Caterpillar awards CCTC a $25,000 grant

The Caterpillar Foundation awards Central Carolina Technical College a $25,000 grant

Funds from the grant will support the College’s “SMART Choices for Success” project

SUMTER, SC—A $25,000 grant from the Caterpillar Foundation will fund the first year of Central Carolina Technical College’s “SMART Choices for Success”, a comprehensive, five-year project developed to support new students upon their entry into college and help them achieve greater success. The project begins in 2016.

“The needs of new students are unique, and research supports that the greater the support mechanisms in place to help new students transition into the college environment, the more likely they are to be retained and continue to graduation,” says Elizabeth Bastedo, SMART Choices Project Coordinator.

“Central Carolina Technical College is fortunate to have corporate partnerships such as the Caterpillar Foundation to help provide support to new students in their pursuit of higher education and to provide graduates for our local workforce,” says CCTC President Tim Hardee.

SMART Choices connects students to their academic advisors, supports collaboration with student support personnel, and provides a comprehensive student success course to introduce students to areas that are critical to their success during their first semester in college and beyond. The goals of the program are to increase student retention from the first semester to the second semester and to facilitate connections and communication between the student and college personnel. “SMART Choices for Success” supports a pathway to success by connecting students with resources facilitating achievement.