'SLCC Eats' Chosen as Ford College Community Challenge Winner

Danielle Smull (l-r), Clint Gardner and Max Corwin inspect one of SLCC Gardens plots. Food grown in these plots helps supply Bruin Pantries with fresh fruits and vegetables.

Salt Lake Community College was one of several institutions recently selected to receive a Ford College Community Challenge grant of $25,000 in order to lead transformational change in their community. Each institution’s project will be led by students who will work with a nonprofit to address one of the following categories: social mobility, smart mobility or building a sustainable community.

Salt Lake Community College’s project is called SLCC Eats, launched from the Thayne Center and the Student Leaders in Civic Engagement (SLiCE). The project seeks to address inequities, including the national statistic that 23% of community college students face food insecurity, in part by supporting hungry students access to healthy food and nutrition education to stay focused on school and work.

“SLCC is proud to actively address food security for our community,” says Dr. Kathryn Kay Coquemont, Associate Vice President for Student Success. “Our Thayne Center for Service & Learning hopes to not only provide quality food through the Bruin Pantry, but also help communities learn how to increase their access to food through sustainable gardening. We are enormously thankful to the Ford Motor Company for their support in helping us meet this need.”

The grant is earmarked not only to align and elevate the conversation of justice-oriented food systems but to establish SLCC Eats grants as a catalyst for student-driven projects related food access, nutrition, and sustainability. The project will explore the feasibility of several efforts including increased access to ready-to-eat meals, increased education for nutrition programs, and aquaponics and gardening education as well as the continued growth of the Bruin Pantries and SLCC Gardens.

Through the Ford College Community Challenge, Ford Motor Company Fund aims to support colleges and universities as they work with students to design and develop tangible community projects that address critical local needs in new ways, with a focus on helping the community become a more sustainable place to work and live. Ford College Community Challenge (Ford C3), is an innovative grant-making initiative designed to inspire students at higher education organizations to catalyze community-building projects focused on addressing pressing local needs. Ford C3 is an educational initiative of Ford Motor Company Fund, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company. More details about the program and previous winners can be found at https://www.fordblueovalnetwork.org/ford-college-community-challenge.

Each year, up to ten grants are awarded throughout the country in this prestigious and very selective program. Winning proposals must consider, in a unique way, a precisely identified, unmet community need tied to the theme in one of three broad categories:

· Driving Social Mobility

· Changing the Way People Move through Smart Mobility

· Building Sustainable Communities

Projects must also:

· Address pressing community issues in a tangible way

· Involve students in a significant leadership role

· Include a community-based partner

Ford C3 grants of $25,000 are awarded by Ford Fund to the winning colleges and universities following consultations with a proposal review team made up of representatives from across Ford Motor Company. Ford C3 grants are designed to launch and sustain projects through the first year of implementation. Projects will be supported by university and local resources in the years that follow.

Rev Up Your Future at SLCC Annuals Hop into College

SLCC West Valley Center will be opening its doors on Friday, August 2, from 6-9 pm for their annual lowrider event that celebrates the automotive culture and welcomes current, past, and future Bruins into the SLCC community. This unique event allows lowriders to showcase their vehicles and for spectators to witness the creativity, craftsmanship, and passion that goes into a lowrider car. From the sleek custom paint jobs to the impressive hydraulics showcased at the hop-off, attendees get immersed in the vibrant culture created by SLCC West Valley’s community. Beyond the car show, Hop into College provides prospective students and their families the opportunity to explore SLCC, engage with their future peers, staff and faculty and obtain valuable insight into the degrees and programs offered. Furthermore, the community is provided with countless beneficial resources not only as an SLCC student but as a community member. Whether interested in learning more about the lowrider community o...

The Center for Prior Learning Receives an Honorable Mention

Today, SLCC's Credit for Prior Learning department received an Honorable Mention from the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL ) and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education for its intentional approach and for expanding student options to receive credit for prior learning. Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) allows students to obtain college credit for knowledge and skills acquired outside of the traditional academic environment. This is exceptionally beneficial for adult learners, who, according to CAEL, have a 17% higher chance of graduating compared to those adults who don’t earn credits through prior learning programs. The CPL department at SLCC was created in 2020 and since then the volume of students served has grown as the department continues to expand. To be eligible for CPL, students must be working towards a degree, certificate, or apprenticeship. Director of Credit for Prior Learning at SLCC, Andrea Tipton, mentioned fee...

Board of Higher Ed names Gregory F. Peterson 9th SLCC President

The Utah Board of Higher Education unanimously selected Gregory F. Peterson, Ed.D., as the ninth president of Salt Lake Community College today, following an extensive national search. Peterson will assume the position on July 1, 2024, and succeeds Deneece G. Huftalin, who served as president from 2014-2024. “I’m humbled by the opportunity to serve as Salt Lake Community College’s next president, and I look forward to reinforcing SLCC’s commitment to providing educational pathways for transfer and workforce that improve the lives of every member of our community,” Peterson said. “SLCC has an amazing future ahead, and I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of that journey.” As part of its delegated duties and responsibilities, the SLCC Board of Trustees named an 11-member committee in December 2023 to conduct a national search for the next president of SLCC. The committee is composed of representatives from the Utah Board of Higher Education and SLCC trustees, facul...

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