Paducah’s West Kentucky Community & Technical College announced a second round of donations and gifts from the school’s $15 million dollar MacKenzie Scott National Philanthropic Trust grant on Thursday.
The community college marked the second anniversary of the grant – which has helped the school launch its Student Success Center and several other initiatives aimed at diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) since it was announced in December 2020 – at a press conference on its campus.
The grant WKCTC received was part of a giving campaign Scott started in 2019 that has since yielded more than $14 billion for nonprofits around the country. A new website launched by the philanthropist earlier this week details the campaign, which so far has given funding to more than 1,400 nonprofits.
The initiatives, scholarships and donations funded by the grant constitute the WKCTC Guarantee, through which the school is seeking to “increase educational opportunities for regional diverse populations, low-income individuals and others who have faced barriers to education” while furthering collaborations to nonprofits that serve vulnerable populations.
WKCTC president Anton Reece said Scott’s vision was to allow institutions like the community college to make a difference by enhancing DEI within their walls and throughout their regions by giving to other area nonprofits and organizations.
“As you can imagine, pulling together this sort of endeavor, again, requires a village. You know they say it takes a village to raise a child. The question is how do you get the village educated?” Reece said during the press conference. “She recognized that there are agencies who, on a daily basis, are actively involved in uplifting … and providing access and resources. We're really trying to build a model based on that premise as well.”
The first round of announcements in 2020 allotted for 100 scholarship awards. This round of giving – which a release says totals $124,000 – provides for more than 200 scholarship awards and more than $32,000 in donations to area organizations with a focus on “enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion” at the college and around the region.
“We are recognizing community partners with renewals to promote ongoing access and donations to DEI and lower socioeconomic groups, including support agencies and our food shelter providers,” Reece said in the release.
Groups receiving scholarship awards include the Paducah Innovation Hub, Mayfield Independent School District, Graves County Schools, Fulton County/Hickman, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Hispanic Ministries and Outreach, Housing Authority of Paducah, Lotus Children’s Advocacy & Sexual Violence Center, Massac County Housing Authority, McCracken County Community Career Endowment, Merryman House and the West KY Alumni Association, among several others. Many area family resource centers housed in local schools also received scholarship awards.
McCracken County Community Career Endowment chair Charles Hamilton said scholarships are so vital to give area students a “jumpstart” when it comes to higher education.
“You'd be amazed at kids once they get that boost that they take off running,” Hamilton said. “I think a lot of [students] are lacking that boost because if they don't have that … it's almost like a business. If you don't have startup money, the business 90% of the time fails.”
The donations in the announcement included:
- Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce – $17,410
- Paducah-McCracken County NAACP – $6,000
- Martha’s Vineyard – $1,500
- Marcella’s Kitchen – $1,500
- Community Kitchen – $1,500
- Calling All Colors – $1,000
- Lotus Children’s Advocacy & Sexual Violence Resource Center – $1,000
- Heartland Equality – $1,000
- Child Watch – $1,000
- Hotel Metropolitan – $1,000
These groups were selected, Reece said, based on perceived needs in the community and selected by the school’s Scott NPT (National Philanthropic Trust) committee.