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Cerro Coso Campus

Jacobs and NDTI present donations to Cerro Coso
Pictured (L to R) Mark Storch, NDTI Representative; Joanna Rummer, Superintendant, SSUSD; James Fay, VP Academic Affairs, CCCC; Jill Board, President CCCC; Shannon Bliss, Department Chair for the Sciences, CCCC; Penny Hersley, Business Manager, Jacobs Technology; Dale Gates, General Manager, Jacobs Technology.

College Engineering Program Recieves $10k in Donations from Local Engineering Companies

September 3, 2010

Ridgecrest, California - The Cerro Coso Community College Engineering Program is the recipient of a generous donation of $6,000 from Jacobs Technology and $4,000 from New Directions Technologies, Inc. (NDTI).  Their ongoing support demonstrates their continued commitment to increasing the local applicant pools for engineering positions throughout the IWV.  "It is an investment in our community and an investment in our future," stated Jill Board, Cerro Coso President. 

Recognizing local potential a collaborative effort has been made to train and retain highly skilled engineers from within the college's service area.   The college launched the Pre-Engineering Program in January of 2009 with an initial donation of $20,000 from local industry leaders.  Cerro Coso is in the process of articulating an agreement with Cal State University Long Beach in both mechanical and electrical engineering that will provide a local pathway to a Bachelor of Science degree for students enrolled in the college's program.  Pending Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) approval, CSU Long Beach plans to begin offering Engineering classes in the fall 2011 at the Lancaster University Center –Distance Learning facility in the Lancaster/Palmdale area with some lab work offered at the University's state of the art facilities.  "It's exciting to be able to work with industry and government leaders and develop a program like this at a time when budgets are non-existent.  This would not be possible without their support and is a real testimony to what we can accomplish when we work together," said Board. 

Cerro Coso faculty and administration have partnered with Sierra Sands Unified School District administration to identify, educate, and prepare area students to meet current and future workforce needs.  Cerro Coso's Engineering Program offers an extension to the many programs Sierra Sands Unified School District has developed to expose local youths to engineering concepts. Sierra Sands began introducing the subject through robotics to elementary school children in After School programs. Currently 60 youths are learning engineering principles via six different modules in the "Gateway to Technology" program at the Middle School.  There are plans to increase the number of participants in the near future.  Burroughs High School offers courses in Engineering Design, Digital Electronics, Principals of Engineering, and Civil Engineering and Architecture that also lead students into further engineering studies.   

"We appreciate the substantial and continued support we have received from these companies and the community as a whole," stated Valerie Karnes, Director of Career Technical Education at the college. "Successful partnerships such as this between higher education and the local community help build the education base and sustain local and state economies," she concluded.     

Further information on the Pre-Engineering Program at Cerro Coso Community College is available on the college's website located at www.cerrocoso.edu

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Natalie Dorrell, Public Information (760) 384-6260