MCC partners with Catholic Charities to meet at-risk residents where they are

When Catholic Charities of Kansas City – St. Joseph received two grants to fund training and education for underserved and marginalized residents in our area, the social service agency turned to the MCC Institute for Workforce Innovation.

Catholic Charities has contracted with MCC to provide training to two distinct groups as outlined by the two grants:

1. For the Project RISE program, MCC will deliver technical training, academic support and soft skills training to underserved young adults, 18-24 years of age. The program was made possible by a federal grant from the Social Innovation Fund (SIF), with additional local support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and United Way of Greater Kansas City. In exchange for developing and delivering the training and support services, MCC will receive $377,770 over the next 2.5 years. The Catholic Charities-MCC collaboration is one of six SIF collaborations of its kind across the nation.

2. With funding from an ex-offenders grant, Catholic Charities was able to contract with MCC to provide technical training, academic support and soft skills training for 250 ex-offenders. To support participants’ entry and advancement in meaningful careers, MCC will conduct Worldwide Interactive Network (WIN) assessments and deliver IWI programs that include bundled services. The IWI outreach team is currently working with Catholic Charities to iron out the details for course delivery, but programs will likely include CNA, photovoltaic, green maintenance technician and professional food preparation. Over the next 2 years, MCC will receive $700,000 to develop and deliver the programs and services.

MCC receives state and federal grants

MCC has been awarded two grants totaling about $90,000.

One grant, from the Missouri Department of Higher Education in the amount of $25,000, is focused on default prevention. The funding will partially cover the salary and benefits of the district's default prevention coordinator who supports students throughout the lifecycle of their student loans. The grant, which runs from July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012, is expected to positively impact MCC’s U.S. Department of Education cohort default rate.

Another grant, from the U.S. Health and Human Resources and Services Administration in the amount of $64,114, will provide scholarships for students in need. The scholarship funds will be granted directly to economically or educationally disadvantaged nursing students at the MCC-Penn Valley Health Science Institute. Economic need is determined based on the U.S. Health and Human Services poverty table; educational need is based on factors such as being a first generation college student or a recent GED completer or having attended a high school with a low graduation rate. The grant period is July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012 with possible annual renewals.

MCC Receives $100,000 Grant

MCC has been awarded a $100,000 grant by the Missouri Department of Higher Education (MDHE) to fund creation of the new Career and Postsecondary Transition Center.

The College Access Challenge Grant is part of MDHE’s effort to increase the number of Missouri students who view postsecondary education as an academically and financially viable option.

The Career and Postsecondary Transition Center is a new program of the Career Education Consortium, a collaborative partnership among six diverse local school districts – Center, Grandview, Hickman Mills, Independence, Lee’s Summit and Raytown – and MCC. The purpose of the Consortium, which is managed by MCC, is to promote

A season to give and to receive: MCC Foundation lands three major gifts

During a season marked by philanthropic generosity, the MCC Foundation is grateful for three very special gifts that arrived just in time to make the holidays a little brighter for MCC.

Between last week and this week, the foundation learned that it would receive three large contributions to MCC’s capital and major gifts campaign. Last week, officials from the H&R Block Foundation notified MCC Foundation Director Vince Anch that they would be giving a $32,000 contribution to the college. This week, the Victor Speas Foundation approved a $100,000 gift to MCC and the Gottlieb Foundation confirmed a $50,000 pledge.

These kinds of contributions, known in the fundraising world as major gifts, are hard to come by, especially in a lackluster economy. That’s why Anch and the fundraising team know they have a lot to be thankful for this time of year.

“It’s been a great month for the Foundation!” said Anch. “The team has worked hard for these gifts and we’re pleased to close out the year on such a high note.”

New grants awarded to MCC

At the Nov. 11, 2010 MCC Board of Trustees meeting, the consent agenda was approved without discussion. The following grants were accepted as part of that agenda:

American Association of Community Colleges/Lumina Foundation
Plus 50 Completion Survey
Grant funds will be used for recruitment and enrollment services for *stop-out students, 50+ years of age, in Cass County. The goal is to get these citizens to reenroll in college and pursue a degree, certificate or non credit credentials.
Grant amount: $14,900 (no match required)
Grant period: Oct. 1, 2010 – July 31, 2011

Missouri department of higher Education/Lumina Foundation
Win-Win: Going to Scale – MCC-KC
MCC is joining 35 states in seeking and recruiting *stop-out students to enroll in degree completion programs. MCC will research and find former students who have credits that qualify them for an associate’s degree and explore if degrees can be granted retroactively.
Grant amount: $40,000 (sub recipient: no match required)
Grant period: Oct. 1, 2010 – Aug. 30, 2013

*Stop-out students are those students who intend(ed) on completing a degree, but have filtered in and out of college for various reasons.

The next MCC Board of Trustees meeting is scheduled for Dec. 9, 2010 at the Administrative Center. View board schedule here.

Board meeting recap

At the Aug. 26 meeting of the MCC Board of Trustees, Carolyn Brown was acknowledged for her dedication as the secretary for the MCC Board of Trustees for the past 15 years, serving through three chancellors. The board appointed Cindy Johnson as the new secretary to the Board of Trustees, effective Aug. 27, 2010.

Any items that need to be added to board meetings should now be sent to Cindy Johnson, program coordinator for the chancellor’s office.

The board meeting schedule, which includes dates agenda items need to be submitted, can be found on the InfoExchange by searching ‘board meeting’ and clicking on the appropriate link. (An updated schedule with changes will be posted soon.)

The board approved acceptance of funds from external sources:

U.S Dept of Ed: Student Support Services: Bridges to Success (PV) -$1,188,115 over 5yrs
Hall Family Foundation: Pathways Project (PV) - $40,000 over 2 years
Ewing Marion Kauffman Found: PLTW (District) -$30,000
Mo. Dept. of Higher Ed: Default Prevention (District) -$25,000
Mo. Dept. of Econ Dev/Mo. Arts Council: Storytelling (MW) - $10,356
Stanley H. Durwood Found: Latino Early Childhood Teachers Project (PV) - $7,000

The next board meeting will be held on Sept. 30 at the Administrative Center.

MCC receives $2.2 million grant

At a press conference held at MCC-Maple Woods on Wednesday, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon announced a $2.2 million grant that will be given to MCC as part of the state’s Training for Tomorrow initiative. The grant, funded by the Department of Economic Development, will cover curriculum development for both new and existing programs in four areas: animal health, supply chain integration, healthcare and small business operations.

The Training for Tomorrow funding, intended to help community colleges grow and create programs that will prepare students for jobs in high-demand fields, was open to community colleges across the state. MCC’s request was coordinated in partnership with a coalition of leaders from Cass, Platte and Buchanan counties, the local counties that were eligible for the funding.

Planning and development for the new programs is already underway. Over the next two years, more than 20 credit and non-credit courses, certificates and degree programs will be created across the district. Pat Lees, coordinator of the grant and manager of special projects for the Institute for Workforce Innovation, anticipates working with every campus on this project.

"We will be working together to develop the new curricula and grow some of our existing programs," said Lees. "This funding gives us the opportunity to create programs in emerging fields, like those that can serve the rapidly-growing businesses in the logistics industry and the Animal Health Corridor, as well as in existing in-demand fields, like nursing and allied health."
To view the article from the Kansas City Business Journal click here.