Carl Sandburg College’s TRIO Upward Bound Math-Science program has been awarded a new five-year grant cycle from the U.S. Department of Education to serve area high school students working to become first-generation college graduates.
Under the $1.5M grant, Sandburg’s UBMS program will receive $297,601 each year through 2027. UBMS is a federally funded program that is free to participants and provides students with opportunities to pursue activities in areas of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
The program provides academic and supportive services to promote the academic success, retention, high school graduation, college enrollment, and college graduation of participants. This is the second grant cycle for Sandburg’s UBMS program, which has been offered since 2017.
“We’re thrilled to have been awarded another grant cycle so that UBMS can continue to serve students and change the lives of young people in our area,” Sandburg UBMS director Stephen Descalzo said. “Students in our community face many challenges. Our program serves as a great way to build relationships, explore career opportunities and prepare them for life as a college student and beyond. We’re excited to be able to continue to help students succeed.”
Sandburg’s UBMS program retained and graduated 99 percent of its participants, and 100 percent of participants graduated from high school with a college prep curriculum, according to the most recent data sets from the 2020/21 academic year.
Sandburg’s UBMS program serves 60 area high school students from the Abingdon-Avon, Galesburg, Knoxville, and Monmouth-Roseville school districts each year. Participants must be a first-generation (neither parent with whom they live has a bachelor’s degree), college-bound student, and/or meet income or academic guidelines.
Sandburg’s nursing and automotive technology programs also received state grants totaling $333,000 to support students enrolled in those programs.
Last week, the Board of Trustees accepted an Innovative Bridge and Transitions (IBT) grant worth $235,651.84 from the Illinois Community College Board that will back projects that improve student transitions throughout college and into employment.
Sandburg plans to use funds from the grant to purchase simulation training equipment for its automotive and nursing programs. These will provide students with hands-on training, enable them to receive industry-recognized credentials, and assist in their transition from the classroom to the workforce.
The College has used IBT grants in past years to create transitional math courses, host the Whatever It Takes Conference (WITcon) for regional educators and purchase virtual reality equipment for its criminal justice program.
The Board also approved a $97,900 grant from the Illinois Board of Higher Education that will be used to purchase equipment and supplies for Sandburg’s nursing simulation center and provide instructor training on simulation equipment. The simulation center allows students to practice patient-care scenarios in a controlled environment and receive feedback from instructors.
Trustees also approved bids for demolition of the existing automotive technology building as well as plumbing, mechanical/HVAC, and electrical work on the new Science & Technology Center that will be built in its place. Accepted bids were $346,400 from NE Finch in Peoria for building demolition, $47,760 from Warner Mechanical in Edwards for plumbing, $99,850 from Warner Mechanical for mechanical work and $173,353 from Mechanical Services Inc. in Galesburg for electrical.
In other business, the Board approved the following:
- Appointment of Krista Winters as associate dean of math and natural sciences for the remainder of the 2022-23 academic year, effective Jan. 1.
- Employment of Reghan Merry as full-time dental hygiene instructor, effective Jan. 1.
- Employment of Tiffany Viggiano as dean of health professions, effective Jan. 1.
- Employment of Nicholas Mackey as grounds assistant, effective Jan. 1.
- Employment of Susan Morgan as administrative computing information manager, effective Jan. 1.
- Resignation of Susan Rice as risk management/accounting technician, effective Dec. 31.
The Board’s next scheduled meeting is 7 p.m. Jan. 26 on the Main Campus in Galesburg.
