News
July 30, 2015KeyBank Foundation Issues $100,000 Matching Grant for Trinity Alliance’s Capital South Campus Center
KeyBank Foundation announced it is issuing a $100,000 matching grant to Trinity Alliance of the Capital Region to help maintain operations of its Capital South Campus Center (CSCC) after a federal grant expires at the end of August. Trinity Alliance will be responsible for seeking $100,000 in additional funding, prior to the match award—which can be donated by both private donors and/or public donations.
Trinity Alliance’s CSCC offers secondary and post-secondary education to adult learners, career opportunities and workforce development preparation in Albany’s South End. The CSCC is a partnership of 14 local learning/workforce development partners (Educational Opportunity Center, Capital Region BOCES, Center for Economic Growth, Small Business Economic Development and the City School District of Albany), colleges and universities (Bryant & Stratton, the College of Saint Rose, Empire State College, Hudson Valley Community College, Siena College, The Sage Colleges, Schenectady County Community College, SUNY Polytechnic College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering and the University at Albany), as well as several area companies that use the facility to train and recruit their workforce. Its goal is to empower people for a brighter future and raise the median income of those who reside in the Capital Region.
“In less than a year, the CSCC has had a measurable impact on the Capital Region community, and it is our pleasure to help provide some financial stability as this outstanding organization strives to continue training and connecting students to careers in a modern workforce,” said Ruth Mahoney, president, Capital Region, KeyBank. “Education is the first step toward economic self-sufficiency, and our entire community benefits when we join together to support vital programs like the CSCC.”
“English as a second language, high school equivalency diploma earners, college students, newly trained individuals joining the workforce and our business partners will all have the KeyBank Foundation to thank for stepping up to support Trinity Alliance and the highly successful Capital South Campus Center,” said Harris Oberlander, Trinity Alliance CEO. “The KeyBank Foundation has ensured that the CSCC will meet its mission to raise the median income in Albany through the acquisition of education and job training.”
“On behalf of the City of Albany, I want to thank the KeyBank Foundation for this important contribution toward the Capital South Campus Center,” said Mayor Kathy Sheehan. “The CSCC is a valuable resource for the South End and the community at large. This partnership supports innumerable opportunities for our residents and invests in workforce training that our businesses need.”
“I along
with many of our other elected officials are searching high and low to support this effort and appreciate the generous offer of KeyBank Foundation” said New York State Assemblymember John T. McDonald. “In as much as the Capital Region is experiencing an unemployment rate of just under 5 percent, this rate does not reflect pockets of our communities throughout the region that are experiencing unemployment in staggering numbers at well over 25 percent. While it’s true that the Capital Region is witnessing significant job growth and opportunity, it is critical that programs remain available that can connect the unemployed or those in need of training with actual job training and placement. That is what CSCC is able to do and has done in its first year of existence, and it would be devastating to lose this new community resource.”
The CSCC opened its doors to students, grassroots organizations and local business partners on October 6, 2014. On August 31, 2015, the previously awarded $270,000 Higher Education Services Corporation “College Access Grant” expires due to a lack of funding from the federal government. These grant monies funded several key CSCC staff, whose focus was providing pathways for students to navigate financial aid, portfolios and college applications. Without this funding source, or replacement funding, Trinity Alliance will not be able to keep the CSCC open.
According to a study conducted by the University at Albany, there are more than 17,000 adult learners in Albany who do not have postsecondary education. This model, a fully collaborative college, is one of the first one ever in the United States. More than 600 adult learners have taken the steps toward higher education, certificate completion and workforce development activities at the CSCC since its public opening. The CSCC opened the 36th NYS ATTAIN Lab, funded and run by the University Center for Academic and Workforce Development (UCAWD). ATTAIN is an acronym for “Advanced Technology Training and Information Networking,” where students have access to learning a variety of computer skills, the ability to take refresher prerequisite classes and earning a Microsoft Certificate to build their resume and future earning potential. The CSCC also offers free onsite childcare and an upcoming STEM initiative for NanoTech training with the design of an onsite clean room environment.
“This philanthropic investment is very much in the spirit of the KeyBank Foundation’s commitment to enhancing education and workforce development,” said Mahoney. “As a longstanding member of the community, we are proud to support a vital partner in our community in their time of need and we encourage others to join us.”
For more information, please contact Kat Brown, Trinity Alliance, 518.449.5155 ext 134.
About KeyBank Foundation
KeyBank Foundation is a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1969 and funded by KeyCorp. The Foundation’s core values include diversity and inclusion, transformation, measureable impact and sustainability. Its mission is to support organizations and programs that prepare individuals for thriving futures and is advanced through the two funding priorities of thriving students and a thriving workforce.
About Trinity Alliance of the Capital Region
The mission of Trinity Alliance of the Capital Region is to provide services to the community that will support and promote healthy families, adults and children. The agency is dedicated to improving the neighborhood as a setting for family life, contributing to health and well-being and promoting education and employment as a means of self-development.
