$5 million DOE grant boosts CCNY experiential learning program

Experiential learning in the sciences and engineering at The City College of New York is set for a significant expansion encompassing several CUNY community colleges and Teachers College, Columbia University after a five-year $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). The Foundation for City College,Inc. is also a partner in the project.

The funding, that also establishes an endowment for the CCNY Makerspace, brings close to $10 million in DOE investment over the past two years in experiential learning at City College.

Experiential learning is an engaged learning process whereby students “learn by doing” and by reflecting on the experience. It provides opportunities for students to engage intellectually, creatively, emotionally, socially, or physically. The Makerspace is a hub for training students in prototyping, assembly, testing, and debugging of devices and systems. The space is open to all CCNY students, staff, and faculty

“This is new DOE funding that allows us to expand what we have been doing in infusing experiential learning for our students,” said Jorge E. González, Presidential Professor in City College’s Grove School of Engineering. “Our new goal is to target all STEM students early in their careers and maximize use of existing and new facilities such as new Makerpsace for project-based learning, while engaging industry and employers in the process.”

What changes, González added, is that CCNY is partnering with LaGuardia Community College and the Borough of Manhattan Community College to target transfer STEM students as freshmen and sophomores in community college and not necessarily once they transfer to CCNY.  “This provides continuity to all our STEM population, close to 50% of whom originate in a community college,” he added.  
 
Teachers College, Columbia University’s role in the project is as an external evaluator of the program. 

 In addition to González, other key participants in the project (all City College unless indicated) are:

 About the City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. CCNY embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 1.8% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Emsi puts at $1.9 billion CCNY’s annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the “for dollar” return on investment to students, taxpayers and society. At City College, more than 16,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.


 

Jay Mwamba
p: 212.650.7580
e: jmwamba@ccny.cuny.edu