United Bank Foundation Connecticut Makes $100,000 Donation to Manchester Community College
The United Bank Foundation Connecticut has donated $100,000 to Manchester Community College through the MCC Foundation to help support the growth of manufacturing programs. The grant will be distributed to the college in blocks of $25,000 over four years to enable the purchase, delivery and installation of manufacturing equipment that students will use for hands-on learning. Portions of the grant will also fund scholarships.
Representatives from United Bank Foundation Connecticut presented a check to Dr. Gena Glickman, MCC president, who accepted it on behalf of the MCC Foundation last month. “The partnership between MCC Foundation and United Bank Foundation provides valuable support to the success not only of the college but also of our community,” she said. “We are very pleased to accept this donation and know that it will change the lives of many students through the opportunity it provides.”
The equipment purchased through the grant – four Bridgeport mills to be delivered at the rate of one each year over the four-year grant period – will enhance students’ learning by giving them access to state-of-the-art milling and turning machines of the type currently used on many manufacturing floors.
“When you step foot on MCC’s campus, you quickly experience why this has become such a wonderful education destination for so many students in this part of the state seeking a degree in higher education,” said William H.W. Crawford, CEO of United Bank. “In particular, the college’s vision to expand and enhance their manufacturing program, coupled with the demonstrated need and compelling reasons for additional support and resources in this area of study, made it an easy decision for our Foundation to make this generous investment. United Bank and MCC have enjoyed a special partnership over the years and we always know that when we make an investment in the college it results in an enhanced and more rewarding higher education experience for their students.”
Glickman added that the scholarships are an especially important element of the grant. “Many students in MCC’s manufacturing program don’t qualify for financial aid, especially if they are recently unemployed and their past income is used to determine their eligibility,” she said.
MCC’s manufacturing programs are funded in part by CAMI, a Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grant, as implemented by the Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. CAMI is an equal opportunity program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.
As implementation of the $15 million federal grant for CAMI moves forward, MCC is serving as the lead college of the consortium working collaboratively with the other 11 Connecticut community colleges, Charter Oak State College, and the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) System office.
MCC has been allocated more than $6 million of the total funds to develop new curriculum, expand manufacturing labs, purchase equipment and support its consortium-leadership role. CAMI builds upon the success of the state’s nationally recognized Advanced Manufacturing Centers that are currently implemented at four state community colleges and expands manufacturing education to every community college in Connecticut.
