Congratulations to WCCCD for Expanding Access and Success in STEM Education!

SEMCOG Member Wayne County Community College District (WCCCD), along with three Detroit-based postsecondary education institutions – University of Detroit Mercy, Wayne State University, and Marygrove College – is the recipient of a $21.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.

The partners formed the ReBUILD Detroit initiative to increase student enrollment from underrepresented and economically disadvantaged backgrounds pursuing careers in biomedical research. More than 50% of the 47,000 undergraduate students at these four institutions are underrepresented minorities and qualify for federal financial aid.

As the SEMCOG/MAC STEM Careers and Skilled Trades initiative found, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) are among the fastest-growing education pathways for career success in Southeast Michigan. This grant will help increase the number of students earning biomedical degrees in the region, provide research opportunities and mentoring for undergraduate students and networking opportunities and grant application assistance for graduate school students, and coordinate faculty research.

As George Swan, III, Vice Chancellor for External Affairs at WCCCD says, “Community colleges provide a critical point of entry into in-demand careers.” WCCCD has participated in a number of initiatives to expand the STEM pipeline for students in Detroit and the region, including the Step It Up America program to prepare Women of Color for high-demand IT sector jobs. This and many other programs to provide career exploration, improve math and science skills, and strengthen workplace readiness can be found on SEMCOG’s Talent page.