Press release source: Palo Alto College
Alamo Colleges District-Palo Alto College has been awarded a $599,007 federal grant to serve its Hispanic and underrepresented student population to enrich student learning, support services, and career readiness. The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program, and it is anticipated that each grant will be sustained for a total of 5 years for a total of $2,995,035.
Effective October 1, 2020, the grant will fund Project “Listo” – Spanish for “ready” – which will increase student support, internship and service-learning opportunities, and integration of career readiness and industry competency in program curriculum. These opportunities will be developed through the creation of a one-stop Center for Career and Experiential Learning (CCEL).
“Our goal has always been that our students leave Palo Alto College with the knowledge and experience to enter high-wage, high-demand careers that will lead to upward mobility,” said Dr. Robert Garza, president of Palo Alto College. “We are excited by how this funding will enrich our students’ college experience through hands-on, real world experience and long-term goal-setting.”
In addition to the CCEL, Project Listo will increase the College’s connections with employers in San Antonio and South-Central Texas to provide new service-learning and internship opportunities for students as part of a college-wide commitment to increase career exploration and development throughout students’ academic experience.
“In Texas, more than one in three individuals identify as Hispanic, and I am proud to support Hispanic-Serving Institutions and their contributions to our state’s growing Hispanic community,” said Sen. John Cornyn in a statement. “Quality education and diverse environments benefit everyone, and especially during these tough times I applaud Palo Alto College for their work to secure these grants to better serve their students.”
Palo Alto College, part of the Alamo Colleges District, is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and a recipient of the 2015 Texas Award for Performance Excellence, a finalist for the 2016 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, and a Rising Star winner of the 2019 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. With over 10,000 students, Palo Alto College is accredited to offer associate degrees and short-term certificates. The College is located on the south side of San Antonio at 1400 W. Villaret Blvd. at I-410 and Texas Hwy 16 and online at alamo.edu/pac.
