|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Over the nine years I have served as president of Hampshire College, one of the most exciting developments has been the growth of partnership activities to strengthen education in the Pioneer Valley.
Five Colleges Inc. stands as one of this country's most remarkable educational consortia. It has brought benefits both to its members institutions and to the larger community.
In the last decade, that spirit of cooperation and partnership has grown in many other areas, and the region has benefited from that growth.
The last two months have brought several remarkable examples of those benefits. Four grants have been received by higher education institutions in the valley.
The University of Massachusetts, as the lead institution, with Hampshire College, Springfield Technical Community College and numerous school districts in the valley received a $5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to train college and K-12 teachers to develop more effective partnerships for improving teaching and learning for all students in a program called STEMTEC.
The Springfield public school system, with Hampshire College as the lead higher education institution, received a $2.64 million grant to strengthen and improve science teaching.
The University of Massachusetts and Hampshire College received a $1 million National Science Foundation grant to study and implement inquiry-based science education.
Springfield Technical Community College, in cooperation with local corporations and with support from the University of Massachusetts, received $3 million from the National Science Foundation to establish the New England Center for Telecommunications Technology.
Any one of these grants alone is remarkable.
That so many have come within the space of a few months is truly extraordinary, and demonstrates the tremendous benefits that come when institutions work together to form enterprises that share resources and provide joint leadership in strengthening education.
Proposals that involve cooperative efforts drawing upon all parts of the community are obviously very persuasive to funding agencies. That is what made possible multiple grants to institutions within the region.
The education partnerships in the Pioneer Valley clearly have brought tremendous benefits to this region, economically and educationally.
And the partnership spirit extends well beyond the area of education. The Plan for Progress, which has brought together all parts of the community from business to education to community agencies, has strengthened this cooperative spirit and helped create coordinated plans for community and economic development throughout the region.
The leadership that UMass Chancellor David Scott has shown in defining the service role of the university has been a critical part of this movement.
Among the results are the creation of Mass Ventures and the building of the incubator center in South Hadley.
This summer Mass Ventures established the first venture fund specifically focused on this region, a $12 million investment fund. The fund would not have been possible without the support and leadership of Allan W. Blair of the Economic Development Council, and numerous business leaders.
The examples could go on…
The leadership of individuals like Scott, Blair, Tim Brennan at the Plan for Progress, Randolph Bromery at Springfield College, Peter Negroni at the Springfield Public Schools, Lorna Peterson and the School Partnership Program at Five Colleges and so many others from so many different parts of the community have made an invaluable contribution.
They have demonstrated the extent to which partnerships pay. Over $23 million coming into a region will make a difference - most of all for the young people in our schools and colleges.
Gregory S. Prince, Jr.
President
Hampshire College
Amherst
Email List | Publications | Resources | News & Events | About the ICT Center | Search | Home
Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those
of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Science Foundation.
 This material is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number DUE 0302548. |
Copyright August 2004 STCC Foundation Press All rights reserved. E-Mail the Webmaster with your comments. |
 Springfield Technical Community College |
The ICT Center c/o STCC, One Armory Square, PO Box 9000, Suite 1, Springfield, MA 01102-9000
(413) 755-6550 (phone) | (413) 755-6325 (fax)