Grant Development

Current Grant Projects

 

Amazon Web Services Cloud Skills Pilot Program

Funding Agency: CA Community College Chancellor’s Office

Award: $150,000

Funding Period: 04/01/2022 – 06/30/2024

Project Manager: Patricia Ramos (ramos_patricia@smc.edu), 310-434-3311

As a part of the Workforce and Economic Development Division, SMC has been selected to partner with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to support Information Technology (IT) faculty to design, build, market, and deliver a new cloud-computing competency-based Associate’s Degree program in California. SMC will participate in an intensive 6-month program where existing IT courses will be “cloudified” (adapted to incorporate cloud technologies). The partnership is known as the “Amazon Web Services Pilot Cloud Skills Program.”

The Builders Initiative

Funding Agency: Walton Family Foundation

Award: $525,000

Funding Period: 07/01/2022 - 06/30/2025

Project Manager: Ferris Kawar (Kawar_ferris@smc.edu), 310-434-3911

The grant will help develop an interdisciplinary Aquaculture certificate program, with the Life Science, Earth Science and Business Departments, in order to train the workforce in the emerging field of regenerative aquaculture.

California Adult Education Program

Funding Agency: CA Community College Chancellor’s Office

Award: $441,333

Funding Period: No end date

Project Manager: Scott Silverman (silverman_scott@smc.edu), 310-434-4370

The California Adult Education Program allocates regional funding for adult education/noncredit programs. As part of this regional program, SMC has partnered with the SMMUSD Adult Education Center to create adult education/noncredit pathways and support services to credit bearing programs and workforce for adults 18 and over.

CCAMPIS Grant

Funding Agency: U.S. Dept. of Education

Award: $1,120,000

Funding Period: 10/01/2021 – 09/30/2025

Project Manager: Jeanette Lopez (lopez_jeanette@smc.edu)

CCAMPIS increases access to post-secondary education for low-income (PELL Grant eligible) student parents by providing quality, affordable and accessible childcare services while they further their education. CCAMPIS covers up to 100% of the cost for part-time, full-time, and extended hours childcare. Student parents who qualify may select a licensed childcare center to care for their children while they attend SMC classes.

Certified Nursing Assistant Program:  Charting a Path to Healthcare Occupations

Funding Agency: Arthur N. Rupe Foundation

Award: $18,000

Funding Period: 07/01/2023 – 06/30/2024

Project Manager: Eric Williams (williams_eric@smc.edu), 310-434-3455

SMC’s Noncredit Health and Wellness Pathways program provides free training, skills building and the certification necessary for a student seeking to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA).

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and Practices

Funding Agency: CA Community College Chancellor’s Office

Award: $300,000

Funding Period: 07/01/23 – 06/30/25

Project Manager: Diana Pennington (pennington_diana@smc.edu)

Project will address and support DEIA-focused professional development within the faculty and staff at Santa Monica College. As a leader in the community for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility, Santa Monica College is dedicated to further developing cultural competence, the inclusion and strengthening of underrepresented students, and a more DEIA-content driven curriculum.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Innovative Best Practices

Funding Agency: CA Community College Chancellor’s Office

Award: $300,000

Funding Period: 07/01/23 – 06/30/25

Project Manager: Diana Pennington (pennington_diana@smc.edu)

Project will will support and encourage DEIA-focused equal employment opportunities at Santa Monica College. Additionally, it will strengthen existing equal employment opportunities for faculty and staff. Santa Monica College is extremely committee to promoting a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility-minded environment. Furthermore, the college is dedicated to increasing equal employment opportunities and professional development for faculty and staff through pre-hiring interventions, post-hiring interventions, and diversity promising interventions.

Expanding the Cell Science and Immunological Testing Workforce by Developing a Diverse and Inclusive Credentialed Biotechnology Program

Funding Agency: National Science Foundation

Award: $348,925

Funding Period: 07/01/22 – 06/30/25

Project Managers: Andria Denmon (denmon_andria@smc.edu), Thomas Chen (chen_thomas@smc.edu)

Project will support the rapid growth of biotechnology industries in Santa Monica and West Los Angeles while influencing the economic impact of Southern California; expand outreach, recruitment, and retention efforts of students from traditionally untapped pools of talent and communities; and, grow a diverse and talented workforce while narrowing the training, mentorship, and employment equity gaps associated with the LS/Biotech industry in California. This equity-centered and inclusive biotechnology technician education program has the potential to serve as a replicable model for how to advance diversity and inclusion in programs that focus on LS/Biotech technician education.

Expanding the Equity-Centered Biotechnology Workforce Program at Santa Monica College

Funding Agency: Keck Foundation

Award: $1,000,000

Funding Period: 01/01/2023 – 12/30/2025

Project Manager: Andria Denmon (denmon_andria@smc.edu); Thomas Chen (chen_thomas@smc.edu)

SMC is launching a ground-breaking biotechnology program that aligns with rigorous industry standards and is designed to be accessible to all SMC students, especially those who are experiencing the greatest equity and achievement gaps as well as those who do not feel fully represented in STEM fields.

Fostering an Equity Mindset

Funding Agency: National Science Foundation

Award: $2,500,000

Funding Period: 10/01/2019 - 09/30/2024

Project Manager: Silvana Carrion (carrion_silvana@smc.edu), 310-434-4837

Using a cohort-based model, the Fostering an Equity Mindset project facilitates STEM Faculty professional development in equity to support student success via coaching and mentoring.

Fostering an Equity Mindset - Professional Development Conference 

Funding Agency: National Science Foundation

Award: $85,385

Funding Period: Fall 2023

Project Manager: Silvana Carrion (carrion_silvana@smc.edu), 310-434-4837

Focuses on professional development and implementation of strategies that have led to reduced equity gaps within STEM course. The goal of the conference is to encourage STEM Faculty, STEM programs, and student support STEM focused staff to exchange ideas and knowledge that helps create an opportunity to promote equity and inclusion in STEM Education- both in the classroom and services.

Hispanic Serving Institution STEM and Articulation Program Title III - Engage, Succeed, Advance STEM

Funding Agency: Department of Education

Award: $4,944,951

Funding Period: 10/1/2021 - 9/30/2026

Project Manager: Vanan Yahnian (yahnian_vanan@smc.edu), 310-434-3993

The Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) STEM and Articulation Program, Title III will engage students in STEM via outreach events, bringing Underrepresented Minority (URM) speakers to campus, expanding Supplemental Instruction(SI) to critical STEM courses. To develop and implement a Faculty Led Makerspace that will have laser printers, 3D printers and scanners a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine used in STEM studies.

Navigating the Pathway to Success - Title V

Funding Agency: Department of Education

Award: $3,000,000

Funding Period: 10/01/2019 - 09/30/2024

Project Manager: Deyadra Blye (blye_deyadra@smc.edu), 310-434-4149

The Title V Developing Hispanic Serving Institutions Program will develop a peer coaching/pathway navigator program that will 1) increase the number of Latinx and other low-income students who complete their educational goals; 2) reduce the time to completion for Latinx and other low-income students; and 3) decrease the overall cost of education for Latinx and other low-income students.

Noncredit Strong Workforce Program

Funding Agency: CA Community College Chancellor’s Office

Funding Period: continuous

Project Manager: Scott Silverman (silverman_scott@smc.edu), 310-434-44370

The Noncredit Strong Workforce Program (SWP) allocates funding for the creation of noncredit career educational pathways to credit bearing coursework or employment.

Perkins V

Funding Agency: California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office

Funding Period: 07/01/2023 – 06/30/2024

Project Manager: Patricia Ramos (ramos_patricia@smc.edu), 310-434-3311

The Strengthening Career and Technical Education supports Accounting, Aquaculture, CIS, Cosmetology, Digital Media, DSPS,  ECE, Film Production, Media Production (Broadcasting),  Nursing, Respiratory Care,  Applied Photography, Sustainable Tech, Technical Theatre) programs.

Pico Partnership

Funding Agency: City of Santa Monica

Award: FY 2023-2024 $226,971; FY 2024-2025 $230,586

Funding Period: 7/1/2023 - 6/30/2027 

Project Manager: Stuart Ortiz (ortiz_stuart@smc.edu), 310-434-8058

The Pico Partnership program is a joint partnership between Santa Monica College and the City of Santa Monica. The program is designed to meet the need of underserved, under-represented youth living in close proximity to the college. The program assists and motivates young residents of the Pico neighborhood to pursue postsecondary activities leading to degrees, certificates, transfer to a 4-year university, and/or employment.

Rising Scholars Network Program 2.0

Funding Agency: California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office

Award: $382,500

Funding Period: 01/01/23 - 07/31/2025

Project Manager: Debra Joseph Locke (locke_debra@smc.edu), 310-434-4449

The grant will continue and enhance services and outcomes for formerly incarcerated students through the SMC RISING (Re-entering Incarcerated and System Impacted Navigating Greatness) Program. SMC RISING offers academic counseling and engagement activities to formerly incarcerated students. 

Strong Workforce Program (Local) 

Funding Agency: California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office

Funding Period: 07/01/2023 – 06/30/2024

Project Manager: Ruth Casillas (casillas_ruth@smc.edu), 310-434-4023

The Strong Workforce Program (SWP) helps to strengthen career education programs through local collaboration and by preparing more students for high-demand, high-wage jobs. SWP incentive funding provides rewards to colleges and regions that attain these goals. Funding must lead to “more (quantity) and better (improved)” career technical education (CTE) by targeting student success, career pathways, workforce data and outcomes, curriculum and other program areas.

Strong Workforce Program (Regional) 

Funding Agency: California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office

Funding Period: 07/01/2023 – 06/30/2024

Project Manager: Ruth Casillas (casillas_ruth@smc.edu), 310-434-4023

The Strong Workforce Program (SWP) helps to strengthen career education programs through regional collaboration and by preparing more students for high-demand, high-wage jobs. SWP incentive funding provides rewards to colleges and regions that attain these goals. Funding must lead to “more (quantity) and better (improved)” career technical education (CTE) by targeting student success, career pathways, workforce data and outcomes, curriculum and other program areas.

USC Sea Grant California Deep Ocean DDT+ Research

Funding Agency: USC Subaward

Award: $29,361

Funding Period: 06/01/2023 – 11/03/2024 

Project Manager: Lisa Collins (collins_lisa@smc.edu), 310-434- 8857

This project will help researchers distinguish the fate of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), an insecticide that was widely used in United States agriculture, within the local ocean basin. Researchers will be able to "fingerprint" where the DDT and its diagenetic compounds come to be in our food web. SMC students, mentored by faculty, will work side by side with USC and Caltech students, research scientists and technicians in the process of achieving this project's objectives. Students will learn lab procedures at USC and Caltech labs and will be responsible for measurement, quality control, interpretation, and presentation of results. The grant will conclude with a workshop of the study that will include public-welcoming discussions of why and how it is important to Southern Californians.  

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)

Funding Agency: California Department of Education 

Award: $249,526

Funding Period: 07/01/2023 - 06/30/2024

Project Manager:  Luis Jauregui (jauregui_luis@smc.edu), 310-434-3403

The grant will address the regional need to increase the middle skill workforce, especially in five key areas: foundational skills, core competency skills, essential work readiness and work maturity skills, and job specific vocational skills.