Pang Garcia talks about what no one else will – money. Garcia, a student involvement specialist at Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC), is great at teaching others how to budget their money. “Money is one of those things where nobody wants to talk about it,” she said. “It’s like a hush-hush thing, but it impacts […]
Mission and Values Articles
Community colleges as engines for economic development
For more than two decades, I’ve seen firsthand how community colleges change lives. I began my career as an adjunct sociology instructor at a large urban-suburban community college. Today, I serve as vice president for academic affairs and workforce development at a community college that serves residents in a city and six large counties. Over […]
Viewpoint: Expanding what success means for our nation’s community colleges
As debates rage about the value of higher education and confidence continues to erode in the impact of higher education institutions, community colleges need to remind the public and policymakers of their mission and demonstrate the understandable and measurable effects for the students they enroll and the communities they serve. Community colleges have always been […]
College’s Business Studio collaborates with food, hospitality leaders
For Petrina Peart, cooking is not only a creative outlet — it’s her love language. “I think it comes from a sense of nurturing. That’s how I express myself — not only creatively, but in how I nurture other people,” she said. “I’m not a go-buy-gifts kind of person or Christmas cards or anything like […]
Wildfires inspire students’ STEM innovations
The Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC) aims to foster solutions developed by two-year college students to address real-world STEM problems. What is particularly unique this year is how many finalist projects came about from discussions about wildfires. During a CCIC poster showcase held on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, 12 student-led teams from community colleges across […]
Students tackle real-world housing issues
What happens when design education meets community need? At Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC), the answer is home — real ones that are affordable, sustainable and deeply rooted in neighborhood values. Students in the sustainable residential design program applied their learning to a real-life project with major community impact. Assistant professor Corri Sandwick knows all […]
Community Dental Day delivers relief, smiles
More than 100 people in need of dental care walked through the doors of Springfield Technical Community College on May 3, leaving with more than just clean teeth or extracted wisdom teeth. They left with a sense of relief, gratitude and hope. The college’s seventh annual Community Dental Day offered free dental care to residents […]
Food pantry expansion, fundraising campaign aim to meet rising needs
An expanded Madison College food pantry will support a growing number of food-insecure students on campus. The new operational space, opening this month, replaces the previous small 14 x 14 closet, providing more pantry shelving, storage and emergency food lockers. The space has a refrigerator, so the pantry can distribute perishable items and produce from […]
12 student teams named CCIC finalists
A record number of student teams from community colleges across the country competed this year in the annual Community College Innovation Challenge, with the American Association of Community Colleges announcing on Tuesday that 12 teams have advanced to the final round in June. Now in its ninth year, the competition run by AACC, in partnership […]
Planting seeds for the future
Prince George’s Community College (PGCC) recently marked Earth Day with seed planting to assist in combating a critical community issue: the food desert along Route 214 beyond Largo, Md. The event was hosted at the college’s Community Garden. It was a collaborative effort by PGCC’s Office of Government Relations and Community Outreach, the Student Garden […]