Camp Verde among three rural communities that will benefit from the grant

The Regional Economic Development Center  at Yavapai Community College recently received notice that a proposal to assist at least three rural communities in Yavapai County was selected for funding. According to a news release from the College, the award will allow its Small Business Development Center to expand its team and increase its consulting services in Camp Verde, Yarnell, and Wickenburg.  The College did not announce the amount of the grant it expected to receive.

Small Business Development Center Director Ruth Ellen Elinski

The Small Business Develop Center Director, Ruth Ellen Elinski, said that “It has been a priority for our team to reach more rural, underserved communities across the county. I am so excited to know that we will have the resources to expand our services and really advance our mission and vision of serving Yavapai County and our small-town economies more fully.”

Elinsky also said that “We will have team members dedicating time and effort to meeting either virtually or in-person with business owners. It will also include more time connecting with community leaders and learning about the needs and challenges of each community.” She described the grant as “timely,” and the additional capacity will “ensure real and relevant” support to businesses.

Source:  Yavapai Community College news release of July 26, 2022.

College Governing Board awarded Chino Valley $300,000 in 2022-2023 budget for truck driving program; however, no truck driving  classes scheduled so far for fall 2022 in Camp Verde

Senator Mark Kelly

Senator Krysten Sinema

The District Governing Board was told at its May 17 meeting that Yavapai Community College has applied for a $1.7 million “ear-mark”  grant from the federal government via its two state senators: Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema.  The application was made in April 2022 by the College’s Regional Economic Development Center.

The largest portion of the request, $1.1 million, will go toward funding the Community College’s Career Services Center.  The remaining $600,000 included in the grant request  will be used to purchase new trucks for the well-developed Chino Valley truck driving program and apparently, although no information was forthcoming about it, a truck driving program in Camp Verde.

Including Camp Verde in the request came as a surprise to most.  The College has not publicly announced any plans to develop a truck driving program in that community.  Currently, there are no courses in truck driving being offered there, according to the College Registration database.

The District Governing Board had already approved an independent appropriation from the 2022-2023 budget of $300,000 for the existing truck driving program based on the Chino Valley Campus. 

A video clip providing the background of the grant request and the possibility of success in obtaining the $1.7 million grant as explained by Community College Vice President Rodney Jenkins to the District Governing Board can be see  by clicking here . 

Annual grant of $200,000 over five years to address underage drinking and marijuana use in Yavapai County

Yavapai College announced October 3, 2018 that it was recently awarded a Partnership for Success Grant from the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) through the Substance and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHSA). SAMHSA is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA’s mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.

The grant’s purpose is to address one of the nation’s top substance abuse prevention priorities: underage drinking among persons aged 9 to 20. Each grant applicant could also include one additional data-driven priority for prevention services, and the State of Arizona chose marijuana use.

The grant will award Yavapai College $200,000 annually over the next five years and is intended to address prevention and education as well as behavioral changes of current underage drinking and marijuana use in Yavapai County. 

The grant required cross-agency and community partnerships by connecting programs and services.  The partnership includes services for vulnerable populations targeted by this grant: tribal youth, high-risk youth within the child welfare system, and college-aged students. Yavapai College’s contribution to this work is college-aged students through the age of 20.

“This partnership was made possible through the work that has been done over the last three years by Judy Brennen, Student Success Advisor, and her passion for helping students in recovery as well as the prevention and education of issues such as underage drinking and substance abuse among the college aged population,” said Associate Vice President and Dean of Student Development, Tania Sheldahl. “Her work and partnership through GOYFF over the last three years positioned Yavapai College to be a strong partner on these issues faced within our county and state.”

The scope of the grant includes services for vulnerable populations targeted by this grant: tribal youth, high-risk youth within the child welfare system, and college-aged students. Yavapai College’s contribution to this work is college-aged students through the age of 20.

(Information supplied by Yavapai Community College.  https://www.yc.edu/articles/Partnership-For-Success/7486 )

President Penelope Wills informs Board TRIO program renewed for five more years

President Penelope Wills announced to the District Governing Board at its August 9 meeting that the federal TRIO grant program had been renewed for five more years.  This results in about $1.6 million spread over the next five years flowing to Yavapai Community College.

The Federal TRIO Programs (TRIO) are described as “Federal outreach and student services programs designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. TRIO includes eight programs targeted to serve and assist low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to post-baccalaureate programs. TRIO also includes a training program for directors and staff of TRIO projects.”

“The recipients of the grants, depending on the specific program, are institutions of higher education, public and private agencies and organizations including community-based organizations with experience in serving disadvantaged youth and secondary schools. Combinations of such institutions, agencies, and organizations may also apply for grants. These entities plan, develop and carry out the services for students. While individual students are served by these entities, they may not apply for grants under these programs. Additionally, in order to be served by one of these programs, a student must be eligible to receive services and be accepted into a funded project that serves the institution or school that student is attending or the area in which the student lives.”

You may read more about the trio program by clicking here. 

United States Department of Agriculture Award

Yavapai Community College has received a $12,500 grant and a $50,000 loan from the Untied States Department of Agriculture.  The grant and loan is intended to support rural economic development projects and create jobs. The awards came from the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program and Intermediary Relending Program.

Any project the College undertakes using funds from this program must be spent in a rural area outside a city or town with a population of fewer than 50,000 residents.   Funding may be used for working capital, debt refinancing and for purchasing equipment, supplies and real estate. 

The $50,000 is loaned at 1% interest from local intermediaries that can re-lend to businesses in support of economic development projects. 

The Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program is a new program created by the 2008 Farm Bill. USDA administers the program, which will make grants to organizations that provide training, technical assistance or make small loans to new and existing rural small businesses. It may (a) Provide microloans for microenterprise startups and growth through a Rural Microloan Revolving Fund and (b) Provide training and technical assistance to microloan borrowers and micro entrepreneurs.

The Community College has yet to announce receipt of the grant and loan or indicate how it will be specifically used in Yavapai County.