Westchester Community Foundation Awards Major Grant

Westchester Community College Foundation is pleased to announce that it has received a grant of $100,000 from the Westchester Community Foundation/Wallace Westchester Fund.   This major grant is helping to support the College’s major initiatives in college readiness and persistence for Westchester County public high school students.

Piloted with the help of a grant from Westchester Community Foundation and an anonymous donor, WCC’s high school transitions program, StepUp, was designed with the premise that aligning high school to college curriculum and providing academic, social, and emotional support to 12^th grade public high school students who are “on track to graduate but not college ready,” would decrease the need for remediation, encourage college enrollment, enhance persistence, and ultimately, provide an articulated pathway for students to successfully complete degrees and transfer in a timely manner.

This past academic year, WCC faculty worked with five public high schools to introduce special curricula in math and English language arts to selected 12^th grade students.  Students who participated are showing an increased readiness to start college, and WCC will be welcoming its first cohort of students this fall.  The WCC StepUp program will be introduced into at least three new high schools annually.

The current grant from Westchester Community Foundation will enhance the program.  StepUp on Campus will allow us to begin to track the success of the first cohort of incoming students and develop new components to the program that will engage high school guidance counselors, ease transition to college, and provide support systems that enable students to persist and transfer.

Of the initiative, Laura Rossi, Executive Director of the Westchester Community Foundation, said “We are pleased to continue our partnership with Westchester Community College to improve the college success rates of students throughout Westchester. We know that, given the right supports, all students can thrive and build a secure future for themselves and their families.” 

WCF is a division of the New York Community Trust, one of the largest community foundations in the country, with assets of approximately $2.6 billion. 

Westchester Community College provides accessible, high quality and affordable education to meet the needs of our diverse community.  We are committed to student success, academic excellence, workforce development, economic development and lifelong learning.

About Westchester Community College

Westchester Community College provides over 31,000 full-time and part-time students with an education taught by award-winning faculty at one of the most affordable tuition rates in New York State. WCC offers more than 60 degree and certificate programs, including innovative programs in such high-demand fields as cybersecurity, health information technology, respiratory therapy, and digital filmmaking. The college reflects the rich diversity of its region and was the first SUNY campus to be designated a Hispanic Serving Institution.

Westchester Community College Foundation

Since its founding in 1969, Westchester Community College Foundation (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization) has raised funds to meet college and student needs not covered by public funds, distributing over $2 million in scholarships annually. Through its fundraising and programmatic activities, the Foundation supports the college’s efforts to provide access to quality education and skills for success.