Foundation for California Community Colleges

06/05/2026

Congratulations to Martín Orea, a Santa Monica College student and California LAW Pathways scholar, on being named a 2026 Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholar by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.
Martin is one of just 60 community college students nationwide selected for this prestigious award. This fall, he will transfer to Georgetown University to continue pursuing a future in public policy, law, and public service.
Earlier this year, FoundationCCC featured Martin after he received the 2026 Cal LAW Outstanding Student Stipend Award. We are proud to see him continue building on his accomplishments and creating a path toward a career serving others.
Read more about Martin’s latest achievement in this piece by Santa Monica Daily Press

Santa Monica College student Martin Orea has been named a 2026 recipient of the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. Orea, a first-generation college student from Fullerton, is among 60 community college students nationwide selected for the scholarship from a...

05/27/2026

FoundationCCC is among 13 community and tribal organizations selected for California State Parks and Parks California's Career Pathways grants program, a more than $2.4 million statewide investment to prepare the next generation of park leaders.

Our work under the grant will connect California Community Colleges with nearby State Parks, building training and internship opportunities in interpretation, education, facilities, and maintenance.

"The funding from Parks California allows us to design an innovative pilot program to connect California State Parks with nearby California Community Colleges," said Courtney Cagle, Manager, Workforce Development, Foundation for California Community Colleges. "With this support, we can build a robust pipeline of well-trained students to fill needed roles, while providing them the support to access sustainable and meaningful career pathways."

California State Parks

05/22/2026

FoundationCCC is proud to celebrate The Taft College Foundation, named California Nonprofit of the Year by Assemblymember Stan Ellis.
The recognition was presented during the California Nonprofits Day Luncheon at the California State Capitol and honors Taft College Foundation’s work to expand student success, strengthen workforce development, and create economic opportunity across Kern County and beyond.
Through scholarships, student support programs, workforce training, and community partnerships, Taft College Foundation continues to invest in students and the long-term vitality of the region.
Congratulations to the entire Taft College Foundation team on this well-deserved recognition.
Read the full story from the Taft Midway Driller: bit.ly/4nKbQO4
Photo 1:
Left to right: Rob Duchow; Karen Zuber, Bank of America; Dr. Sheri Horn Bunk, Executive Director, Taft College Foundation; and Assemblymember Stan Ellis.

05/22/2026

FoundationCCC is proud to celebrate The Taft College Foundation, named California Nonprofit of the Year by Assemblymember Stan Ellis.
The recognition was presented during the California Nonprofits Day Luncheon at the California State Capitol and honors Taft College Foundation’s work to expand student success, strengthen workforce development, and create economic opportunity across Kern County and beyond.
Through scholarships, student support programs, workforce training, and community partnerships, Taft College Foundation continues to invest in students and the long-term vitality of the region.
Congratulations to the entire Taft College Foundation team on this well-deserved recognition.
Read the full story from the Taft Midway Driller: https://bit.ly/4nKbQO4

Photo 1:
Left to right: Rob Duchow; Karen Zuber, Bank of America; Dr. Sheri Horn Bunk, Executive Director, Taft College Foundation; and Assemblymember Stan Ellis.

Photo 2:
Left to right: Keetha Millslls, President and Chief Executive Officer, Foundation for California Community Colleges; Assemblymember Stan Ellis; Rob Duchow; Dr. Sonya Christian, Chancellor, California Community Colleges; Karen Zuber, Bank of America; and Dr. Sheri Horn Bunk, Executive Director, Taft College Foundation.

05/21/2026

California Community Colleges are helping build a stronger, more representative youth behavioral health workforce through the Certified Wellness Coach pathway.
As highlighted by The Sacramento Bee, Shasta College, Santa Rosa Junior College, and Southwestern College have received state recognition for programs aligned with the Certified Wellness Coach curriculum, preparing students for early intervention and non-clinical support roles in schools, community-based organizations, and health centers.
FoundationCCC is proud to administer grant funding that helps colleges launch and scale these programs across the state, supporting both student opportunity and community well-being.
Read the full story from The Sacramento Bee:

More than 30 community colleges across California are working to create state-recognized career pathways for wellness coaches.

05/19/2026

Today, the California Community Colleges Board of Governors approved the reappointment of Nitasha Sawhney to the FoundationCCC Board of Directors for a second four-year term through May 2030.

Nitasha's path is one our students will recognize: Associate of Arts degrees from Orange Coast College and Irvine Valley College, where she served as Student Trustee, before earning her Bachelor's at University of California, Berkeley and her Juris Doctor at University of California, Davis. Today, as an equity partner at Hernández Sawhney, LLP, she advises public school districts, community college districts, and other public institutions on education, labor, and employment law.

On our Board, she serves on the Executive Committee and chairs the DEI Board Advisory Committee, deepening our equity focus and providing trusted counsel on governance, compliance, and risk.

"Nitasha's leadership, legal expertise, and commitment to civil rights and public service have been invaluable to the FoundationCCC Board," said FoundationCCC President and CEO Keetha Mills. "We are grateful for her continued service and look forward to the impact of her leadership during her second term."

Congratulations, Nitasha we're honored to have you with us for another term! Read the full press release below.

Sawhney's appointment was approved today by the California Community Colleges Board of Governors.

05/15/2026

When a veteran returns to the classroom, the gap between VA benefits and real life is often where the journey breaks down.

A $50,000 contribution from the AAA Automobile Club of Southern California to FoundationCCC is closing that gap for first-generation student veterans across 11 California Community Colleges, covering essential supplies, school fees, and the costs that arrive between semesters when benefits don't.

Thank you to Greg Backley, President and CEO of the Automobile Club of Southern California, and a former community college student himself, for championing this work. And thank you to the student veterans who continue to serve their communities in new ways.

Read the full story in our Media Center:

With support from the Automobile Club of Southern California, FoundationCCC awards $50,000 to help first-generation veteran students across 11 colleges.

05/14/2026

The Foundation for California Community Colleges, in proud partnership with the Network for California Community Colleges Foundations, warmly invites you to a special evening celebrating the 2025 Bernard Osher Philanthropist of the Year: Carol and Kevin Sharer and the Sharer Foundation.

TOMORROW, May 14, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.
Join us live: https: linktr.ee/foundationccc

Each year, this distinguished award honors individuals whose generosity makes a lasting difference for California's community colleges and the students they serve. We are delighted to recognize Carol and Kevin Sharer and the Sharer Foundation for their extraordinary impact in helping students reach their goals.

We hope you'll join us for an inspiring evening that celebrates the power of philanthropy in higher education.

05/08/2026

Last month, the Securing Forest Futures project was represented at the California Jobs First Investment Summit. Foundation for California Community Colleges, Becky Roe, Senior Manager of Climate Strategies, pitched the work as one of 31 finalists selected.
Spanning the North State, Bay Area, Redwood, Capital, and Sierra regions, the project sits at the intersection of climate resilience, workforce development, and rural economic opportunity, building training pipelines and market demand around mass timber, biomass utilization, and forest-focused entrepreneurship. When economic and workforce strategies are intentionally designed around the strengths of our rural regions and forests, the benefits extend across communities, ecosystems, and California's workforce future.
Thank you to our project partners Shasta College, Sierra Business Council, Bay Area Council , and The Hopland Research and Extension Center, with thanks also to The Watershed Research & Training Center for leading the cross-regional cluster that brought these subprojects together.
Awards are anticipated in early summer, but reaching the finalist stage is itself meaningful recognition of why this work matters.
Thank you California Jobs First and California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) for convening this important conversation.

05/05/2026

Join the CCalifornia Community CollegesChancellor’s Office, TOMORROW Wednesday, May 6, from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. for the next System Webinar, “Coming Soon: The Reimagined CCC Apply Experience.”

This session will share updates on the work underway to modernize CCC Apply and better support students as they begin their California community college journey.

Registration for the 2026 System Webinars series is required once and provides access to the full series.

Register today: https://cccco.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_98P-INMATYqiqsLYNlbEeQ #/registration