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Current News from Golden Leaf: April 19, 2013
News Release:
At Golden LEAF's February and April Board meetings, the Foundation awarded a total of 32 grants totaling $17.4 million to a diverse set of projects to organizations across the state from Cherokee to Pasquotank counties. The grant awards included projects awarded through the Foundation's Open Grants Program, Community Assistance Initiative, Golden LEAF Scholarship Program, Essential Skills in Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Training Initiative, and Economic Catalyst program. Click here to search Golden LEAF grants.
We are always interested in sharing the successes of our grantees. Please send us your news, links or story ideas related to your Golden LEAF grant. We may be able to share it in an upcoming edition of Golden LEAF News or LEAF Lines.
In this edition of "Golden LEAF News," read about the Golden LEAF Community Assistance Initiative ongoing in Wilkes County and a business incubator in Scotland County. Learn about advanced manufacturing training programs in Person, Caswell, Johnston and Pitt counties and STEM programs in Catawba and Richmond counties. Find out more about the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative in Rockingham County and local foods branding from the mountains to the coast. Learn more about health care training opportunities in Halifax and Edgecombe counties. Read about Golden LEAF Scholarships in Wayne and McDowell counties.
In this edition of "Golden LEAF News":
Wilkes has sights set on $2M in Golden LEAF grants Wilkes County is inching closer to a potential $2 million in grant money from the Golden LEAF Foundation. After more than six months, a lengthy list of proposed projects was whittled down earlier this week to 14 over three categories. Community leaders began the application process last summer with Golden LEAF. Golden LEAF is working with Wilkes County through the foundation's Community Assistance Initiative, which provides money for projects that help spur economic transformation and growth in the state's most economically distressed counties. Golden LEAF President Dan Gerlach recently visited Wilkes County to briefly critique each of the 14 proposals. Twelve area residents and three alternates were chosen for a committee to review and refine the remaining proposals.
Innovation Center opens with fanfair
The ribbon was cut on Friday to open the new Small Business Innovation Center only moments after it was announced that the facility already has a multinational tenant for its industrial space. Located off US 401 in Laurinburg, the Small Business Innovation Center was designed to be a one-stop shop for businesses at all stages of their development. The facility will house staff from Richmond Community College and will offer educational opportunities as well as facilitate funding for startup and early-stage small businesses. It will also serve as the home of the Scotland County Economic Development Corporation. The project was funded in part by a $200,000 Golden LEAF grant.
PCC receives Golden LEAF grant for its Workforce Certification AcademyŠ
Piedmont Community College (PCC) has been awarded a Golden LEAF grant to expand existing training programs offered through the College's Workforce Certification AcademyŠ (WCA). The CLT and CPT programs lead to industry-recognized credentials awarded through the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council and prepare job seekers for entry- and intermediate-level positions in the advanced manufacturing and logistics fields. Five local employers have indicated intent to create up to 390 jobs over the next three years and have committed to screen and hire graduates of these programs. Golden LEAF funds, awarded in the amount of $165,032, will be used to purchase a forklift and other training equipment, support instructional positions, pay student certification fees and support services, and cover the expense of necessary class materials. For more information on the WCA program, contact Angela Webb at (336) 322-2132 or angela.webb@piedmontcc.edu.
College receives LEAF grant
Johnston Community College has received a $275,000 Golden LEAF grant to purchase updated equipment for its machining program. JCC plans to buy two computer numeric machining units, which will enhance the college's capabilities to train machinists. The equipment is needed to provide advanced training and increase program-completion rates.
Guest column: Filling gap for tech jobs
Pitt Community College continues to respond to the expanding needs of students and companies for education and training as Pitt County pulls itself out of the economic recession. National reports reveal a skills gap, especially in technical jobs, and Pitt has received a $1 million grant from Golden LEAF to build workforce capacity in advanced manufacturing professions. Student access to education and training is PCC's first strategic goal, and last fall's enrollment of 9023 represented a 7 percent increase from last year. Development of human potential is a major element of PCC's mission. The community college is needed more than ever for Pitt County to be competitive. The returns on investment are strong now and will be needed even more as workforce needs evolve in the future.
The Unemployment Line: Education and foundation form key partnership
In 2009 Golden LEAF conducted research that revealed that students in rural counties received little access to STEM education. The information resulted in the development of a strategic plan at Golden LEAF for STEM programs. A total of 14 projects at $250,000 each were awarded to span a three-year period of time from 2010 to 2012. Catawba County Schools is one of the grant recipients. Catawba is working with nearly 4,000 students. Part of their plan includes Extreme STEM tours, a collaborative project among CVCC, Catawba Schools, and more than 140 local businesses to help get students interested in a variety of STEM fields.
Our View: Get the students involved
The annual BioMoto Capstone Competition came to Rockingham Dragway recently and all four middle schools in Richmond County participated. The Capstone Competition is the culmination of the BioMoto STEM Challenge which is a year-long program. The Challenge is a collaborative educational initiative that is underwritten by a $300,000 grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation and guided by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center's Greater Charlotte Office and the North Carolina Motorsports Association. Several hundred eighth grade students from the Richmond, Cabarrus, Rowan-Salisbury, Kannapolis City school systems and others participated.
Broadband infrastructure near completion
More of Rockingham County may soon have access to broadband internet coverage, as the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative gets closer to completion. A partnership between the Golden LEAF Foundation and Microelectronics Center of North Carolina, the Initiative covers the cost of building infrastructure to support high speed internet. The main goal of the Rural Broadband Initiative is to provide various entities, including schools, libraries and community anchor institutions, with broadband service. Golden LEAF awarded the grant in April 2010, to help acquire federal dollars awarded a few months later. The Rural Broadband Initiative is about 96 percent complete. MCNC manages the $144 million expansion of the North Carolina Research and Education Network, which Golden LEAF funded in part with a $24 million grant.
Neal: Blue Ridge Naturally brands region for quality
Locals have known for generations the healing properties of native plants such as goldenseal, ginseng and black cohosh. Now those natural ingredients that grow wild in our woods serve as a hotbed for new jobs springing up around the region. The Natural Products Alliance of North Carolina, a coalition of several area nonprofits and agencies, has focused on turning Western North Carolina into the "Napa Valley of natural products." With a pair of grants totaling some $500,000 from the Golden LEAF Foundation, organizers have helped set up the Natural Products Manufacturing Facility at Blue Ridge Food Ventures, a botanical safety testing lab at Bent Creek Institute and other pieces of a puzzle that could mean a thriving new industry for the mountains. Now those WNC products can boast a new Blue Ridge Naturally logo, attesting to higher-quality ingredients grown locally as well as more rigorous testing.
Programs try to aid industry
Some people on the North Carolina coast are trying to lend a hand to commercial fishermen. Outer Banks Catch, a local catch program established in 2010, was established by the Dare County Commission for Working Watermen to look at marketing and public education on seafood and local commercial fishing. Outer Banks Catch's first project was using a $150,000 grant from Golden LEAF, a nonprofit foundation devoted to the economic well being of North Carolinians. The program used the grant for a marketing campaign to increase awareness of local seafood. Outer Banks Catch is working not only to promote local seafood from Dare County, but from all coastal counties. The program is a member of North Carolina Catch, a partnership involving three other catch programs: Carteret Catch, Ocracoke Fresh and Brunswick Catch.
Health care job candidates wanted
Training will soon be available for interested unemployed, underemployed and dislocated workers for numerous health care positions in Halifax and Edgecombe counties. The Golden LEAF Foundation recently announced a grant award of $52,280 to the Regeneration Development Group Empowerment Center in Scotland Neck to recruit and train 40 participants in the allied health field and to address the challenge of providing qualified workers for unfilled positions in Halifax and neighboring counties. They will provide workforce development training for pharmacy technician, dental assistant, phlebotomist, medication aide, CNA II and medical administration.
WCC Students Awarded Golden LEAF Scholarships
Eleven students enrolled in Wayne Community College's Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Basic program have received Golden LEAF Scholarships for the spring semester.
The Emergency Medical Technician (EMT-Basic) program is offered through the college's Continuing Education Services Division. Recipients demonstrated financial need and resided in rural counties that are tobacco-dependent and/or economically distressed. To find a list of participating community colleges and eligible counties of residence, click here.
Golden LEAF awards local scholarships
The Golden LEAF Foundation has partnered with North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities to provide scholarship support for more than 10 years. During this time, the Foundation has contributed more than $5.8 million, helping over 1,200 students attend North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities. Students are eligible for $3,000 per year. Recipients of the Golden LEAF Scholarships must reside in tobacco-dependent or economically distressed rural counties. The overall goal of the program is that these students will return home after receiving their degree and help their rural communities.
Contact: Jenny Tinklepaugh
Program/ Communications Officer
jtinklepaugh@goldenleaf.org
Go Back
At Golden LEAF's February and April Board meetings, the Foundation awarded a total of 32 grants totaling $17.4 million to a diverse set of projects to organizations across the state from Cherokee to Pasquotank counties. The grant awards included projects awarded through the Foundation's Open Grants Program, Community Assistance Initiative, Golden LEAF Scholarship Program, Essential Skills in Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Training Initiative, and Economic Catalyst program. Click here to search Golden LEAF grants.
We are always interested in sharing the successes of our grantees. Please send us your news, links or story ideas related to your Golden LEAF grant. We may be able to share it in an upcoming edition of Golden LEAF News or LEAF Lines.
In this edition of "Golden LEAF News," read about the Golden LEAF Community Assistance Initiative ongoing in Wilkes County and a business incubator in Scotland County. Learn about advanced manufacturing training programs in Person, Caswell, Johnston and Pitt counties and STEM programs in Catawba and Richmond counties. Find out more about the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative in Rockingham County and local foods branding from the mountains to the coast. Learn more about health care training opportunities in Halifax and Edgecombe counties. Read about Golden LEAF Scholarships in Wayne and McDowell counties.
Wilkes has sights set on $2M in Golden LEAF grants Wilkes County is inching closer to a potential $2 million in grant money from the Golden LEAF Foundation. After more than six months, a lengthy list of proposed projects was whittled down earlier this week to 14 over three categories. Community leaders began the application process last summer with Golden LEAF. Golden LEAF is working with Wilkes County through the foundation's Community Assistance Initiative, which provides money for projects that help spur economic transformation and growth in the state's most economically distressed counties. Golden LEAF President Dan Gerlach recently visited Wilkes County to briefly critique each of the 14 proposals. Twelve area residents and three alternates were chosen for a committee to review and refine the remaining proposals.
The ribbon was cut on Friday to open the new Small Business Innovation Center only moments after it was announced that the facility already has a multinational tenant for its industrial space. Located off US 401 in Laurinburg, the Small Business Innovation Center was designed to be a one-stop shop for businesses at all stages of their development. The facility will house staff from Richmond Community College and will offer educational opportunities as well as facilitate funding for startup and early-stage small businesses. It will also serve as the home of the Scotland County Economic Development Corporation. The project was funded in part by a $200,000 Golden LEAF grant.
Piedmont Community College (PCC) has been awarded a Golden LEAF grant to expand existing training programs offered through the College's Workforce Certification AcademyŠ (WCA). The CLT and CPT programs lead to industry-recognized credentials awarded through the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council and prepare job seekers for entry- and intermediate-level positions in the advanced manufacturing and logistics fields. Five local employers have indicated intent to create up to 390 jobs over the next three years and have committed to screen and hire graduates of these programs. Golden LEAF funds, awarded in the amount of $165,032, will be used to purchase a forklift and other training equipment, support instructional positions, pay student certification fees and support services, and cover the expense of necessary class materials. For more information on the WCA program, contact Angela Webb at (336) 322-2132 or angela.webb@piedmontcc.edu.
Johnston Community College has received a $275,000 Golden LEAF grant to purchase updated equipment for its machining program. JCC plans to buy two computer numeric machining units, which will enhance the college's capabilities to train machinists. The equipment is needed to provide advanced training and increase program-completion rates.
Pitt Community College continues to respond to the expanding needs of students and companies for education and training as Pitt County pulls itself out of the economic recession. National reports reveal a skills gap, especially in technical jobs, and Pitt has received a $1 million grant from Golden LEAF to build workforce capacity in advanced manufacturing professions. Student access to education and training is PCC's first strategic goal, and last fall's enrollment of 9023 represented a 7 percent increase from last year. Development of human potential is a major element of PCC's mission. The community college is needed more than ever for Pitt County to be competitive. The returns on investment are strong now and will be needed even more as workforce needs evolve in the future.
In 2009 Golden LEAF conducted research that revealed that students in rural counties received little access to STEM education. The information resulted in the development of a strategic plan at Golden LEAF for STEM programs. A total of 14 projects at $250,000 each were awarded to span a three-year period of time from 2010 to 2012. Catawba County Schools is one of the grant recipients. Catawba is working with nearly 4,000 students. Part of their plan includes Extreme STEM tours, a collaborative project among CVCC, Catawba Schools, and more than 140 local businesses to help get students interested in a variety of STEM fields.
The annual BioMoto Capstone Competition came to Rockingham Dragway recently and all four middle schools in Richmond County participated. The Capstone Competition is the culmination of the BioMoto STEM Challenge which is a year-long program. The Challenge is a collaborative educational initiative that is underwritten by a $300,000 grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation and guided by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center's Greater Charlotte Office and the North Carolina Motorsports Association. Several hundred eighth grade students from the Richmond, Cabarrus, Rowan-Salisbury, Kannapolis City school systems and others participated.
More of Rockingham County may soon have access to broadband internet coverage, as the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative gets closer to completion. A partnership between the Golden LEAF Foundation and Microelectronics Center of North Carolina, the Initiative covers the cost of building infrastructure to support high speed internet. The main goal of the Rural Broadband Initiative is to provide various entities, including schools, libraries and community anchor institutions, with broadband service. Golden LEAF awarded the grant in April 2010, to help acquire federal dollars awarded a few months later. The Rural Broadband Initiative is about 96 percent complete. MCNC manages the $144 million expansion of the North Carolina Research and Education Network, which Golden LEAF funded in part with a $24 million grant.
Locals have known for generations the healing properties of native plants such as goldenseal, ginseng and black cohosh. Now those natural ingredients that grow wild in our woods serve as a hotbed for new jobs springing up around the region. The Natural Products Alliance of North Carolina, a coalition of several area nonprofits and agencies, has focused on turning Western North Carolina into the "Napa Valley of natural products." With a pair of grants totaling some $500,000 from the Golden LEAF Foundation, organizers have helped set up the Natural Products Manufacturing Facility at Blue Ridge Food Ventures, a botanical safety testing lab at Bent Creek Institute and other pieces of a puzzle that could mean a thriving new industry for the mountains. Now those WNC products can boast a new Blue Ridge Naturally logo, attesting to higher-quality ingredients grown locally as well as more rigorous testing.
Some people on the North Carolina coast are trying to lend a hand to commercial fishermen. Outer Banks Catch, a local catch program established in 2010, was established by the Dare County Commission for Working Watermen to look at marketing and public education on seafood and local commercial fishing. Outer Banks Catch's first project was using a $150,000 grant from Golden LEAF, a nonprofit foundation devoted to the economic well being of North Carolinians. The program used the grant for a marketing campaign to increase awareness of local seafood. Outer Banks Catch is working not only to promote local seafood from Dare County, but from all coastal counties. The program is a member of North Carolina Catch, a partnership involving three other catch programs: Carteret Catch, Ocracoke Fresh and Brunswick Catch.
Training will soon be available for interested unemployed, underemployed and dislocated workers for numerous health care positions in Halifax and Edgecombe counties. The Golden LEAF Foundation recently announced a grant award of $52,280 to the Regeneration Development Group Empowerment Center in Scotland Neck to recruit and train 40 participants in the allied health field and to address the challenge of providing qualified workers for unfilled positions in Halifax and neighboring counties. They will provide workforce development training for pharmacy technician, dental assistant, phlebotomist, medication aide, CNA II and medical administration.
Eleven students enrolled in Wayne Community College's Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Basic program have received Golden LEAF Scholarships for the spring semester.
The Emergency Medical Technician (EMT-Basic) program is offered through the college's Continuing Education Services Division. Recipients demonstrated financial need and resided in rural counties that are tobacco-dependent and/or economically distressed. To find a list of participating community colleges and eligible counties of residence, click here.
The Golden LEAF Foundation has partnered with North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities to provide scholarship support for more than 10 years. During this time, the Foundation has contributed more than $5.8 million, helping over 1,200 students attend North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities. Students are eligible for $3,000 per year. Recipients of the Golden LEAF Scholarships must reside in tobacco-dependent or economically distressed rural counties. The overall goal of the program is that these students will return home after receiving their degree and help their rural communities.
Contact: Jenny Tinklepaugh
Program/ Communications Officer
jtinklepaugh@goldenleaf.org
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