Author: cfa-dev

Central Virginia Community College (CVCC), with support from the Community Funding Accelerator (CFA), is among 18 recipients of funding through the U.S. Department of Labor’s fifth round of Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants. This $1.5 million grant will enable CVCC to scale high-quality workforce training programs, in fields including Mechatronics and Nuclear Technology, tailored to meet industry needs around Lynchburg, Virginia, and beyond.

The grant will support CVCC’s Accelerate Advanced Manufacturing Pathways and Learning program. With this funding, the program will directly impact nearly 2,000 high school and post-secondary students by expanding dual-enrollment opportunities and offering career-aligned pathways in mechatronics and nuclear technology. Through partnerships with regional employers (e.g., Delta Star, Framatome, BWXT), students will gain access to internships, apprenticeships, and job placement services, ensuring workforce readiness and long-term career success in high-quality jobs. Read the full press release here. 

A coalition of semiconductor-focused Ohio organizations, led by the Midwest Microelectronic Consortium (MMEC), has progressed to the final phase in the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Engines grant application process, NSF announced in October. They are now able to request up to $160 million over the next decade to develop and expand initiatives that will help K-12 students prepare to access well-paying, local technology jobs. Read the full press release here. 

The Community Funding Accelerator (CFA) announced today that all three states it recently supported with applications won U.S. Department of Education grants, resulting in up to $153 million to support hundreds of thousands of students learning to read more effectively.
Earlier this month, Massachusetts, Nebraska, and Ohio each won a Comprehensive Literacy State Development grant, with possible total awards ranging from $38 million to $60 million over five years depending on appropriations from Congress and grantee progress. The funding comes at a critical time as states move to implement practices backed by the science of reading just as COVID-related federal funding is running out. Read the full press release here.

MyVillage Project, a Jacksonville, Florida-based collective of Black-led grassroots organizations, was awarded nearly $1 million this month from the National Science Foundation’s Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) program. Community Funding Accelerator provided grant writing support for MyVillage Project, which successfully navigated the federal grant process on its very first application! Read the full press release here. 

Learn more about CFA’s partnership with MyVillage Project:

The City of Birmingham, Alabama and a group of community partners are receiving $20 million in federal grant funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program, the most competitive grant programs in the agency’s history. Community Funding Accelerator established K-12 education as the foundation for the workforce readiness strategy in addition to providing application and site visit support. Read the full press release here.  

With support from the Community Funding Accelerator, Indiana’s Heartland Bioworks will receive $51 million and Colorado’s Elevate Quantum will receive $41 million through the federal Tech Hubs program, the U.S. Economic Development Administration announced today. 

Both projects propose cultivating a deep talent pipeline that begins in K-12 schools, connecting the next generation of technology leaders to hands-on learning opportunities and potential employers.

In Indiana, the Tech Hub proposes to serve over 19,000 students with interactive learning experiences in human, animal, and plant biosciences that will result in industry-recognized credentials and employment opportunities.

In the Mountain West, this project seeks to help launch over 50 startups, upskill more than 30,000 workers, and engage more than 600,000 students in over 45 education partners to create a global epicenter for quantum information technology.

CFA played a pivotal role in developing these winning proposals, providing strategic advisory, spearheading grant writing efforts, engaging consortia, and developing innovative workforce models. CFA’s expertise was crucial in navigating the federal grant application process and ensuring the success of these bids.

Read the full Heartland Bioworks press release here. 

Read the full Elevate Quantum press release here.