A Sisters-based organization has awarded COCC more than $26,000 to help students and improve the technology infrastructure of the college’s Madras Campus.
The funding from The Roadhouse Foundation will invest in two key areas.
A $10,000 award will cover the purchase of non-tuition program costs in certain disciplines, such as stethoscopes for students in the veterinary technician program and toolsets for automotive technology trainees.
The money will directly impact an estimated 114 students in career and technical and science disciplines.
The second grant, at just over $16,000, will improve community connectivity and help remove educational barriers in Jefferson County.
Funding will augment existing videoconferencing hardware, laptops and other tech at the college’s Madras campus, a place that serves as an important learning hub for both enrolled students and general community members alike.
“Our trustees are committed to collaborating with community partners and other organizations to help ensure long-term success and sustainability,” said Erin Borla, executive director of The Roundhouse Foundation. “These two grants to Central Oregon Community College do just that by investing in a mix of student aid and infrastructure needs.”
Zak Boone, COCC’s chief advancement officer and executive director of the college’s Foundation, points to the local partnership aspect as an added significance to the grants.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with The Roundhouse Foundation,” he said. “It demonstrates how involved our community is with supporting student success at COCC.”
A private foundation, The Roundhouse Foundation began as a collaboration between founder Kathy Deggendorfer and her mother, Gert Boyle, in 2002.
It has since distributed over $4 million to more than 100 different organizations, throughout Central Oregon and rural parts of the state.
