant program (LCP) has received a $225,264 grant through the Michigan Health Endowment Fund for an initiative called LCP Expand.
In partnership with Henry Ford Health, the lactation consultant program at HFC is an accredited certification program launched in 2019. The program allows students to become international board-certified lactation consultants, a healthcare profession specializing in the clinical management of breastfeeding.
LCP Expand will focus on population-dense regions of Michigan outside Metro Detroit. The program will partner with Wrapped in Love Doula and Lactation Services to develop and provide a breastfeeding master class for doulas. The master class also will serve as a marketing and recruiting platform for new students to enroll at HFC.
North Carolina
Students in Central Carolina Community College’s (CCCC) commercial truck driver training will benefit from the donation of a 2020 Kenworth T680 Sleeper Tractor from Mountaire Farms Inc.
This is the second truck tractor the poultry company has donated to the college since opening their processing plant in Siler City in 2019. In 2022, Mountaire donated the first truck tractor for people to learn how to operate.
“The supply chain in the United States continues to face a critical shortage of drivers, and we should be doing everything we can to encourage people to consider this as a flexible and lucrative career choice,” said Amanda Irwin, president of Mountaire Farms. “We are fortunate to have a strong partnership with CCCC; they are a wonderful resource in our community. We hope graduates of this program will consider Mountaire as a preferred employer in Chatham County. But even if they don’t, helping CCCC train drivers benefits everyone.”
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Pepsi-Cola Bottling of Whittier continued its support of Southwestern Community College (SCC) students with a recent $6,000 gift.
Thomas Hibbs, area manager for Pepsi, recently presented the check to college. This makes Pepsi a Diamond Sponsor for the SCC Foundation’s 11th annual “Boots, Blue Jeans & Bling” gala, scheduled for Sept. 27.
Proceeds from the event support SCC student scholarships.
