Day: November 16, 2020

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation Launches Grant Program

By
Daily News

SHEFFIELD — Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation announced a new grant program to support community-building efforts that can bridge differences and drive positive change at the local level. “Bridging Divides, Healing Communities” will support activities by organizations and groups that are embedded in their communities and bring together residents to build and strengthen relationships, especially among people who may hold different views or come from different backgrounds.

“The social fabric everywhere is being stressed, and long-term consequences in our region are possible if we do not work together,” said Peter Taylor, president of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. “This new grant program aims to create opportunities for productive discourse and engagement to bridge differences, build trust, and promote reconciliation.”

Berkshire Taconic will award grants between $500 and $2,500 to support small-scale, community-based actions such as virtual forums, service projects, and artistic and cultural activities. Applicants should consider how their projects will create new or strengthen existing relationships among people of different backgrounds, experiences, or beliefs; forge connections around a shared experience through which participants can explore different points of view; and bring residents together to pursue a common goal. Compliance with state guidelines will be required for any in-person activities. Berkshire Bank is providing funding support for these grants.

Eligible applicants include nonprofits, schools, municipalities and local government, and faith-based organizations (for non-religious activities) located in Berkshire County in Massachusetts, Columbia County and Northeast Dutchess County in New York, and Northwest Litchfield County in Connecticut. Community groups may also apply through a fiscal sponsorship with an eligible organization.

The first deadline for applications is Tuesday, Dec. 1. To apply, visit www.berkshiretaconic.org/healing.

‘Together HCC’ Campaign Earns National Recognition

By
Daily News

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) has been named a finalist for a national Bellwether Award in recognition of its “Together HCC” fundraising and social-media campaign.

HCC was one of 10 U.S. colleges selected as a finalist by the Bellwether College Consortium in its Workforce Development category, which identifies strategic alliances that promote community and economic development. Bellwether finalists represent leading community colleges whose programs and practices are considered outstanding and innovative.

The college launched “Together HCC: A Campaign for Caring” at the end of March in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign sought to raise money for students facing economic hardships and collect stories to motivate and inspire them during a period of extreme disruption.

“We realized pretty quickly that our students needed extra financial help and support to get through this stressful and challenging time,” said Amanda Sbriscia, HCC’s vice president of Institutional Advancement, whose office spearheaded the campaign. “Community colleges serve some of the most vulnerable populations, and COVID-19 has amplified existing inequities in society and highlighted critical needs the ‘Together HCC’ campaign was created to help address. It’s very satisfying and encouraging to see the campaign celebrated as a national model.”

The Bellwether College Consortium is a group charged with addressing the critical issues facing community colleges. The consortium honors community colleges with awards in three categories: instructional programs and services; planning, governance, and finance; and workforce development. The Bellwether Awards are widely regarded as one of the nation’s most competitive and prestigious recognitions for community colleges. HCC was the only community college in Massachusetts selected as a 2021 Bellwether finalist.

“The Bellwether College Consortium prides itself on identifying and celebrating replicable, scalable, and results-based programs and models and disseminating these highly lauded examples of institutional success to peer institutions,” said Rose Martinez, director of the Bellwether College Consortium.

After COVID-19 broke, HCC saw a dramatic rise in the number of applications to its Student Emergency Fund. In three months, the “Together HCC” campaign raised about $40,000 from nearly 200 private donors for the emergency fund, which also received a lift of $75,000 in COVID-19 relief funds from the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts. Since March, the HCC Foundation has distributed almost $90,000 from the emergency fund to 130 students.

For another key component of the campaign, HCC solicited uplifting anecdotes and images from alumni, faculty, staff, students, family members, and friends that were shared on HCC’s social-media channels using the hashtag #TogetherHCC.

“Together HCC wasn’t just about providing financial support,” Sbriscia said. “It was also about providing moral support and reminding students and other members of the college community that we are all in this together.”

Finalists for Bellwether Awards are invited to join the consortium and take part in consortium workshops, events, and other activities. Award finalists will undergo a rigorous second and final round of review before the winners are announced at the virtual 2021 Community College Futures Assembly in January.

Elms College Announces Virtual Open Houses for Graduate Programs

By
Daily News

CHICOPEE — The Elms College Graduate Admission Office will hold virtual open houses on the following dates: Tuesday, Dec. 1 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. — information on graduate programs in education (MED/MAT); and Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021 from 6 to 7 p.m. — information session about all Elms College graduate programs.

These sessions will allow prospective students to meet with program directors, alumni, and graduate admission counselors. Elms College has 30 graduate, post-graduate, and certificate programs offered in a variety of models, including hybrid, online, and on campus.

Register for a session at www.elms.edu/graduate-studies/visit. If you cannot attend the open house and are interested in information or applying, e-mail [email protected], call (413) 265-2456, or visit www.elms.edu/grad.

STCC’s Online Winter Session Starts Dec. 23

By
Daily News

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) will offer a four-week online winter session in December, an affordable opportunity for college students whether they’re enrolled at STCC or another school.

The session runs Wednesday, Dec. 23 through Tuesday, Jan. 19. Registration for current students opens Nov. 18. Registration for new students begins Nov. 23.

STCC offers the most affordable online classes in Springfield. Most winter classes are designed for easy transfer to both public and private campuses, saving students hundreds of dollars per course. Some winter classes also save students money with free textbooks.

“Winter-session classes are the perfect opportunity for college students to earn college credit at a reduced cost during the traditional winter-break period,” STCC Dean of Academic Initiatives Matthew Gravel said. “The majority of classes available during winter session can be used as electives at both community colleges and four-year colleges and universities. Our winter classes are taught by faculty who are experts in their fields, and who have years of experience in delivering online instruction.”

The short duration of these classes will result in an intensive, fast-paced learning experience. Motivation, steady participation, and persistence will be key to students’ success in these classes, Gravel added.

To help ensure their success during the winter session, STCC allows students to register for no more than nine credits in winter. Courses include art, biology, college research, computer applications, English, first-year experience, history, management, mathematics, medical assisting, medical lab tech, music, philosophy, psychology, and sociology.

Blackboard orientation sessions to prepare students for online classes will be offered prior to the start of the winter semester.

Registration for winter session ends Dec. 23 and is available online at www.stcc.edu/winter or by calling the Registrar’s Office at (413) 755-4321.

BusinessTalk with with Tony Cignoli

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Business Talk Podcast Special Coverage

We are excited to announce that BusinessWest, in partnership with Living Local, has launched a new podcast series, BusinessTalk. Each episode will feature in-depth interviews and discussions with local industry leaders, providing thoughtful perspectives on the Western Massachuetts economy and the many business ventures that keep it running during these challenging times.

Episode 39: Nov. 16, 2020

George O’Brien talks with Tony Cignoli, president of the A.L. Cignoli Company

BusinessWest Editor George O’Brien talks with Tony Cignoli, president of the A.L. Cignoli Company, a political consulting firm. The two discuss what happened at the national election earlier this month — and what didn’t happen. They also discuss what the country, and specifically the business community, might expect from a Biden administration and how the president-elect and his team might address the pandemic and the significant damage it has already done to the economy.  It’s must listening, so join us on BusinessTalk.

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