AC receives $246,000 grant to support Adams Earn & Learn Program
The $246,417 grant comes courtesy of the Texas-based Trellis Foundation (formerly TG), and it supports the College’s transformative Adams Earn & Learn Program.
The grant will largely be used to fund a program coordinator position, which essentially is the final piece of the puzzle in bringing the work-based learning initiative for the Amarillo Community to fruition.
The program coordinator will be charged with building partnerships and arranging apprenticeships through which Amarillo talent will be paired with participating local businesses in a model that allows for growth and flexibility for both the employers and candidates. The coordinator also will track candidates’ progress and results.
“We are genuinely appreciative of the Trellis Foundation,” Dr. Tamara Clunis, vice president of academic affairs, said. “Their generous support is invaluable to our efforts to establish long-term career pathways that are accessible to the local workforce and Amarillo students.”
Amarillo College is committed to providing work-based learning opportunities to 10,000 Adams Earn & Learn Program candidates by 2030. The program is open to any interested candidates; one need not be an AC student to apply.
“We believe this project builds on the transformative power of the ‘culture of caring’ that Amarillo College is famous for,” said Kristin Boyer, Trellis Foundation’s executive director. “The project centers on working learners, acknowledging the value of human potential and capability, while also benefitting employers, the region, and the state as a whole.
“We could not be more excited to continue working with AC and to be learning along with all of this program’s partners and students.”
Trellis Foundation is a grant-making public charitable organization focused on improving postsecondary attainment for low-income students and students of color in Texas. Its approach is highly collaborative and prioritizes catalytic investments, focused on changing or informing change to policy, practice and systems.