Santa Fe College Selected to Participate in Walmart's Brighter Futures Project

November 12, 2013

Santa Fe College is one of 12 community colleges in the country selected to participate in the Walmart Brighter Futures 2.0 Project, which is supported by a $3.5 million grant from the Walmart Foundation to the League for Innovation in the Community College (League).

The project aims to provide low-income adults and older youth the skills necessary to obtain middle-skill jobs, enabling them to become financially self-sufficient. In addition, the project is modeled to provide participants with the confidence they need to know they've acquired the skills employers want, which will empower them to document those skills and communicate themeffectively to employers.

Over the next 2.5 years, the League will work with a select group of 12community colleges across the U.S.to help these institutions develop programs and services to move low-income, low-skill individuals into middle-skill jobs. The League will disseminate the best practices from the project to other community collegesthroughout the country.

In addition to Santa Fe College, other community colleges funded were: Anne Arundel Community College (MD); Central Piedmont Community College (NC); Cuyahoga Community College (OH); Delta College (MI); El Centro College, the Dallas County Community College District (TX); Kirkwood Community College (IA); Maricopa Community Colleges (AZ); Miami Dade College (FL); Moraine Valley Community College (IL); Seattle Community Colleges (WA); and, Sinclair Community College (OH).

In announcing the grants, League President and CEO, Dr. Gerardo E. de los Santos, expressed confidence that the Walmart Brighter Futures project will have a profound and positive impact beyond the 12colleges. "As with an earlier project funded by the Walmart Foundation, Brighter Futures 2.0 willlead to best practices that will expand the capacity of community colleges to enhance middle-skill job training opportunities. The League will be delighted to share the work of the twelve colleges with colleges around the country," said de los Santos.

Through the project, each selected community college will receive up to $233,333 to provide training and services for the targeted individuals that will qualify them for middle-skill positions in the workforce. The training will focus on jobs requiring 21st century skills in an effort to provide a promising career future. In addition to specific job training, individuals willreceive career counseling and job acquisition skills such as job search, résumé writing, and interviewing techniques.

Dr. Jackson N. Sasser, President of Santa Fe College said, "We are excited to be selected to participate in this project. We appreciate the generosity of the Walmart Foundation and being a League forInnovation college. We look forward to working with our national partners and our local business and community partners to help make a difference across the country by helping low-income individuals prepare for middle-skill jobs. This effort underscores part of our mission to improve the condition of working families in our communities through the power of education and training."

"The Walmart Foundation supports programs that provide people with ways to improve their lives through skills training, job readiness, job placement and support services," says Julie Gehrki, senior director of the Walmart Foundation. "We are proud to continue our work with the League for Innovation and expect to help 9,000 workers gain the skills they need for today's job market through this continued effort."

About the League for Innovation in the Community College.

The League for Innovation in the Community College is an international organization dedicated to catalyzing the community college movement. The League hosts conferences and institutes, develops web resources, conducts research, produces publications, provides services, and leads projects and initiatives with more than 800 member colleges, 160 corporate partners, and a host of other government and nonprofit agencies in a continuing effort to make a positive difference for students and communities. Information about the League and its activities is available at www.league.org.

About Philanthropy at Walmart

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are committed to helping people live better through philanthropic efforts. By operating globally and giving back locally, Walmart is uniquely positioned to address the needs of the communities it serves and make a significant social impact within its core areas of giving: Hunger Relief and Healthy Eating, Sustainability, Career Opportunity and Women's Economic Empowerment. Walmart and theWalmart Foundation are leading the fight against hunger in the United States with a $2 billion commitment through 2015. Walmart has donated more thanone billion meals to those in need across the country. To learn more aboutWalmart's giving, visit foundation.walmart.com.