Madison College has received a $1 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to enhance its efforts in promoting equity in STEM fields. The grant will provide at least 25 full-ride scholarships to students in the Wisconsin college’s STEM transfer or information technology programs.
In addition to providing scholarships, the college will host awareness-raising events and leverage the Madison College STEM Center for mentorship and research opportunities, with the goal of increasing the recruitment, retention and workforce transition of underrepresented students.
“We’re confident that the impact on student success will be profound, helping to build a diverse and well-prepared STEM workforce,” said STEM Center Director Kit Carlson said.
The grant also will support research into effective ways to help students succeed in science and technology careers.
Alabama
Wallace State Community College will use a $50,000 grant to train pharmacy technicians. The college received the Good Jobs Challenge Award funding from the Women’s Foundation of Alabama (WFA).
Wallace State’s Good Jobs as Pharmacy Technicians initiative will address the needs of an underserved population, particularly women and single mothers living in poverty. The project will provide essential scholarship opportunities to offset the costs associated with training.
Wallace State and the WFA will provide training scholarships to 20 women this fall.
Florida
Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Museum of Art and Design (MOAD) has received the Museums for America grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The competitive grant in the amount of $250,000 will support the project “Miami’s Legacy of Freedom: Chronicling 100 Years of The Freedom Tower,” celebrating the history and cultural significance of this National Historic Landmark.
The Freedom Tower, currently under renovation, is set to reopen in 2025 in celebration of its 100th anniversary. This restoration is bolstered by support from the state of Florida, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. With the new IMLS funding, MOAD will develop new exhibitions highlighting the tower’s historical importance, including an orientation film and guided interpretive tours.
“This grant enables us to expand our mission of preserving and interpreting Miami’s cultural heritage. By chronicling the 100-year history of the Freedom Tower, we are not only celebrating the past but also creating meaningful connections to the present and future of our community,” said Amy Galpin, executive director and chief curator of MOAD at MDC.
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St. Petersburg College (SPC) will use a $1.3 million Open Door grant from the Florida Department of Education to provide scholarships for short-term workforce training for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Open Door scholarships provide access to workforce education at no cost to students by covering tuition, fees and related expenses. The initiative has helped hundreds of students at SPC earn industry credentials and college credit certificates in the areas of public safety, healthcare, business, technology and building arts.
SPC also has received a $258,735 grant from the Florida Department of Commerce for its digital connectivity technology program. The program aims to help close the digital divide in underserved Florida communities by providing laptops, tablets and internet access for households and multi-purpose community facilities.
The college will use the grant to buy 300 laptop computers for its laptop lending program, as well as for the community through partnerships.
Massachusetts
A $175,000 gift from the Lucile and Bill Hicks Opportunity Fund will boost Bristol Community College’s STEM Starter Academy.
The STEM Starter Academy (SSA), an initiative of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, prepares and graduates a diverse body of students earning STEM certificates and degrees, transferring to four-year STEM programs or entering the workforce. Among its activities, SSA works with high schools to recruit and educate traditionally underserved and underrepresented students and support their academic pathways in STEM fields.
SSA students have opportunities for networking and career development events, free courses, tuition awards, academic support materials, access to faculty-supported research and collaborations with Bristol’s STEM Club.
Statewide, SSA students are twice as likely to complete their STEM degree or certificate. Upon graduation, Bristol’s SSA students continue to programs at four-year institutions, including Brown University, Bridgewater State University and the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth.
Michigan
Jackson College will use a $350,000 Advanced Technological Education (ATE) grant from the National Science Foundation for a blockchain education program.
Jackson will be the first college in its region to offer blockchain courses and credentials that are accredited. It will develop a curriculum aligned with industry standards and trends, recruit and retain students interested in blockchain technology and offer professional development for faculty and community members.
“Developing a blockchain program on campus will ultimately help our students in this expanding, decentralized network industry. We look forward to being at the forefront of this emerging field,” said Jackson College President Daniel J. Phelan.
New York
A $1.34 million grant will help Queensborough Community College (QCC) empower research-oriented students to transition to biomedical baccalaureate programs. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded the Bridges to the Baccalaureate Training Program grant.
QCC’s Bridges program provides a comprehensive system of academic, research, mentoring and career development support for students. Eight Bridges students will be recruited annually for research and will receive a stipend and 60% tuition coverage. The students will meet with transfer coordinators from senior colleges and will have an opportunity to tour the senior college and conduct research over the summer there. They may also opt for summer research at Memorial Sloan’s Kettering, Rockefeller Foundation or Harvard Medical School.
QCC has partnered with two CUNY four-year colleges – Queens College and City College of New York – to allow for seamless transfer.
This grant builds on the success of Queensborough’s previous Bridges grant (2002-2023). The new funding will ensure opportunities for all students (Bridges and non-Bridges) by conducting enrichment workshops in biology and pre-calculus, and multiple professional development seminars.
North Carolina
The Duke Energy Foundation has granted $50,000 to the Vance-Granville Community College (VGCC) Foundation to support small businesses in the college’s service area.
The grant is part of $700,000 in new funding made available to North Carolina small businesses in partnership with community development organizations like the Small Business Center at Vance-Granville Community College. Grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 will be distributed through 20 community organizations to support retail shops, restaurants, and other small businesses looking to expand, upgrade technology, and improve downtown storefronts.
The VGCC Small Business Center will select grant fund recipients through a series of workshops.
Rhode Island
The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) has received a $2 million anonymous gift, the largest individual private gift in the college’s 60-year history. The donation will fund a free, three-year pilot of CCRI’s newly launched CCRI Advantage initiative, a program designed to boost student success and accelerate pathways to graduation.
Inspired by the successful City University of New York’s CUNY Start program, CCRI Advantage is a seven-week, immersive college success program that provides students with personalized academic coaching, targeted tutoring, and comprehensive support services.
“This program is more than just a stepping stone; it’s a launchpad for our students,” said Interim President Rosemary Costigan. “By providing tailored support from day one, CCRI Advantage exemplifies our commitment to innovative approaches that meet our students where they are.”
Washington
Spokane Community College (SCC) and the University of Washington (UW) will use a $180,000 U.S. Department of Energy grant to assist small businesses in reducing energy costs and educate the next generation of the clean technology workforce.
The grant for the Inland Northwest Industrial Training and Assessment Center (ITAC) and Clean Energy Expansion Project allows SCC to explore opportunities to help regional small and midsized manufacturers manage increasing energy costs and keep up with statewide clean energy and energy efficiency regulations. SCC will train students for facility energy management roles like HVAC technicians and electricians, in partnership with employer partners, labor unions and others.
The grant also allows SCC to introduce the Industrial Training Assessment Center (ITAC) model to the greater Spokane community with the support of the UW Industrial Assessment Center. As part of this, information will be gathered on needed training, tools and resources to strengthen manufacturers in the region.
