LCC BENEFITS FROM FEDERAL GRANTS
Written by Post Public Information Representative, Aug 21, 2010, 0 Comments
Courtesy Eddie Zavala,Congressman Cuellar announces more than $1.7 million for three college programs
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Henry Cuellar, TX-28, announced that Laredo Community College has received a total of $1,782,888 in federal funds to help support three programs at the institution that will specifically benefit students and the business and industry sectors.
The three programs are the TRiO Student Support Services Program, SABOR Culinary Arts Program: Better Nutrition Education and Jobs, and Business and Industry Workplace Literacy Center.
Congressman Cuellar, who received his Associates of Arts degree from Laredo Community College, stressed the importance of community colleges.
“Community colleges are great starting points to students to receive an education,” he said. “I applaud the efforts of Dr. Juan Maldonado and the LCC board for their innovative ideas and tireless efforts in securing these funds and for providing a top-notch education to its more than 10,000 students.”
LCC President Dr. Juan L. Maldonado praised the longstanding support of Congressman Cuellar and his efforts to ensure that the college and the Laredo region are afforded their fair share of critical federal funding.
“Federal support is essential to help address issues such as illiteracy, health problems and poverty, which are so predominant in our area,” Maldonado said. “It is always a blessing to know that Laredo Community College and the city of Laredo are represented well in Washington, D.C. by Congressman Cuellar, who truly understands the needs of this community and who works diligently to make sure that much-needed federal dollars come to our community.”
The TRiO Student Support Services Program has benefited LCC students since 1973. TRiO is not an acronym, but a reference to the three original federal programs that were created to increase college retention and graduation rates of first-generation, economically disadvantaged and disabled students; it’s now been expanded to eight programs. The federally funded initiative will be supported with a $1,341,320 grant. LCC will annually receive $268,264 for five years.
Each year, the SSS team at LCC identifies 250 students to participate in the program, which offers academic advising, tutoring, personal counseling, career exploration, and assistance in applying for student financial aid to transfer to a university. Participants also attend workshops on study skills, note-taking, test anxiety and financial literacy, and are exposed to cultural and academic programs.
The SABOR Culinary Arts Program: Better Nutrition Education and Jobs was developed by Laredo Community College to develop an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Food Safety and Nutrition for the benefit of the Laredo community, where serious health problems, including obesity, diabetes and heart disease are highly prevalent due to socio-economic and educational levels. The federally funded project is supported with an award of $291,568 over a three-year period.
Project SABOR will help improve food safety and nutrition by preparing college students to enter jobs in those fields and support the development of an LCC TV program focusing on food safety and healthier lifestyles, among other activities.
Federal support also includes $30,000 to provide scholarships for LCC students to transfer to The University of Texas Health Science Center in Laredo to increase the number of graduates in nutrition and dietetics.
The Business and Industry Workplace Literacy Center, hailed as the first of its kind in the border region, will serve as the hub for an array of workplace literacy initiatives through computer technology. The workplace literacy center at LCC will be supported with a federal award of $150,000 to support the management of the computer lab.
Dedicated to the advancement of small businesses, the workplace literacy center is a collaboration led by Laredo Community College through its affiliation with the North American Advanced Manufacturing Research & Education Initiative (NAAMREI). LCC’s workplace literacy center will serve as a leading model in aiding the NAAMREI implementation plan to create two additional centers at South Texas College in McAllen and Texas Southmost College in Brownsville. Last year, LCC was the recipient of a federal award of $196,000 to purchase the computer software needed to establish the workplace literacy center, as well as an Import/Export computer lab.
For more information on federal grants, visit www.cuellar.house.gov or call Congressman Cuellar’s office at 956-725-0639.
