MiraCosta College Receives $348,000 Community Collaborative Grant

MiraCosta College and its partners have been awarded an SB70 Community Collaborative Grant in the amount of $348,000. This grant is a continuation of four others, the first of which began in June 2008. The Community Collaborative is a partnership between MiraCosta College, Palomar College, and MiraCosta College’s K-12 districts and industry. Through this partnership, MiraCosta and Palomar colleges have created and strengthened a number of high skill, high wage, high demand programs that transition students from middle school, to high school, to community college and into the world of work or into a university. 

In past years, at the middle school level, the grant helped fund career exploration computers and software with a professional development component for teachers. At the high school level, the grant helped fund established career pathways and programs of study in biotechnology and health, including articulated courses. For example, a new pathway was developed and implemented in the Oceanside Unified School District in energy, and the district was able to outfit new classrooms with technology and equipment, and support curriculum development. 

With this additional round of funding new pathways will be added in the areas of arts, media and entertainment, public services and “across all sectors.” The grant will also fund professional development, opportunities for work-based learning experiences, and increased communication between faculty members at both the middle and high schools. In addition, curriculum, programs of study and articulations will be developed; equipment and software will be purchased; field trips for students and teachers will take place; and advisory committees consisting of parents, teachers, administrators and industry representatives will meet regularly.