Grant News
By CCTIMES, Published August 27, 2009

Queensborough Community College (QCC) in New York received a $13,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for The Big Read project and a $20,000 grant from National Grid to support service learning courses that will focus on environmental sustainability.

The Big Read grant is presented in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest. For the sustainability grant, faculty members and student leaders will work with local community-based organizations to plan and develop service learning courses and campus-community projects for solar panels, water quality issues, organic gardening, composting and more.

Wallace State Community College in Alabama received more than $30,000 in scholarship funding for the 2009-2010 academic year through the Tennessee Valley’s grant from the federal Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) Initiative. Funds will provide 30 $500 scholarships for the fall semester and 30 for spring semester to support degree-seeking students majoring in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields.

The North Campus of Miami Dade College (MDC) in Florida received a $250,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support the agency’s English Literacy and Civics Education Project. The project supports predominantly minority institutions to foster long-range improvement in English language learners by incorporating English literacy and civics education.

Camden County College (CCC) in New Jersey received a $7,862 grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, to fund a lecture series about India. CCC is working with the South Asia Center at the University of Pennsylvania to present this series. CCC will offer a tuition-free course on India for teachers at public and private schools to run in conjunction with the lectures.

Seminole Community College (SCC) in Florida received $65,152 from the Early Learning Coalition of Seminole County to provide training for early childhood education providers. The training includes hosting a curriculum fair in the fall, courses and workshops throughout the year and an annual conference in the spring. 

Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College received a $2 million Title III grant from the U.S. Department of Education through the Strengthening Institutions Program. The college will use the funds to create or upgrade teaching and learning centers on two campuses, train faculty in using of multimedia in the classroom and buy data storage devices.

Seven California community college and university partnerships will receive up to $250,000 each to develop models to create seamless transitions between associate degree and bachelor’s degree nursing programs for the second phase of a two-part initiative. Each of the partnerships will develop a model that can be replicated in other parts of the state. Funding comes from the Foundation for California Community Colleges and Kaiser Permanente Fund for Health Education at the East Bay Community Foundation, through collaboration with the California Institute for Nursing & Health Care and the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency. The partnering two-year colleges include:  Cabrillo College, Hartnell College, Monterey Peninsula College, City College of San Francisco, College of San Mateo, College of Marin, Mendocino College, Napa Valley College, Santa Rosa Junior College, Solano Community College, College of the Redwoods, Shasta College, Fresno City College, West Hills College– Coalinga, Los Medanos College, Contra Costa College, Ohlone College, Chabot College, Santa Barbara City College, Ventura College and Moorpark College.

Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) in North Carolina received a $2 million grant from the Leon Levine Foundation of Charlotte, N.C., to endow scholarships for students pursuing careers in information technology and to provide operating support for the college.

Mercer County Community College (MCCC) in New Jersey received a $74,185 one-year grant from the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education to re-engage former students who left in good academic standing. MCCC has identified 2,000 students who will be contacted and provided with individual counseling to help them achieve their goals in higher education. Some students may be eligible for forgiveness of back tuition debt so they can re-start their education. The grant is funded by a federal grant designed to create programs that can be self-sustaining.

Baton Rouge Community College (BRCC) in Louisiana, received a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to strengthen the success and retention of students taking developmental classes. One of the major goals will be to create a special learning center to provide academic support, especially counselors and “college-life” coaches specifically trained to serve those students. The grant will also allow for professional development for instructors.