U.S. Department of Education Awards $1.7M AANAPISI Grant to Bunker Hill Community College
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) has received a $1.7 million grant from the United States Department of Education’s Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) program, created to expand the capacity of educational institutions to serve these populations as well as low-income individuals. The funds, to be awarded over five years, will impact the College’s large and growing population of Asian American and low-income English language learners.
BHCC anticipates that the grant will deliver significant positive outcomes on enrollment, achievement, retention and completion rates through the funding of comprehensive alignment and acceleration of the College’s English as a Second Language (ESL) curriculum, targeted success coaching and a substantive infusion of global learning enhanced by culturally-responsive pedagogy across key courses in the general education curriculum.
“I am extraordinarily proud that, during its first year of eligibility, BHCC has received a prestigious AANAPISI grant,” said BHCC President Pam Eddinger. “Through this funding, BHCC will be able to implement a range of activities that will support and advance the academic success of Asian American and low-income students.”
The AANAPISI grant will make it possible for the College to implement a multi-pronged approach to improve retention and outcomes for Asian American and low-income students by reforming BHCC’s assessment and placement processes; redesigning the ESL program through a Learning Communities structure with embedded lab supports; providing wrap-around support through a robust coaching model with improved technological tools; and expanding a global learning initiative across the general education curriculum. The reform of the ESL curriculum will not only increase access, but propel students beyond the most critical barrier to their success: college-level English.
Bunker Hill Community College is the largest community college in Massachusetts. The College enrolls more than 14,000 students on two campuses and at three satellite locations. BHCC is one of the most diverse institutions of higher education in Massachusetts. Sixty-four percent of the students are people of color and more than half of BHCC's students are women. The College also enrolls nearly 1000 international students who come from 107 countries and speak more than 75 languages.
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About Bunker Hill Community College
With more than 50 years of academic excellence, Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) is Massachusetts' largest community college, annually welcoming a diverse community of around 16,000 students. With campuses in Charlestown and Chelsea, BHCC extends its reach across several locations in Greater Boston. The College offers associate degrees and certificates, early college and dual enrollment, community education, corporate training, and industry-specific training programs. BHCC is celebrated for its diversity, boasting a student body where 65% identify as people of color and more than half are women. The College also embraces a global perspective, with over 600 international students representing 90 countries and conversing in more than 65 languages. Our commitment to diversity is further reflected in BHCC's designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI).