Company Notebook

Elms Receives $1 Million to Expand Two Programs

CHICOPEE — U.S. Rep. Richard Neal recently joined Elms College President Harry Dumay to announce a $1 million earmark to expand the education and social work programs at Elms College. The allocation was made possible through congressionally directed spending from the U.S. Department of Education. Neal included funding for this project in the FY 2023 spending bill that was signed into law on Dec. 29, 2022. With this funding, Elms College will address community workforce development by expanding its education and social work programs. This expansion will include investments in the Center for Equity in Urban Education at Elms College, which was created to bolster educator talent and diversity through innovative programs that target existing and aspiring educators. Funding will also be used to invest in the master’s in social work program in an effort to address the shortage of social workers in the Greater Springfield community.

 

AIC Signs Housing Agreements to Benefit HCC, STCC Students

HOLYOKE — Representatives from American International College (AIC) and Holyoke Community College recently signed a historic agreement that will allow HCC students to live in residence halls and apartments on the AIC campus in Springfield. In addition, a new agreement between AIC and Springfield Technical Community College will allow STCC students to reside in the AIC campus residence halls and apartments. The agreements call for AIC to discount its room rates for HCC and STCC students. The housing option will be offered to all students 18 and older who are enrolled full- or part-time and in good academic standing. According to the agreements, HCC and STCC students who opt to live at AIC will have access to other amenities there as well, including health services, the college library, laundry facilities, and a gym. Dining and parking plans are also available for an additional cost. There is no age limit for students, couples can live together, and campus apartments are also a possibility.

 

WNE, BCC Sign Joint Admissions Agreement

SPRINGFIELD — Berkshire Community College (BCC) signed an articulation agreement with Western New England University (WNE) on May 8, allowing BCC students to transfer seamlessly to WNE. The joint admissions program, which is consistent with the individual missions, policies, and regulations of each institution, seeks to strengthen the academic and student-support partnerships between BCC and WNE, facilitate student access to baccalaureate and graduate education, and provide barrier-free movement for students enrolled in an associate-degree program at BCC to the baccalaureate graduate degrees at WNE. Students will be informed about the opportunity to participate in the joint admissions program at the time they are applying to BCC. Students who satisfy the requirements of the joint admissions program are eligible for guaranteed acceptance to WNE, provided they complete an approved associate-degree program at BCC and meet the requirements of the joint admissions program and major-specific requirements; guarantee of junior status at WNE upon matriculation with an associate degree; and guarantee of 60 transfer credits, with some stipulations.

 

Chris Marion Celebrates Grand Opening of Studio

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield native Chris Marion celebrated the grand opening of his new Chris Marion Photography studio, located at 270 Albany St. in Springfield, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 18. The ceremony included brief remarks, with appearances by Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, City Council President Jesse Lederman, and other local dignitaries. Marion said he chose the 1,000-square-foot space to be a part of the surging Gasoline Alley section of the city and its proximity to downtown Springfield. He has also recently hosted photography workshops in the new studio.

 

UMassFive Donates Items to Local Survival Centers

HADLEY — UMassFive College Federal Credit Union announced the success of its personal-care-items drive, which was held during March in its Hadley, Northampton, and Springfield branches. The drive collected more than 365 pounds of personal-care items, which were donated to three local organizations: Amherst Survival Center, Northampton Survival Center, and the Gray House in Springfield. UMassFive is committed to supporting the communities it serves, and this drive was just one example of its ongoing efforts to give back. Members and staff at all three branches enthusiastically participated in the drive, donating a wide variety of items, such as toothpaste, shampoo, soap, menstrual products, diapers, and more.

 

Local Farm Awards Distribute $225,000 for Projects in 2023

AGAWAM — The Local Farmer Awards distributed grants totaling $225,000 to 97 farms in Western Mass. this year, a 30% increase over the number of 2022 recipients. These grants of up to $2,500 empower farmers to purchase essential equipment for planting, growing, harvesting, and processing. All projects include a funding commitment by the farm as well. The Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation, in partnership with Big Y and the Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture, along with 12 other funders, provide financial support for these Local Farmer Awards. Other community sponsors include Ann and Steve Davis, Charles and Elizabeth D’Amour, Audrey and Chick Taylor, PeoplesBank, the DeNucci Group at Merrill Lynch, Farm Credit East, HP Hood, Eastern States Exposition, Baystate Health, Country Bank, Franklin First Federal Credit Union, and bankESB. This year the Local Farmer Awards received a record 182 applications. Roughly two-thirds of this year’s awards went to farms in Hampshire and Franklin counties, with the remainder split between Hampden and Berkshire counties, and a few awards going to farms just across the Massachusetts border that participate in Massachusetts farming programs. About 25% of the recipients were new farmers (five or fewer years in business), and another 34% have been in business more than 20 years, many being multi-generational farms. The largest number of winners focus on vegetables and meat, while others include maple, fruit, dairy, and flower farms.

 

WSU, HCC Announce Nursing-degree Partnership

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) and Westfield State University (WSU) will announce a new pathway for individuals to earn both an associate and a baccalaureate degree in nursing simultaneously or in a streamlined manner by combining the curricula of both programs. The concurrent program is the first in the Commonwealth. Beginning one’s professional life as an RN with all the demands on new nurses in a post-COVID era can make it challenging to go back to school and earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing. This program provides an opportunity for students to earn both their ASN and BSN credentials simultaneously before entering the workforce. The ADN-to-BSN pathway creates efficiency for students as it incorporates a joint admission process, thereby eliminating the need for students to submit a separate application for admission to the university. By facilitating the attainment of a BSN, this pathway helps to meet the evolving demands of the healthcare industry. The concurrent nursing program will help address the nursing shortage by increasing the number of students who can get into a bachelor of nursing program and allow them to earn their degree faster.

 

MassHire Franklin Hampshire Announces New Location

GREENFIELD — MassHire Franklin Hampshire Career Center and Workforce Board, the leading workforce-development agencies providing employment and training services to job seekers and employers in Franklin and Hampshire counties and the North Quabbin area, are moving to a new location in Greenfield. Doors will open to customers at the new location at the Greenfield Corporate Center, 101 Monson St., Suite 210, on Thursday, June 1. The new MassHire Franklin Hampshire Career Center features 13,000 square feet of modern space with state-of-the-art resources to provide in-person, virtual, and hybrid services and allows MassHire Franklin Hampshire to provide even better service to more customers. Partner agencies with a staff presence at the Career Center include the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Literacy Project, the Center for New Americans, International Language Institute of Massachusetts, Westover Job Corps, Greenfield Community College, the Senior Community Service Employment Program, Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, and Community Action Pioneer Valley. Core partner Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission already has office space at the Greenfield Corporate Center.