Pasadena City College (Photo – pasadena.edu)
PASADENA – ColoradoBoulevard.net:
On Tuesday, Feb. 14, Pasadena City College announced the expansion of services for students who are also parents after a $500,000 award from Representative Judy Chu (CA-28) and the U.S. Department of Education.
By News Desk
PCC’s Family Resource Center was named as the beneficiary of a Community Project Funding Grant in the omnibus spending bill signed into law by President Biden on December 29, 2022. The funding was requested by Representative Judy Chu (CA-28).
The $500,000 grant will also enable the college to expand its private spaces for lactating mothers on its four campuses across the West San Gabriel Valley.
“Congressmember Judy Chu continues to deliver for higher education and PCC,” said PCC Board of Trustees President Sandra Chen Lau. “PCC’s Family Resource Center serves a population of as many as 5,000 students with children, providing them with support while they attain their education goals. On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Congressmember Chu for her steadfast commitment to ensuring education opportunities are available and supported for PCC students.”
“Becoming a parent should never limit Californians’ opportunities to obtain a higher degree or learn a trade, and that’s why it’s so critical for institutions of higher education to provide student parents with resources and support,” said Representative Chu. “PCC’s Family Resource Center does just that, and so I was happy to fight to include a Community Project Funding Grant for PCC in this year’s spending bill,” said Rep. Chu. “I look forward to seeing this funding in action and to continued collaboration and partnership between the federal government and vital centers of learning in the San Gabriel Valley like PCC.”
“We are so excited to be able to add to our services for parenting students,” said PCC Superintendent/President Erika Endrijonas. “Parents know as well as anyone that it’s impossible to predict what will happen every day. This grant will help us enhance our parenting students’ ability to respond to challenges as they arise while keeping a focus on their studies and completing their educational goals.”
PCC’s Family Resource Center launched in January 2022 to provide space for tutoring and other support for students who are also parents of young children. The model builds on PCC’s successful Child Development Center, a working daycare that provides childcare for infants to age 5 and experiential learning for students in child development courses. The Resource Center similarly is a space where small children can play safely while their parents attend to college-related tasks.
The grant will be formally announced at a brief ceremony during the college’s Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023.
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