YAKIMA, Wash.-A grant from the U.S. Department of Education will support students of Hispanic heritage or from low-income households achieve academic and professional success at Yakima Valley College.
The grant, worth $2,872,888 over five years was awarded through the Education Department’s Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions program.
“This grant will strengthen our institution and benefit all students at YVC,” said President Linda Kaminski.
YVC has been a federally designated Hispanic-serving institution since 2002. According to the college more than two-thirds of YVC students identify as persons of color, including 64% who identified as Hispanic during the 2022-23 academic year.
Additionally 86% of YVC students are first-generation college students and 53% come from low-income households according to the college.
YVC’s Hispanic Serving Institution Relevance Project hopes to foster cultural change on campus in three key ways:
A student-centered career readiness program.A leadership learning community to create a more inclusive college.A campus wellness program to provide culturally appropriate support for students and staff focused on social and emotional health and college success.
“YVC’s HSI Relevance Project will advance our institutional goals to improve and sustain an institutional culture that is educationally equitable, enhances opportunities for personal enrichment and economic mobility, and welcomes everyone,” said President Kaminski.
