Sandburg Awarded $41K in Career & Technical Ed. Improvement Grants From ICCB
Aaron Frey
Wednesday, August 12, 2020 1:17 PM
Campus News
Galesburg, IL
Carl Sandburg College has been awarded $41,064 in grant funding from the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) to support its continued improvement and innovation of career and technical education (CTE) programming.
Sandburg will offer specialized professional development and continuing support for CTE educators. In 2021, a conference will be hosted for Sandburg’s CTE faculty and dual credit and secondary CTE teachers within the district, helping to solidify connections between high school and college educators.
“This grant will benefit those teaching current Sandburg CTE students as well as those teaching potential Sandburg CTE students,” Sandburg Dean of Career and Technical Education Ellen Burns said. “We look forward to collaborating with our Regional Office of Education CTE program partners — Delabar and the Western Area Career System — to connect instructors within both the high school and community college CTE programs for this professional development conference. The In2Ed conference will aid CTE instructors in the transition from industry to education while also providing them with the information and tools to support students as they navigate their chosen career pathway beginning in high school and through completion.”
The Illinois community college system offers over 4,300 high-quality, affordable CTE programs across the state. As many Illinoisans struggle with COVID-19-related job loss, community college CTE programs like those at Sandburg provide an avenue to high-skill, in-demand jobs across a number of career fields.
“This funding will support student success in high-need industries, including information technology and education,” said Dr. Brian Durham, executive director of the ICCB. “The grants allow colleges to make a significant investment in advising, coach and mentoring CTE faculty and students at a time when the need for the connection between teachers and students is paramount.”
Sandburg was one of 21 community colleges statewide that received nearly $1.7 million in CTE Improvement Grant funds in 2020. Grant recipients can use the funds in one of three ways: to enhance student transitions, to provide student-centered support services or to strengthen the CTE educator pipeline.
CTE grants are funded through the federal Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act.
The ICCB is the state coordinating organization for the Illinois Community College System – the third-largest in the country and the leading public workforce development trainer in the state. The ICCB has statutory responsibility for administering state and federal grants to community college districts and adult education providers and managing high school equivalency testing for Illinois. Illinois community colleges serve over 600,000 residents each year in credit, noncredit and continuing education courses. Illinois is home to 48 colleges in 39 community college districts that provide high-quality, accessible, cost-effective educational opportunities to the entire state.
For more information about academic opportunities available at Sandburg, contact the Carl Sandburg College Welcome Center at 309.345.3500 or welcomecenter@sandburg.edu.
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