College Grants
Palo Alto College seeks external funding opportunities to enhance, expand, and cultivate a strong learning environment for students, faculty, staff, and community partners.
Grant funds awarded and received are managed in accordance with guidelines provided by the external funding agencies in accordance with standard procedures and federal regulations. For more information, contact:
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Gaston Cantu |
Victor Olivares |
Recently Awarded Grants at Palo Alto College (as of September 30, 2021) - listed in order of award date
PAC CCAMPIS Project
Funding Source: Department of Education
Award Amount: $620,860
Cycle: Anticipated Oct. 2021 – Sept. 2024
Grant Program Manager: Jennifer Flores
The PAC CCAMPIS Project serves approximately 20 student parents annually by providing access to high-quality childcare through the College’s Ray Ellison Family Center (REFC). To meet the goal of increasing low-income student success by providing access to high-quality childcare, the Project will subsidize, the majority of the cost of on- and off-campus child care to ensure that PAC student parents realize their full potential by earning a college degree. In addition to serving 18 students annually through the on-campus, full-day, year round child care services provided by the REFC, the Project will also subsidize off-campus infant care each year.
Summer Merit Program
Funding Source: Texas Workforce Commission
Award Amount: $83,206
Cycle: 2021
Grant Program Manager: Erron Gonzalez
The purpose of the Governor’s Summer Merit Program (GSMP) is to improve Texas middle school and high school students’ familiarity and experience with post-secondary educational opportunities leading to STEM careers while developing collaboration among workforce development programs, colleges and universities, and Texas middle and high schools. This grant will support six (6) two-week Palo Alto College (PAC) Code the Future and Manufacturing Engineering summer camps for 20 students in middle and high school, for a total of 120 participating students. Through six, two-week half day camps, where there will be a total 40-hour of instruction on PAC’s campus in south Bexar County, youth will learn about coding fundamentals and career possibilities.
Just Futures Initiative Project
Funding Source: Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (subaward)
Award Amount: $30,000
Cycle: Anticipated Oct. 2021 – Sept. 2024
Grant Program Manager: Lorri Rodriguez
As part of a larger grant of $5,000,000 to The University of Texas at San Antonio, for use over approximately three years, Palo Alto College serves as a partner and subrecipient to support a Just Futures Initiative project. The project—Democratizing Racial Justice—will be a transformative, community-based People’s Academies for Racial Justice. Under the Alamo Colleges District, Palo Alto College will support the institutional partner for the companion Educators’ Academies for Ethnic Studies with support of the district Mexican American Studies Programs.
Open Educational Resources
Funding Source: Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (subaward)
Award Amount: $3,849
Cycle: Anticipated Oct. 2021
Grant Program Manager: Melissa Elston
The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), in collaboration with Palo Alto College (PAC), secured a funding for Open Educational (OER) Course Development. Specifically, to develop a new OER to aid in decreasing textbook costs and to ease the transition of community college students at PAC to UTSA, thus increasing retention rates at UTSA, as well as resulting in greater student success at both institutions. This development grant will focus on creating a writer’s handbook that will be available to both institutions, as well as the greater public.
Trio – Somerset and South San ISD
Funding Source: Department of Education
Award Amount: $1,386,875
Cycle: Anticipated Oct. 2021 – Sept. 2026
Grant Program Manager: Monica Ayala
The Palo Alto College Talent Search Project will provide 500 Somerset and South San Antonio High School students annually with academic tutoring and advising; information on financial aid programs; assistance in completing financial aid applications; financial literacy; and support for applying for college enrollment for the purpose of increasing high school graduation, college enrollment, and post-secondary degree attainment for the students served.
TRIO – Southwest ISD
Funding Source: Department of Education
Award Amount: $1,386,875
Cycle: Anticipated Oct. 2021 – Sept. 2026
Grant Program Manager: Monica Ayala
The Palo Alto College Talent Search Project will provide 500 Southwest High School students annually with academic tutoring and advising; information on financial aid programs; assistance in completing financial aid applications; financial literacy; and support for applying for college enrollment for the purpose of increasing high school graduation, college enrollment, and post-secondary degree attainment for the students served.
Accelerate Latino Representation in STEM Education (ALRISE)
Funding Source: National Science Foundation (sub-award)
Award Amount: $613,130
Cycle: Anticipated Oct. 2021 – Sept. 2026
Grant Program Manager: Katherine Doss/Erron Gonzalez
Critical to Palo Alto College, a Hispanic-Serving Institution, is the goal of increasing the success of students that are traditionally underrepresented in STEM. The ALRISE project is critical to strengthening efforts that broaden large scale participation in STEM using a collaborative infrastructure model. As part of the ALRISE grant, Palo Alto College will serve as a HUB Lead. As a HUB Lead, Palo Alto College will coordinate meetings that share best practices and Alliance resources between partner institutions and industry champions. In addition, Palo Alto College will collect and share HUB-level data and provide training support for Alliance members.
Outdoor Learning
Funding Source: Workforce Solutions Alamo
Award Amount: $2,500
Cycle: Anticipated 2021
Grant Program Manager: Rosanna Padron
The project aims to improve the outdoor learning environments within the Ray Ellison Family Center. The Ray Ellison Family Center (REFC) provides a child-centered program for children of Palo Alto College students, faculty/staff, and community members. The REFC strives to provide an early childhood program that promotes the social/emotional, cognitive, language, and physical development of each child. Funds supported outdoor learning stations to serve the children served by the cente
Virtual Experiential Learning Project (VELP)
Funding Source: National Science Foundation – Hispanic Serving Institutions
Award Amount: $200,000
Cycle: Anticipated Oct. 2021 – Sept. 2023
Grant Program Manager: Erron Gonzalez
The Virtual Experiential Learning Project VELP is a pilot project, implementing activities over two (2) years to support increasing institutional capacity by creating virtual career services and student support activities that are specifically aimed at part-time students. The project will provide high engagement opportunities using virtual technology, to allow more flexibility for non-traditional students, increasing student engagement leading to higher success in STEM performance.
Palo Alto College DHSI: Project Listo
Funding Source: U.S. Department of Education – Title V – Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Award Amount: $2,675,946
Cycle: Anticipated Oct. 2020 – Sept. 2025
Grant Program Manager: Katherine Doss
The project aims to increase student enrollment, persistence and success by developing comprehensive and collaborative academic and student service programs with the creation of a one-stop Center for Career and Experiential Learning related to PAC academic pathways and improving financial literacy. The grant will strengthen industry and employer relations to increase student internship and service-learning opportunities and increase professional development for faculty to support curriculum design that incorporates career readiness and cultural competency for student success.
Palo Alto College SSS Project
Funding Source: U.S. Department of Education – Trio – Student Support Services (SSS)
Award Amount: $1,309,440 ($261,888 per year over five years)
Cycle: Anticipated Sept. 2020 – Aug. 2025
Grant Program Manager: Carlos Cruz
The project will provide participants with academic support, tutoring, and advising; information on financial aid assistance; financial literacy; career exploration, university visits, and transfer workshops. These intensive supportive services, will significantly improve student persistence, academic performance (good standing), and graduation/transfer to a 4-year college.
Palo Alto Rain Water Harvesting Project
Funding Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Award Amount: $2,936
Cycle: Anticipated Aug. 2020 – Aug. 2021
Grant Program Manager: Jennifer Flores
Grant funds will support the installation of a rain water harvesting system in the Palo Alto College (PAC) community garden. The goal of the proposed project is to leverage the PAC Community Garden as a water conservation project and to provide learning experiences in natural resources conservation to students and the community.
Department of Labor Youth Apprenticeship Readiness Grant
Funding Source: U.S. Department of Labor
Award Amount: $4,470,000
Cycle: Jul. 1, 2020 – Jul. 30, 2024
Grant Program Manager: Linda Rivas
Funds will provide apprenticeship readiness training to more than 1,200 students, with resources to enable at least 800 youth to enroll in a Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) during the 48-month grant period. Youth ages 17 to 24 in the AlamoPROMISE program and the Bexar County Fostering Education Success Pilot will be the target population to receive pre-apprenticeship training to expose them to local, state and national apprenticeship programs.
CARES Act: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund – Minority Serving Institutions
Funding Source: U.S. Department of Education
Award Amount: $210,712
Cycle: Jul. 2, 2020 – Jul. 1, 2021
Grant Program Manager: Katherine Doss
Funds will be spent on institutional costs related to significant changes to the delivery of instruction due to the coronavirus and will provide emergency financial aid grants to students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus
CARES Act: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund – Institutional
Funding Source: U.S. Department of Education
Award Amount: $1,620,472
Cycle: Jun. 19, 2020 – Jun. 18, 2021
Grant Program Manager: Katherine Doss
Funds will be spent on institutional costs related to significant changes to the delivery of instruction due to the coronavirus and will provide emergency financial aid grants to students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus.
CARES Act: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund – Student Aid
Funding Source: U.S. Department of Education
Award Amount: $1,620,472
Cycle: Apr. 25, 2020 - Apr. 24, 2021
Grant Program Manager: Delilah Marquez
Funds will provide emergency financial aid grants to students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus.
2020 College Readiness and Success Models (CRSM-2020)
Funding Source: Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Award Amount: $100,000
Cycle: Jun. 23, 2020 -Jun. 22, 2021
Grant Program Manager: Patrick Lee
The grant will expand embedded tutoring in English and Mathematics co-requisite courses and the implementation of multiple measures for placement.
Texas Workforce Commission - Jobs and Education for Texans (JET)
Funding Source: Texas Workforce Commission
Award Amount: $262,105
Cycle: Jun. 22, 2020 -Jun. 30, 2021
Grant Program Manager: Erron Gonzalez
Grant funds will support the purchase equipment for the Logistics and Supply Chain Management program. This equipment will be used to train students at the minimum 100 students to ensure that they a workforce ready by the time they graduate from PAC.
College and Career Readiness School Model (CCRSM) Sub-Grant
Funding Source: Texas Education Agency, Education Service Center Region 13
Award Amount: $10,000
Cycle: Mar. 30, 2020 -Aug. 29, 2021
Grant Program Manager: Monica Ayala
The Texas Education Agency, through Education Service Center Region 13 (ESC 13), has awarded Palo Alto College, a College and Career Readiness School Model (CCRSM) sub-grant. The purpose of the CCRSM sub-grant is to provide financial and technical support to high-performing, currently-designated CCRSM campuses/IHEs that are implementing best practices as defined by the CCRSM Blueprints. ESC 13 will oversee project and fiscal activities.
STEM-ESS Institute: Creating Hispanic-Serving Identity in STEM through Evidence-based Student-Serving Strategies
Funding Source: Excelencia in Education and Science Foundation Arizona Center for STEM at Arizona State University (SFAz)
Award Amount: Technical Support
Cycle: Apr. 1, 2020 - Mar. 31, 2021
Grant Program Manager: Erron Gonzalez
To support institutions working to accelerate Latino student success in STEM, Excelencia in Education and Science Foundation Arizona Center for STEM at Arizona State University (SFAz) offer a transformative set of activities to develop a compelling case for change. SFAz will facilitate discussion of the data and the development of a STEM plan with strategies and actions to address gaps and leverage strengths. Participants will have a framework to assess their institution’s STEM-ESS capability and a strategic case for change that is supported by evidence.
Advanced Technological Education
Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Award Amount: $225,000
Cycle: Sept. 1, 2018-Aug. 31, 2021
Grant Program Manager: Ronnie Brannon
Palo Alto College will create an educational pipeline for Logistics and Supply Chain Management from high school to Palo Alto College to transfer institutions by establishing a dual credit programs with three high schools – Southside High School in Southside ISD, Southwest Legacy High School in Southwest ISD, and Veterans Memorial High School in Judson ISD - where students will be able to earn an Associate of Applied Science in Logistics and Supply Chain Management and transfer to Texas A&M University San Antonio to complete a bachelor’s degree.
https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2018/nsf18571/nsf18571.htm
PAC CCAMPIS Project
Funding Source: U.S. Department of Education Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) Program
Award Amount: $537,348 ($134,337 per year for four years)
Cycle: Oct. 1, 2017 - Sept. 30, 2021
Grant Program Manager: Jennifer Flores
The PAC CCAMPIS Project serves approximately 20 student parents annually by providing access to high-quality childcare through the College’s Ray Ellison Family Center (REFC). To meet the goal of increasing low-income student success by providing access to high-quality childcare, the Project will subsidize, the majority of the cost of on- and off-campus child care to ensure that PAC student parents realize their full potential by earning a college degree. In addition to serving 18 students annually through the on-campus, full-day, year round child care services provided by the REFC, the Project will also subsidize off-campus infant care for up to 2 student parents each year.
www2.ed.gov/programs/campisp/awards.html
PAC Upward Bound Math and Science Project
Funding Source: U.S. Department of Education Upward Bound Math-Science
Award Amount: $1,287,500 ($257,500 per year for five years)
Cycle: Sept. 1, 2017 - Aug. 31, 2022
Grant Program Manager: Monica Ayala Jimenez
The PAC Upward Bound Math and Science Project will provide 60 students per year from East Central High School with academic instruction, tutoring and advising; information on financial aid programs; assistance in completing financial aid applications; financial literacy; and support for applying for college enrollment. Participants will be provided support for their diverse academic and non-cognitive needs to ensure that they persist, succeed, and graduate from high school completing a rigorous secondary school program of study, enroll in college, and graduate with a college degree.
www2.ed.gov/programs/triomathsci/awards.html
Palo Alto College S-STEM Project
Funding Source: National Science Foundation Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Program (S-STEM)
Award Amount: $650,000 (over five years)
Cycle: Sept. 1, 2017 – Aug. 31, 2022
Principal Investigator: Dr. Jerrod Butcher
The Palo Alto College (PAC) S-STEM project provides scholarships to 39 academically talented, low-income biology students and addresses the challenge community colleges face in providing experiential research opportunities to STEM students. The project combines scholarship support, faculty mentoring, and peer tutoring with Projects of Discovery (PODs) – a course-based approach to involving community college students in hands-on research. This method of instruction, involving both STEM and non-STEM classes, improves students’ self-efficacy in STEM making it more likely that students will persist in their STEM major while simultaneously improving the scientific literacy of non-STEM students. The goal of PAC’s S-STEM project is to increase the number of academically talented, financially needy biology and bioscience majors who transfer and graduate with a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field within six years. Project outcomes will provide potential solutions for improving STEM education at resource-poor colleges nationwide and will assist community colleges in implementing similar PODs-based research opportunities to support STEM majors in gaining the self-confidence, science identity, and cognitive skills that undergraduate research experiences provide. The success of this grant award is an outcome of working collaboratively with Science Foundation Arizona through the KickStarter Process under the National Science Foundation through Grant No. HRD-1450661.
www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1742120&HistoricalAwards=false
Palo Alto College Upward Bound Project
Funding Source: U.S. Department of Education TRIO Upward Bound Program
Award Amount: $1,583,745 ($316,749 per year for five years)
Cycle: Sept. 1, 2017 – Aug. 31, 2022
Grant Program Manager: TBD/Monica Ayala Jimenez
The Palo Alto College Upward Bound Project will provide 77 students from Lytle, Jourdanton, Poteet, and Pleasanton High Schools annually with academic instruction, tutoring and advising; information on financial aid programs; assistance in completing financial aid applications; financial literacy; and support in applying for college. Participant students will be provided support for their diverse academic and non-cognitive needs to ensure that they persist, succeed, and graduate from high school, complete a rigorous secondary school program of study, enroll in college, and graduate with a college degree.
www2.ed.gov/programs/trioupbound/awards.html
SEEDS of Excellence in STEM Project (Support, Engagement, Experiential, and Development Systems of Excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)
Funding Source: U.S. Department of Education Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) STEM and Articulation Program
Award Amount: $3,875,000 ($775,000 per year for five years)
Cycle: Oct. 1, 2016 – Sept. 30, 2021
Grant Program Manager: Dr. Beatriz Joseph
The SEEDS of Excellence in STEM Project is designed to establish college-wide best practices and support systems related to STEM that aim to increase the number of Hispanic and low-income students pursuing and graduating with STEM degrees by: 1) developing comprehensive and collaborative academic and student service programs, 2) strengthening the STEM pipeline, and 3) increasing professional development tools to support STEM student success. Expected outcomes include integrated student support services, awareness of STEM fields and support on-campus, robust support for faculty and staff, enhanced transfer and articulation agreements with thirty-one partner institutions, and increased STEM enrollment, persistence, course completion, transfer, and project participation.
www2.ed.gov/programs/hsistem/awards.html
Project Impacto
Funding Source: U.S. Department of Education Developing Hispanic-Serving Institution Programs
Award Amount: $2,625,000 ($525,000 per year for five years)
Cycle: Oct. 1, 2016 – Sept. 30, 2021
Grant Program Manager: Delilah Marquez
Project Impacto establishes college-wide best practices and support systems that enable high-need students to successfully enter, persist, and complete an associate’s degree program by: (1) strengthening high-impact practices for continuing students to improve student persistence and completion; (2) establishing a Student Advocacy Center to improve overall rates of student success; and (3) increasing professional development opportunities for faculty and staff that will improve student engagement, teaching, and learning.
www2.ed.gov/programs/idueshsi/awards.html
Talent Search: Southwest High School
Funding Source: U.S. Department of Education TRIO Talent Search Program
Award Amount: $1,199,005 ($239,801 per year for five years)
Cycle: Sept. 1, 2016 – Aug. 31, 2021
Grant Program Manager: TBD/Monica Ayala Jimenez
The Palo Alto College Talent Search Project will provide 500 Southwest High School students annually with academic tutoring and advising; information on financial aid programs; assistance in completing financial aid applications; financial literacy; and support for applying for college enrollment for the purpose of increasing high school graduation, college enrollment, and post-secondary degree attainment for the students served.
www2.ed.gov/programs/triotalent/awards.html
Evergreen: A Cross-Disciplinary Research and Education Program on Soil Free Farming Using Renewable Energy and Harvested Water for Hispanic Students
Funding Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Award Amount: $62,000 ($15,500 per year for four years)
Cycle: Sept. 1, 2016 – Aug. 31, 2020
Grant Program Manager: Ty Chumbley
Palo Alto College is a sub-awardee of Texas State University. Evergreen’s goal is to increase the number of Hispanic students with advanced technical degrees at the food-water-energy intersection. To meet this goal, Texas State University, in partnership with Palo Alto College and San Antonio College, will train a diverse future workforce with the leadership and cross-disciplinary skills in science, technology, and innovation to solve today’s complex agricultural problems; specifically, those due to a changing climate, widespread food insecurity, and the lack of available water. Hispanic students will be recruited from Palo Alto College and San Antonio College to seamlessly transfer to and complete degrees at Texas State University. Students will receive personalized support through mentorships, tutoring, and professional development as well as financial assistance through scholarships and paid internships.
Ray Ellison Family Center Child and Adult Care Food Program
Funding Source: Texas Department of Agriculture Child and Adult Care Food Program
Award Amount: Ongoing reimbursement for REFC food needs
Cycle: Permanent Agreement
Grant Program Manager: Jennifer Flores
The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) reimburses the REFC for part of the cost associated with providing meals and snacks to the children in the center’s care. The goal of the CACFP is to improve and maintain the health and nutritional status of children and adults, promote development of good eating habits, and integrate nutritious food service with organized child and adult day care services.