Elms Receives 2 Major Grants

Elms College receives a $1.1 million WKKF grant

It is always terrific news when Elms College is the recipient of a major grant. When we receive two large grants in the span of a few months, let’s just say that we are beyond thrilled. During the summer, Elms was informed that the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) had awarded the college a $1.1 million grant to continue the Haiti Nursing Continuing Education Program, an initiative designed to improve the health outcomes in Haiti through nurse faculty development. Back in 2019, the Elms College School of Nursing established a unique partnership with the Episcopal University of Haiti School of Nursing (EUH) and the WKKF, with the goal of improving the health of the Haitian people. The initial grant from WKKF was for $750,000. In Haiti, most of the health care is delivered by nurses, not doctors. Therefore, nursing faculty throughout Haiti need leading-edge training to be better prepared to educate future Haitian nurses. In May 2022, the first two cohorts graduated through the program.

Since WKKF renewed its commitment and increased the funding to $1.1 million, the program can educate two more cohorts by the spring of 2024, at which time, over 100 nurse educators throughout Haiti will have completed the program.

Above: Despite the pandemic and the political unrest in Haiti, the program has achieved dramatic success - the first two cohorts of nurse educators graduated through the program in May 2022. Bapthol Joseph with faculty members of the Elms College School of Nursing.

Elms Faculty receive $1.5M STEM grant from the National Science Foundation

In August, Elms received word that it was awarded a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Through the six-year grant, “Growing STEM Student Success Through Scholarship and Community Building with Experiential Learning and Data Science,” the college will provide needbased scholarships to at least 10 high-achieving first-year students and 30 community college transfer students who want to pursue careers in science, technology, and mathematics. The scholarship amount will be up to $10,000 per year. According to a state report issued in October 2021, STEM jobs will account for 40% of job growth in Massachusetts through 2028. Through this grant, Elms will be able to assist the recipients jump start their career in these growing fields. These scholarships will be available to community college transfer students starting in the spring 2023 semester and to first-year Elms students in the fall 2023 semester. For more information on the STEM scholarships at Elms and eligibility requirements, visit: https://www.elms.edu/academics/nsmt/elmsstem/