Courtesy photo.
VENTURA — The Ventura College Foundation received a $75,000 grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLBank San Francisco). The funds will enable the Ventura College Foundation and Ventura College to implement a Pathway to Health Careers For Low-Income Students program.
The grant will fund the conversion of course textbooks into zero-cost digital formats and contribute to a lending library for equipment such as microscopes, calculators, lab coats and safety goggles.
“Courses that lead to jobs in healthcare such as nursing require expensive books and materials that often create a financial barrier for low-income students to enter these professions,” says Anne Paul King, Ventura College Foundation executive director. “Digitizing textbooks and establishing a lending library for required equipment brings those costs down to zero. For many students, this grant will open the door to high-paying, in-demand medical jobs. It will also impact the entire county’s healthcare system as students graduate and enter the workforce.”
The grant is part of FHLBank San Francisco’s Access to Housing and Economic Assistance for Development (AHEAD) which funds programs that enable people living in lower-income communities to have the infrastructure and resources to fully participate in a changing economy.
The Ventura County Credit Union, a partner with FHLBank San Francisco, recommended Ventura College Foundation for the grant.
“We know the vital role Ventura College and the Ventura College Foundation play in lifting up students who come from lower economic households,” says Linda Rossi, president/CEO of Ventura County Credit Union. “The AHEAD grant will enable the college to make education for high-demand medical careers even more accessible and affordable.”
“We’re proud that for 20 years and counting, the AHEAD Program continues to make a positive impact by supporting important initiatives throughout the communities we serve, including the Pathways to Health Careers project by the Ventura College Foundation,” says Eric Cicourel, community investment officer for FHLBank San Francisco. “This innovative resource can be life-changing.”
Under the guidance of the Ventura College Dean and college science faculty in Biology and Chemistry, Aaron Jones will undertake the book digitalization. The process is expected to begin Spring 2025 and finish by Fall 2025.
For more information about healthcare programs offered by Ventura College, go to www.venturacollege.edu/career-and-major-communities/health-wellness