Communities of Excellence
In 2022, the PCC Foundation established the Community Excellence Grants, empowering PCC students, faculty, and staff with the resources to drive innovation, research, and community engagement. So far, we have awarded more than $900,000 to 26 unique projects and initiatives. Here are a few of those stories:
PASS
The Program for Academic Support Services (PASS) took 20 students on a 3-day trip to UC Santa Barbara.
“With the Community Excellence Grant, we were able to develop the PASS University Bridge Project, which exposes students to UC campuses and also opens their eyes to the possibilities of their own education,” explains PASS Director Margarita Rivera.
A federally funded program that works with low-income, first-generation, and/or disabled students, PASS helps prepare students with the skills and motivation to succeed, graduate from PCC, and transfer to a four-year institution.
“So many students tell me they’re not UC material,” says Margarita. “And that’s just not true. A major part of this trip was to get them to visualize being a student on a UC campus, to help them understand how they can succeed in getting there one day.”
“I learned so much about the UC system because of this trip. The workshops were so informative, and I was so grateful to have the PASS team guiding us through this journey. Now, I’m seriously considering UCSB as a school for my future.”
-PCC student
The Beekeeping Club
Buzzing with excitement, PCC welcomes a sweet new club to campus – The Beekeeping Club.
Led by English and Language Studies Professor Charlene Potter, the Beekeeping Club began with an initial grant of $5,642.00.
“No one tells you how expensive and time-consuming beekeeping is,” Charlene says. “For instance, I never envisioned needing to build a fence. I factored in bee suits and gloves; I bought all the equipment with that first grant—all the hive boxes, the frames, the mite treatments, and yes, a honey bucket—but it’s the expenses that you don’t expect that wind up being quite surprising.”
So when Charlene received the Community Excellence Grant in 2022, she was able to ensure the club’s upkeep.
“It’s a really innovative club,” she says. “It’s something hands-on, and there’s a definite interest among the students.”
The PCC Beekeeping Club is a vibrant hive of activity, bringing together students who are passionate about pollinators and sustainability.
DID YOU KNOW in North America alone we have over 3,600 different types of bees? Bee pollination adds approximately $14 billion annually to improved crop yield and quality.
MATE ROV Underwater Competition
In 2022, PCC students dove headfirst into the MATE ROV Competition, earning third place.
“It’s an underwater robotics competition that community colleges, K-12 schools, and four-year universities can compete in every year,” explains Jared Ashcroft, Natural Sciences Professor.
This year, the crew jumped in again, earning second place in the underwater competition and first place in the Technical Document.
“Five or six of our students were actually invited to go to Seattle and participate in a MATE summer camp,” said Jared. “It’s really opened up their educational opportunities.”
Armed with cutting-edge technology and mentorship from Jared and his colleagues Dave Smith and Yu-Chung Chang-Hou, the team was able to put their engineering and computer science skills to the test, while also fostering teamwork, problem-solving, and a passion for discovery.
“The initial seed money we received from the Community Excellence Grant is what allowed us to get this going,” said Jared. “It goes to show what positive outcomes can result from supporting student education.”
