PTC's Diversity Committee wins $3800 grant

PTC's Diversity Committee received confirmation today from the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Office of the Chancellor that the committee is the winner of a $3800 grant they applied for in Jan.

"This is excellent news for our committee!" says Penny Hudlow, Diversity Committee Co-Chair. "While we're proud of all that we have accomplished so far on such a small and tight budget, we are all so excited with all the possibilities this new money will bring," Hudlow says.

Diversity Committee members Joan Bloemendaal-Gruett, Nancy Mach and Marlene Mixa co-wrote the grant, and the committee plans to use it, in part, to sponsor and host a "career night" tailored toward people in the community who have never attended college before and are either unemployed or underemployed, as well as ethnic groups underrepresented in postsecondary education. The event will be held in early fall, and activities will include a motivational speaker, break-out sessions for career planning, financial aid information, how to prepare for the college assessment test, employment outlooks for PTC programs, plus the opportunity to meet PTC instructors and staff who are able to provide support services.

"The Diversity Committee has so many ideas for valuable programming, but without funding, it's difficult to implement such programming," explains Marlene Mixa, Diversity Committee member. "With this grant, we're looking forward to hosting this valuable community event this fall, plus offer more programming throughout the next academic year," Mixa adds.


Photo above: Thomasina Petrus, with the Mixed Blood Theatre Company, performs a scene from the play, Daughters of Africa, programming PTC's Diversity Committee was able to sponsor and bring to the PTC campus in Feb. 2011.