Montgomery County Community College Foundation Awards Grants To Support Programs And Initiatives‏

Blue Bell/Pottstown, PA — Montgomery County Community College Foundation recently awarded $19,705 in grants for the 2015-16 year to support programs and initiatives that will improve student success and access, enhance students’ educational experience, promote sustainability and engage the community.

Grants were awarded for the following programs and initiatives:

• Veterans Retreat – A $5,000 award will allow 20 veteran students to attend a two-night Mindfulness Retreat in Bangor, PA, during which attendees will participate in activities to help build physical, cognitive and emotional resiliency; decrease levels of stress; improve quality of sleep; and improve emotional well-being. The program will be led by Ann Marie Donohue and Deborah Greenspan, MCCC psychology professors, with Veterans Services Coordinator Michael Brown.

• Reading Community of Practice: Reading in the Content Areas – A $3,779 grant will support this reading program designed to introduce and engage participants in active reading and critical thinking to help increase student success in the classroom. Through workshops, one-to-one faculty collaborations and ongoing support, students will learn to model reading strategies as demonstrated through best practices. The program will be led by Assistant Professor of Reading Barbara Maurer.

• Creating Accessible Videos with Closed Captioning – A $3,776 grant will enable MCCC’s Information Technology department to create closed captioning for course content videos used by faculty to increase access and student success. The grant funding will cover software costs and allow IT to hire students to learn and work alongside the academic training team, led by MCCC Instructional Designer Joshua Eckenrode.

• Software Development Academy Pilot Equipment Support – A $3,000 grant will enable MCCC’s Director of Enterprise Infrastructure Jim Stasik in IT to purchase additional computers and iOS devices to support MCCC’s proposed Software Development Academy pilot. This proposed pilot program will increase student access and success in the IT field by providing and innovative delivery of curriculum in a high-performance culture.

• The Betzwood Silent Film Festival – A $3,000 grant will enable MCCC’s Lively Arts Series under the direction of Interim Director Brent Woods to continue the presentation of The Betzwood Silent Film Festival on May 7, 2016. This annual festival informs the community about the unique history and culture of the silent film industry that developed in Montgomery County and engages the audience through the lively narration and presentation of silent films. The Betzwood Silent Film Archive is housed in MCCC’s Brendlinger Library at its Central Campus in Blue Bell.

• Bike Maintenance Station – A $1,150 grant will enable MCCC to provide a bicycle maintenance station at its Central Campus in addition to the station at West Campus in Pottstown. Nationally recognized as a Bike Friendly University by the American Bicyclists, MCCC encourages bicycling as an alternative form of transportation for nearby students. The initiative supports MCCC’s ongoing commitment to sustainability since signing the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment in 2007.

Established in 1983, the Montgomery County Community College Foundation provides student scholarships; grants for projects, equipment and technology; student emergency funds; support for cultural enrichment activities and financial resources for programs and activities. The Foundation makes a difference in the lives of students thanks to the generosity of alumni, parents, community friends, private foundations and corporations. For more information, contact the Foundation at 215-641-6530.