Two L.A. Colleges Receive $400K in Community Project Funding

The Los Angeles Community College District announced recently that two of its schools—Los Angeles Valley College (LAVC) and Los Angeles Mission College (LAMC)—will receive $400,000 in Community Project Funding. Congressman Tony Cárdenas announced that the funds will go toward expanding the schools’ workforce development and biotech programs, according to a news release.

“Valley and Mission Colleges are no stranger to building up and investing in the next generation of leaders and innovators,” said Cárdenas. “This $400,000 we secured for additional training programs will help our future STEM workforce build the skills needed to thrive. Thank you, Los Angeles Community College District, for working with our office to bring much-needed federal dollars to the San Fernando Valley. Together, we will inspire and empower current and future diverse STEM leaders.”

The donation marks the first time that Congress has passed Community Project Funding (funds that members of Congress can request to meet their districts’ needs) since 2009. Cárdenas submitted ten funding requests and was approved for all of them, sending $12 million to the northeast San Fernando Valley to support community needs for both education and beyond.

“Our community colleges are gateways to success and to high-growth careers,” said LACCD Chancellor Francisco C. Rodriguez, Ph.D.  “We are incredibly appreciative that two of our campuses that serve San Fernando Valley residents are the recipients of Congressman Cárdenas’ Community Project Funding (CPF) initiative. This generous support secures our ability to continue to provide accessible and high-quality education, and deliver valuable skills and training for the 21st-century marketplace.”

The news release also reports that LAMC will use its funds to improve both space and equipment related to creating specialized cell culture training for its biotechnology program.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • classroom with crystal ball on top of a desk

    Call for Opinions: Spaces4Learning 2026 Predictions for Educational Facilities

    As 2025 winds to a close, the Spaces4Learning staff is asking its readers—school administrators, architects, engineers, facilities managers, builders, superintendents, designers, vendors, and more—to send us their predictions for educational facilities in 2026.

  • UCNJ Launches $30M Modernization of Physical Education Center

    The Union College of Union County (UCNJ) in Cranford, N.J., recently broke ground on a new $30-million modernization project for its Physical Education Center (PECK), according to a news release. The college partnered with DIGroup Architecture for the project’s design, transitioning the existing 42,000-square-foot structure into a campus hub for student athletics and campus life.

  • University of Kentucky Receives $150M Gift Toward New Arts District

    The University of Kentucky’s Board of Trustees recently received a $150-million gift from The Bill Gatton Foundation, according to a university news release, to build a new arts district on the campus in Lexington, Ky. The new district will feature a new College of Fine Arts building and a multi-hundred-seat theater, among other amenities.

  • sapling sprouting from a cracked stone

    Lessons in Resilience: Disaster Recovery in Our Schools

    Facility managers play a pivotal role in how well a school weathers and recovers from a crisis. Whether it's a hurricane, a flood, a tornado, or a man-made event, preparation determines resilience.

Digital Edition