MCCCD Receives $1 Million Grant To Support Construction Trades
Funding from the Lowe’s Foundation will enhance skilled trades programming at three colleges
The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) and Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation (MCCF) have been selected as one of 11 community and technical colleges receiving Lowe’s Foundation Gable Grants nationwide. The district, in partnership with MCCF, will receive $1 million in funding to support construction trades programs at Mesa Community College (MCC), South Mountain Community College (SMCC) and Rio Salado College (RSC).
“Maricopa Community Colleges have a rich history of training skilled workers, many of whom join our local workforce and contribute to the region’s growing economy,” said Dr. Steven R. Gonzales, MCCCD Chancellor. “Thanks to generous support from the Lowe’s Foundation, we have an opportunity to enhance our existing program offerings and provide our students with the highest caliber education, resources and facilities to ensure they are job-ready.”
“With enrollments rising at vocationally focused schools, these community colleges are blossoming arenas for entrepreneurship and economic mobility,” said Janice Dupré, Lowe’s executive vice president of human resources and chair of the Lowe’s Foundation. “Each college has a clear, inspired vision for closing the trades gap in its community and we’re pleased to welcome them to our larger movement.”
Read more here.
GateWay Community College Receives Continued Support From Johnson Controls With $100,000 Grant
GateWay Community College is proud to announce that Johnson Controls has renewed a $100,000 grant for the 2024-2025 school year.
The grant, awarded through the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation, is part of the Community College Partnership Program, and will enhance the already robust HVAC program offered at GateWay’s Washington Campus. GateWay will receive $72,125 in financial support and $27,875 of in-kind equipment, including water source heat pumps and variable refrigerant flow systems.
“We’re thrilled that Johnson Controls continues to recognize the deep potential we see in our community,” said GateWay Community College President, Dr. Amy Diaz. “This grant will help ensure success for students who might ordinarily be at risk of leaving the program before graduation or award completion.”
Since 2021, the Johnson Controls Community College Partnership Program has distributed $1 million annually to ten community colleges across the United States. As part of the program, Johnson Controls employees will work with GateWay to mentor and encourage students to join the skilled trades workforce, allowing students to gain insight into the promising career opportunities available upon program completion.
Click here to read more.
New Partnership Supports Multiple Initiatives
Throughout Maricopa District
We are excited to announce that the Maricopa Community Colleges District has partnered with Swire Coca-Cola, who will be providing $3 million in added value marketing, promotional and philanthropic support to multiple efforts across our District. This new partnership was launched during our recent Be a Students Hero effort in which Swire Coca-Cola provided multiple prizes for a drawing as well as promotional signage for the day of giving, through their relationship with Fry’s Food Stores.
A portion of the proceeds from this commitment have been used to establish a new fund at the Foundation, in support of helping students who experience food insecurity, and approximately 500 students will benefit from this support over the next several years.
Additional offerings of this collaborative partnership with Swire Coca-Cola will include product donations to support campus sustainability initiatives and student organized events, annual marketing dollars to be used on marketing campaigns and text to win opportunities and access to sampling events through Swire Coca-Cola and their brand partners.
If you are interested in becoming one of our partners, please visit mcccdf.org/community-
Meet Two Amazing Students
We love to talk about our students! This month, we’d like to introduce you to two students we recently met while visiting GateWay Community College.
Tiffany is studying nursing and received a scholarship through a grant from the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust that enabled an expansion of the Licensed Practical Nursing program along with additional support from the Burton and Cowley Family Foundations. Check out Tiffany’s story, here.
Estefania is a Dreamer Student, who is the first in her family to attend college. She is studying veterinary medicine and thanks to the College Promise Pathway Scholarship, gets the assistance she needs. View Estefania’s story, here.
The programs that Tiffany and Estefania participate in have been identified as EmpowerED for Student Success fundraising priorities. Join us, along with all ten Maricopa Community Colleges, as we embark on this new campaign to raise $20 million, ensuring that crucial student and program fundraising priorities are met. Visit mcccdf.org/EmpowerEDto learn more.
College Promise Summit Brings Together Community Leaders
College Promise, a national initiative that builds support for covering the first two years of postsecondary education and cost of attendance for students, selected Maricopa Community Colleges to convene the first of a series of summits in 2024. On June 5th and 6th, South Mountain Community College hosted a two-day event bringing local and regional leaders and practitioners together to share best practices and innovative approaches.
The Summit was co-hosted by national leaders from College Promise, MCCCD, MCCF, Helios Education Foundation, Education Forward Arizona and the AZ Board of Regents. Maricopa Community College Presidents attended the summit along with team members running Maricopa’s multiple Promise Programs, with MCCCD Chancellor, Steven R. Gonzales providing the keynote address on Day 1 and Brian Spicker, President and CEO Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation, delivering the Welcome address on Day 2 along with a snapshot of the success and challenges of Maricopa’s Promise Programs to date.
The Summit focused on the Promise model being a way for hard-working, underserved students to have the opportunity to follow an educational pathway with tuition, cost of attendance support, mentoring, and coaching leading to completion, entry into the workforce and furthering economic mobility. Current regional opportunities and challenges were discussed to create a statewide Promise Program. Presenters reinforced the importance of the business, philanthropic, and higher education community all speaking with one voice and uniform messaging around their support for a universal Promise model.
Back To School Time Is A Great Time To Invest In The Future
Amidst the vibrant atmosphere of returning to campus, there’s a unique opportunity for alumni, parents and community members to make a lasting impact through planned giving.
What is Planned Giving?
Planned giving refers to charitable donations arranged in advance for a future gift or a gift that can save taxes while making an impact. These gifts can take various forms, including a gift in your will or trust, a beneficiary designation, gifting appreciated assets, and more. By incorporating planned giving into your financial and estate planning, you can support the mission of Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation (MCCF) while also achieving your personal financial goals.
Community colleges play a crucial role in providing accessible and affordable education
to a diverse student body. They offer a pathway to higher education, career advancement, and personal development. However, many students face financial challenges that can hinder their educational journey. You can help bridge this gap by providing scholarships, funding for academic programs, and resources for campus improvements. Your generosity can help ensure that community colleges continue to thrive and provide opportunities for all.
For more information on planned giving click here or contact Judy Sanchez, Chief Development Officer, MCCF, 480.731.8739 or at [email protected].
How Maricopa Community Colleges Is Helping Close The Behavioral Health Workforce Gap In Arizona
Arizona is facing a shortage of behavioral health workers. Today, 2.8 million Arizonans reside in communities that lack sufficient mental health professionals. In the next six years, health care systems across the state will need to fill more than 2,400 behavioral health positions to close current labor gaps.
The shortage, which is not unique to Arizona — has become a nationwide crisis. The American Counseling Association attributes this to various factors, including an aging workforce, low retention, increased need for care and limited access to care, lack of funding and poor reimbursement rates from insurance companies and government programs. Building a highly skilled workforce is essential to strengthening the state’s existing systems and supporting individuals, families and communities across Arizona.
With the increasing need for behavioral health professionals, the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is not only acknowledging Arizona’s shortage but is actively working to address it. In response to the growing demand for these services, MCCCD has expanded its programs through strategic partnerships and initiatives to meet this workforce challenge head-on.
“Our system is uniquely positioned to educate the next generation of behavioral health care heroes,” said Steven R. Gonzales, Ed.D., chancellor of MCCCD. “During the 2023-24 academic year, we saw a year-over-year enrollment increase in our behavioral health degree and certificate programs. What resonates with our students is our affordable tuition and range of pathways. Students know they can come to our colleges and gain the skills needed to be workforce-ready in order to support our local communities.”
Read the full article, here.
Arizona Republic Internship Available For Journalism Students
We are partnering with the Arizona Republic on a grant funded internship program targeting Maricopa Community College students interested in journalism as a career.
The Arizona Republic Community College Journalism Internship Program provides
paid internships to students in order to increase their academic and job readiness
in preparation to enter Journalism career fields and is designed to empower them with inside knowledge of mainstream media through real-world training.
Each semester, Arizona Republic editors and journalism instructors will identify candidate(s) to be paired with professional journalists for meaningful experiences covering state government, health, education, watchdog reporting, business, features, videography or photography. Interns will have the opportunity to receive training from the USA Today Network and other organizations to instill the highest standards of journalistic ethics and professionalism.
The program is funded for two years with a Season for Sharing grant to the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation as part of the EmpowerED for Student Success campaign.
Support The Maricopa Community Colleges
While Cheering On Your Favorite Team
Discounted Tickets Still Available!
Attention sports fans, here’s your chance to catch a game at a great price while supporting student success at your favorite college! Join us for Maricopa Community Colleges Day at these upcoming Arizona Diamondbacks and Phoenix Rising FC games:
Sunday, September 15, 2024 at 1:10 p.m. – Head out to Chase Field as the Arizona Diamondbacks take on the Milwaukee Brewers. More information and discounted tickets are available now, here.
Saturday, October 19th, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. – Catch Phoenix Rising’s last home game of the season as they take on Memphis 901 FC. Discounted tickets and more information is available, here.
Hurry to get the best seats now!
Have you signed up to support the Foundation through a loyalty program?
Fry’s Community Rewards is a program that supports our students with every eligible purchase you make with your Fry’s VIP card. Simply log-in to your Fry’s account and search for the Maricopa Community College District Foundation either by name or LV566 and click ENROLL.
We are accepting vehicle donations!
The Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation has partnered with Flexco Fleet Services to provide a vehicle donation program giving you another way to make a charitable gift and help students along the way. Your old car may have seen “better days” but when you donate it to the Foundation, you will have a direct impact on students and receive a 100% tax deductible donation. This is a convenient alternative to selling or trading in your old vehicle and Flexco will do all the work! To learn more, or if you have a vehicle you would like to donate, please fill out the vehicle donation form, here.
