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

  • Opportunity by Design Framework

    Opportunity by Design

    Educational improvement efforts often focus on curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional development, and intervention systems while treating the physical school building as background. But school design is not a passive backdrop to learning — it is a structural lever for equity.

  • DLR Group Hires Three for Higher Education Practice

    Integrated design firm DLR Group recently announced that it has brought three new hires on board to help shape its higher education practice in California and the northeast, according to a press release.

  • Growing Allied Health Workforce Demands Fueling Greater Need for Higher Education Facilities

    With the demand for healthcare professionals at an all-time high, colleges and universities are challenged with supporting the workforce demands in their own communities. Careers in allied health generally require specific training and/or certification, with some positions requiring degrees, certified credentials, and continuing education.

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey

    Spaces4Learning recently launched the 2026 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey, which collects data on the previous year’s K–12 and higher education construction projects nationwide.