Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Rockland Community College Awarded $3M Grant

  • 10/28/19

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY – Rockland Community College (RCC) has been awarded a $3-million Title V Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support the development and implementation of RCC’s five Academic Schools model and increase participation and improve retention. This grant is the largest received in the college’s 60-year history.

“As a recipient of this significant grant, Rockland Community College will be able to continue on the transformative path of reimagining programs, support services and instructional approaches based on ‘Guided Pathways’ which is reflected in our new model of 5 Academic Schools. With this funding, we will be able to ensure that every student who enters RCC will develop an academic and career plan that will allow them to be successful in their studies, become ‘real-world ready’, graduate and go on to pursue a career of their choice. I want to thank everyone who was a part of the writing team that helped us secure this grant, in particular Congresswoman Nita Lowey for her support. This labor of love has brought us to this point, and we will prove that the ‘Can Do College’ can do it!” states Dr. Michael Baston, president of Rockland Community College.

The five Schools at RCC will ensure that students have a structured academic path with critical embedded support services which will enable them to further their career and academic goals. RCC graduates will be real-world ready: able to think critically, communicate effectively and use their social capital and consciousness to contribute to the betterment of the community.

RCC is one of only 40 institutions across the county to receive this U.S. Department of Education grant. These grants assist schools in which a minimum of 25 percent of the total enrollment is Hispanic. A celebration in honor of this milestone took place at the college on October 8, 2019. More information about the college can be found here: www.sunyrockland.edu.

Featured

  • Academy of Classical Education Breaks Ground in Louisiana

    Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) recently announced the groundbreaking of a new public charter school in Covington, La., according to a news release. The Academy of Classical Education at Covington will enroll students in grades K–8 and is scheduled for completion in August 2026, just in time for the new school year.

  • NWEA Report Recommends K–12 Natural Disaster Recovery Strategies

    The Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), a K–12 assessment and research organization, recently announced the release of a new playbook for schools and communities recovering from extreme weather events, according to a news release.

  • How a Portable Sink Helped an Art Classroom Run More Smoothly

    Classroom design decisions can have outsized effects on instructional time and safety at schools juggling mismatched infrastructure, strict budgets, and crowded schedules — particularly in the arts. Between spilled paint and dirty brushes, art classes run smoother with a sink in the studio. But many schools don’t have a sink in every art classroom.

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Education Design Showcase Awards

    Spaces4Learning has opened submissions for the 2026 Education Design Showcase! The awards program launched in 1999 with the goal of celebrating innovative, practical solutions in the planning, design, and construction of K–12 and higher-education facilities. EDS recognizes new developments that help achieve optimal learning environments, as well as the architecture firms that brought the ideas to life.