12 August ICC, one of two in Mississippi, receives Metallica's All Within My Hands grant August 12, 2024 By Thomas, Donna S. General 0 All Within My Hands, the nonprofit, philanthropic organization created by the members and management of Metallica, has announced the largest expansion of its Metallica Scholars Initiative and its largest grant to date. With the launch of year six, 18 new colleges join the roster of existing MSI community colleges. The Metallica Scholars Initiative now has a presence in 60 colleges across all 50 United States and the territory of Guam. Itawamba Community College, which is in year two, and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College represent Mississippi. ICC’s $50,000 grant will focus on recruiting underserved populations to enable individuals to attain job skills and opportunities to equip them for employment to better position them for success and a better future. “It is a tremendous honor for Itawamba Community College to be selected as one of the continuing recipients of the prestigious All Within My Hands grant, which will significantly impact our career education programs and the lives of those who will receive scholarships to pursue a pathway and their best start,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “It is another indication of the success of the College and reinforcement of the mission that students and their success are our top priority.” “When we launched the Metallica Scholars Initiative, it really spoke to me,” said James ‘Papa Het’ Hetfield, Metallica’s lead vocalist and guitarist. “A collective goal of breaking the stigma of trade skills. Trade skills are vital to society, and what’s even more important is to support the many folks who are trying to create a career by learning and using these skills. I am so proud – we all are- to see how this program is changing lives by providing much-needed resources to empower students, and it’s great that we’re able to make our biggest grant yet to support these students and the future workforce. We are reaching even further for year six of the Metallica Scholars Initiative. This year, our program will be in 60 schools in all 50 states! All thanks to your support.” Launched in 2019 by All Within My Hands in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges, MSI began with 10 colleges and primarily manufacturing programs. With steady development by creative and dedicated leadership, MSI offers diverse workforce opportunities for students interested in gaining the skills and training necessary to find meaningful and well-paying careers. Additional curricula will include construction, healthcare and engineering, contributing to more than 25 fields of study offered within the initiative. To date, AWMH has invested more than $10.5 million in the American workforce, reaffirming a commitment to career and technical education at the local level. “I am happy to congratulate the newest Metallica Scholarship Initiative colleges. The sustained investment in workforce education by the All Within My Hands Foundation has benefitted thousands of community college students,” said Walter G. Bumphus, president and CEO of AACC. “This work helps to advance skills education and the nation’s workforce pipeline. We are honored to continue this partnership to provide critical resources that eliminate barriers for students to participate in skills education programs that lead to family-sustaining wage careers.” By the end of year six, it is estimated that AWMH has helped more than 8,000 students with a wide range of backgrounds and ages gain skills to assist in finding meaningful jobs and careers. Metallica Scholas are often considered nontraditional students or adult learners, as many have families they support or are the first in their families to pursue a college education. AWMH and AACC aim to connect students to skill-building opportunities and bridge the talent needs of the American workforce, all while utilizing the community college system, which is the most affordable, flexible and industry-relevant applied learning training provider in the country. “Metallica, through their foundation, is changing how people view and engage with the trades in this country, and it is working,” stated Peter Delgrosso, Executive Director of All Within My Hands. “Metallica Scholars are diverse, motivated and ambitious, and we are here to help them reach their goals. I am so proud and honored to be able to announce entrance into all 50 states as this is a significant milestone for not only our foundation but the incredible community we have helped foster and connect. We would like to thank our long-time sponsors and partners – Carhartt and Wolverine – our advisory board members and to the Metallica Family who have supported AWMH and helped to continue growing this initiative.” A complete list of all 60 colleges currently supported by AWMH is available at allwithinmyhands.org/metallica-scholars. Related Articles Metallica's All Within My Hands grant significantly impacts lives, futures of ICC students A $50,000 grant from Metallica’s All Within My Hands foundation is significantly impacting the lives and futures of more than 50 Itawamba Community College career education and health sciences students. They were selected based on an application process, which included information about the difference that receiving the scholarship will make in continuing their educational journey, according to Dylan Baldwin, dean of Career Education, who wrote the grant proposal. “This significant opportunity is making the difference in enabling many of the recipients to continue enrollment in their programs,” Baldwin noted. “Sometimes we don’t realize the struggles that students have to overcome to earn their ICC degrees to ensure a better future not only for themselves, but also in many instances, their families.” Among the student stories are, “My husband and I are struggling with money because of doctor bills…I am a 40-year-old veteran, 80 percent disabled trying to do something different with my life, something that’s not as physically hard labor as I’m used to…I am a 4.0 honor roll student, have maintained a 4.0 GPA since being in college ... Itawamba Community College receives $100,000 and joins 41 other schools across the US as All Within My Hands' Metallica Scholars Initiative expands in year five Metallica’s foundation, All Within My Hands, continues its multimillion-dollar investment in critical workforce programs at community colleges nationwide. Among the schools, Itawamba Community College was selected from a competitive pool of applicants to receive $100,000 to transform the futures of students in the community. “It is a tremendous honor for Itawamba Community College to be selected as one of the recipients of the prestigious All Within My Hands grant, which will significantly impact our career education programs, providing funding for students to pursue a pathway and their best start,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “It is another indication of the success of the College and reinforcement of the mission that students and their success are our top priority.” The Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI) was launched in 2019 by Metallica’s foundation, All Within My Hands (AWMH), in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). The workforce initiative marks its fifth year with an ambitious expansion into new curricula. MSI now directly supports 42 community colleges across 33 states, and by the end of this year, it will have helped ... Apply NOW for free welding class made possible by Metallica's foundation, All Within My Hands A free class in welding, which begins at the Itawamba Community College Belden Center, Oct. 11, is possible due to a grant this summer from Metallica’s foundation, All Within My Hands. The class will meet for one eight-week term, and the curriculum includes introduction to welding I and introduction to STEM. During the second phase, which begins Jan. 8, the students will take shielded metal arc welding and two fully-online classes in entrepreneurship and principles of marketing. Among the schools, which applied for the grant, ICC was selected from a competitive pool of applicants to receive $100,000 to transform the futures of students in the community. For more information on enrolling in the Oct. 11 welding class, contact Dylan Baldwin, dean of career education, at 662.407.1414 or email dcbaldwin@iccms.edu. ICC receives AACC grant to support National Voter Registration Day event Itawamba Community College has received a grant from the American Association of Community Colleges to host an event to support National Voter Registration Day. The $2,700 grant will be used to engage students in voter registration, according to Nathan Ward, director of Instructional Support Services, who along with Lynn Millender, Social Science division chair, submitted the application. “For several years, our Social Science Division has coordinated our annual Constitution Day event at ICC, and many of those focused on voter registration,” Millender said. “With this award from AACC, this year we will have an opportunity to impact students on both the ICC Fulton and Tupelo campuses as well as the Belden Center by participating in National Voter Registration Day, Tuesday, September 17. In addition, we plan to launch a social media campaign and provide printed material that will help students better navigate the entire voting process,” she continued. “Organizations such as ICC’s Humanities Club, elected Circuit Clerks in counties within the college’s service district (Chickasaw, Itawamba, Lee, Monroe and Pontotoc) and ICC’s faculty and staff will all work together ... ICC STEM project receives MentorLink grant Itawamba Community College has been selected as one of the winning colleges in the American Association of Community College’s MentorLinks: Advancing Technological Education program. Part of a national initiative supported by the National Science Foundation, the MentorLinks is an AACC member benefit. “Itawamba Community College is extremely grateful to the AACC for the opportunity and awarding of this significant grant that will make a difference in the lives of many of our students who soon will be able to explore STEM areas,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “We expect this interest to translate into more majors and ultimately more graduates in these fields.” The goals for ICC’s project, entitled Full STEM Ahead: Promoting Pathways in STEM, include increase enrollment and retention in STEM courses and career education programs, increase the number of graduates in STEM fields and career education programs and to facilitate student transfer in STEM fields. The two-year $20,000 grant for the period of October 1, 2021-November 30, 2023 will include salaries, benefits, travel, materials or resources and equipment. ... ICC's Beta Tau Sigma chapter of Phi Theta Kappa receives Honors in Action grant Itawamba Community College’s Beta Tau Sigma Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa has received a $1,000 Honors in Action grant to enhance its 2024 Honors in Action project, according to a recent announcement by the honor society. Adviser Jenny Bowers said that the chapter is researching Native American stories, specifically the Chickasaw story of Itawamba, and a tentative title is ‘Native American Folklore.’ The multilevel endeavor includes a presentation at ICC on Nov. 6, which the chapter hopes to repeat at the Natchez Trace Visitor’s Center, and construction of a story tree for the events that they plan to donate to the Lee County Library at the project’s conclusion. Other components include a children’s book about Itawamba for ICC’s Early Learning Center students. The grant will cover materials for the tree, honoraria for speakers and additional supplies needed for the presentation or book. “We are excited to be among the select few Mississippi/Louisiana PTK chapters that received the grant,” Bowers said. “We so appreciate your willingness to go above and beyond with your Phi Theta Kappa engagement to apply ... Comments are closed.