Oct. 16, 2023 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – – Grand Rapids Community College Nursing students are receiving an opportunity to have their final semester of tuition paid for by Mary Free Bed. Tuition will be covered for nursing students with a one-year commitment to working for the hospital after graduation. Students in GRCC’s Associate Degree and Practical Nursing programs are eligible for this new last-dollar scholarship. “Mary Free Bed has also agreed to cover the fees for the required licensing tests, which cost just over $500," said Michelle Richter, director of GRCC's Nursing program. "When our students get help with tuition, they’re able to focus on their education and ultimately are better prepared for the workplace." Benefits of the partnership will extend beyond the students and the hospital, said Maria Opoku-Agyeman, Mary Free Bed’s chief nursing officer and vice president of inpatient services.  “The creation of nurse scholar programs is a huge win for our community!” said Opoku-Agyeman, a GRCC alumna. “This partnership will allow Mary Free Bed to serve more patients, improve our care delivery, and create a more consistent talent pipeline. “This program will also allow more individuals to achieve their dream of becoming a nurse at GRCC, a highly respected organization with nursing graduates who complete licensure exams at rates above national and state averages.” The Mary Free Bed scholarship is the second scholarship created by the Grand Rapids Community College Foundation with goals of strengthening the local pipeline for nursing talent. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics warns of a nationwide registered nurse shortage, with more than 203,000 openings predicted annually through 2031. In November, the GRCC Foundation established a similar nursing scholarship program with the University of Michigan Health-West. “We are grateful that West Michigan hospitals are willing to partner with us,” said Erin Van Egmond, GRCC Foundation executive director. “These partnerships help our students achieve their dreams while supporting health care providers and the greater community.”

Oct. 12, 2023 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A Grand Rapids Community College collaboration to prepare West Michigan’s littlest learners for academic success has received a $404,170 grant from Kent County’s Ready by Five Early Childhood millage. The First Steps Kent Commission, which administers the millage funds, awarded the grant to the GRCC Play and Learn Program. Play and Learn is an extension of GRCC’s Education program and shares strategies with parents and caregivers of children from infancy through age 5 to support them in preparing their child to be ready to succeed in school. “We share ways the adults in a child’s life can use household materials and daily routines in activities and experiences to help the child meet developmental milestones,” said Kathleen Neumann, GRCC’s child development community liaison. Play groups meet for 60 to 90 minutes, depending on the children’s ages, at the GRCC Early Childhood Learning Laboratory and several other Kent County sites. The children enjoy stimulating activities, while the caregivers learn about child development milestones as well as literacy and child guidance skills. Early Learning coaches work to reach caregivers in as many ways as possible. During the pandemic, Play and Learn staff created monthly activity bags for families to work with at home. Neumann said they proved to be so popular, especially with families who can’t always attend the play groups, that they’re now a permanent part of the program. “From June 2020 to the present, we have distributed almost 10,000 Play and Learn bags to families in Kent County,” she said. Newer additions to the program include a monthly Saturday play group as well as late afternoon and early evening play groups for working families. More information about the program, including a link to enrollment forms, is available online . This is the third consecutive grant that the GRCC Play and Learn program has received from the early childhood millage, which Kent County voters approved in 2018. First Steps Kent awarded $671,553 to GRCC in 2020 and $1 million in 2021 that was divided over 2022 and 2023.

Oct. 10, 2023 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Community College Communications team’s efforts to promote the affordable and high quality education available through GRCC earned six Gold Medallion Awards from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations, an organization representing community colleges in the United States and Canada.  GRCC earned a Gold Medallion Award in each of the following categories: Booklet for the 2023 Commencement Program Notes/Cards/Invitations for the Armen Oumedian Consecutive Giving Club Impact Report Interior Signage/Display for design and signage for Foodology, Quiet Cafe,  Heritage Restaurant, and Secchia Piazza Excellence in Writing - Short Form for a story about Safinaz Karaein and how she overcame obstacles to earn her GRCC degree Logo Wear for a T-shirt design for the National Junior College Athletic Association 2022 Region XII Cross Country Tournament Novelty for a “La Cerveza del Presidente” design used on glasses at the GRCC Foundation’s Scholarfest honoring President Emeritus Juan R. Olivarez and Mary Olivarez GRCC also earned a Silver Medallion in the Social Media Page category and Bronze Medallions in the Print Wild Card, Podcast, and Special Event or Fundraising categories during the October 4 awards ceremony. “The GRCC Communications team consistently earns recognition for its design, writing, and communications work,” Associate Communications Director Amy Soper said. “It’s an honor to use our creativity and expertise to tell the story of the high-quality, life-changing education GRCC offers.” NCMPR’s Medallion Awards recognize outstanding achievement in design and communication at community and technical colleges in each of its seven districts. GRCC is in District 3, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, and the Canadian province of Ontario.  The NCMPR Medallion Awards is the only competition of its kind that honors excellence among marketing and public relations professionals at two-year colleges.

Oct. 9, 2023 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The total economic impact created by Grand Rapids Community College  in 2020-21 was $1 billion, according to a new study commissioned by the college. That includes an operations spending impact of $110.2 million, construction spending impact of $7.3 million, student spending impact of $31.9 million and alumni impact of $898.4 million. “The Economic Value of the Grand Rapids Community College,” by Lightcast, broke down GRCC’s impact in Kent and Ottawa counties and the results were significant in both. GRCC President Charles Lepper, nearing the end of one year on the job, was pleased to see the findings. He said the results demonstrate that GRCC is a strong investment for students, taxpayers and society. “GRCC creates value from multiple perspectives,” he said. “We generate more in tax revenue than we receive which is significant. But beyond that, GRCC plays a key role in helping students increase their employability and achieve their individual potential. The college draws students to the region, generating new dollars and opportunities. And GRCC provides students with the education, training and skills they need to have fulfilling and prosperous careers.” GRCC benefits regional businesses by increasing consumer spending in the region and supplying a steady flow of qualified, trained workers to the workforce, Lightcast said. It also determined that the college enriches the lives of students by raising their lifetime earnings and helping them achieve their individual potential. The college also benefits state and local taxpayers through increased tax receipts and a reduced demand for government-supported social services and benefits society as a whole in Michigan by creating a more prosperous economy and generating a variety of savings through the improved lifestyles of students. Altogether, Lightcast found that the social benefits of GRCC equal a present value of $2.8 billion. These benefits include $1.9 billion in added student income, $760.8 million in added business income, $131.2 million in added income from college activities, as well as $58.5 million in social savings related to health, the justice system, and income assistance in Michigan. “People in Michigan invested a present value total of $192.2 million in GRCC in fiscal year 2020-21,” Lepper noted. “That means for every dollar invested in GRCC, people in Michigan will receive a cumulative value of $14.80 in benefits.” Lepper added that an interesting aspect of Lightcast’s findings was that society as a whole in Michigan benefits from the presence of GRCC in two major ways. Primarily, he said, society benefits from an increased economic base in the state. This is attributed to the added income from students’ increased lifetime earnings (added student income) and increased business output (added business income), which raises economic prosperity in Michigan. But benefits to society also consist of the savings generated by the improved lifestyles of GRCC students (education is statistically correlated with a variety of lifestyle changes that generate social savings). In 2020-21, GRCC served 19,836 credit and 11,394 non-credit students. Those students will receive a stream of higher future earnings that will continue to grow throughout their working lives. For example, the average GRCC associate degree graduate from 2020-21 will see annual earnings that are $9,600 higher than a person with a high school diploma or equivalent. In addition, around 18% of credit students attending GRCC originated from outside the region in 2020-21 and some of those students stayed, adding new talent to the area. In 2020-21, the college employed 1,338 full-time and part-time faculty and staff, all of whom lived in the GRCC Service Region. Total payroll at GRCC was $91.6 million, much of which was spent in the region for groceries, mortgage and rent payments, dining out and other household expenses. The college also spent $57.3 million on day-to-day expenses related to facilities, supplies, and professional services. Grand Rapids Community College has been offering educational opportunities in West Michigan for more than 100 years. Established in 1914, the college offers degree courses, certification and training programs, and workshops and personal enrichment classes. Offerings are held on GRCC’s downtown Grand Rapids campus, and at several locations throughout Kent and Ottawa counties, as well as through distance learning.

Oct. 2, 2023 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College students will have a clear pathway to a Calvin University bachelor’s degree under a new transfer agreement. The memorandum of understanding strengthens and expands the relationship between GRCC and Calvin. Under the agreement, the two institutions will work together to provide GRCC students interested in earning their bachelor’s degree with a clear pathway to transfer to Calvin.  “In addition to strengthening our long-standing relationship with Calvin University, this MOU provides a tremendous opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our students and our community,” said GRCC President Charles Lepper. “Our mission is to prepare individuals to attain their goals and contribute to the community. This MOU furthers that mission.” Calvin President Wiebe Boer said the agreement brings benefits to both schools. “This MOU is a way to expand the invitation for more GRCC students to continue their academic exploration at Calvin,” he said. “We look forward to seeing the gifts they bring to our campus.” Under the agreement, the two institutions will also explore ways to share facilities, especially in athletics and housing, and will consider other opportunities to collaborate. Representatives from Calvin and GRCC agree the memorandum’s benefits will touch undergraduate, international and adult students as well as West Michigan residents. “GRCC appreciates the opportunity to partner with Calvin University in building clear transfer pathways,” said Sheila Jones, GRCC interim provost and executive vice president of Academic and Student Affairs. “We are both deeply committed to our students’ success.” Calvin Provost Noah Toly said the memorandum of understanding expands students’ options. “It provides another on-ramp to a Calvin education – one that GRCC students might not have thought about or imagined when they began their academic careers,” he said. About Grand Rapids Community College: Grand Rapids Community College offers learners of all ages opportunities to gain credits for degrees or transfer, and skills that lead to rewarding careers. GRCC was Michigan’s first community college, established in 1914, and offers affordable classes on weekdays, evenings and Saturdays. Courses are also available online and at locations throughout Kent and Ottawa counties. To learn more, visit grcc.edu/about . About Calvin University: Founded in 1876, Calvin University is a top-ranked liberal arts institution that equips its 3,300 students from 48 U.S. states, 55 countries and five Canadian provinces to think deeply, act justly, and to live wholeheartedly as Christ’s agents of renewal in the world. Calvin offers more than 100 majors and programs, including a growing portfolio of graduate-level offerings. Calvin students engage in intensive internships, community-based service learning, and significant research that results in publishing and presenting alongside world-class faculty. The university’s 400-acre campus is in the vibrant city of Grand Rapids, Mich. Discover more at calvin.edu .

Oct. 2, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. –  The Grand Rapids Community College volleyball team extended its win streak to 14 matches in a row after sweeping all four opponents at the annual Raider Challenge this weekend.  GRCC, ranked No. 11 in the latest NJCAA Division II poll, defeated Kellogg Community College and Macomb Community College on Saturday and Kalamazoo Valley Community College and Oakland Community College on Sunday. The team has won 23 sets in a row and 12 straight matches at the Raider Challenge dating back to 2019.  Freshman Lizzie MacIntosh had a break out weekend, leading the team in three of the four matches in kills and finishing with 46 overall. She hit a career-high .550 against Macomb and finished the tournament second on the team at a .381 clip.  She was also second on the team with six service aces. Braelyn Berry had 39 kills, five aces, and 40 digs.  Lilly Peterson hit the 200-kill milestone with 34 while adding four blocks.  Ava Schultz now has 100 career kills after 28, including 10 against Kellogg.  Autumn Cole led the team with 90 assists and 10 aces.  Vienna Koenigsknecht led the team with 48 digs.  Sophia Ritsema hit a team-high .417. The Raiders, now 16-3 overall, return to conference play on Oct. 3 against Delta College, which is in second place. This story was reported by Ben Brown  

Sept. 29, 2023 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Gene Paxton, who led Grand Rapids Junior College’s basketball team for 25 years, passed away Sept. 12. Paxton started at what is now Grand Rapids Community College in 1965 and referred to his time coaching as “the best years of my life.” He retired with a 517-280 record and five Michigan Junior College Athletic Association championships – the winningest coach in school history.  Born in Indiana, Paxton served with the Marines in the Korean War, earning a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. He later earned a master’s degree in physical education from Ball State University.  David Selmon, GRCC’s dean of Strategic Outreach, played under Paxton and later followed in his footsteps to coach the team. “Coach Paxton played a huge role in my life and my development, as a basketball coach, mentor and friend,” said Selmon. “He will be missed by coaches and players from all over the state – he was just a great person all around.” Paxton was inducted in the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan Hall of Fame in 1986 and into the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame in 2018. GRCC celebrated his achievements during its 2019 Homecoming basketball game. A memorial service is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 6 at O’Brien-Eggebeen-Gerst Chapel, 3980 Cascade Road SE.