The San Juan College School of Energy in Farmington, New Mexico. (Jerry Redfern/Capital & Main)
The San Juan College School of Energy in Farmington, New Mexico. (Jerry Redfern/Capital & Main)

The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management recently awarded San Juan College a $1.2 million grant supporting minority-serving institutions. The grant can be renewed for an additional four years for a total of $6 million. Funds will be used to provide educational opportunities to enhance the lives of under-served communities.

“We deeply appreciate the opportunity extended by the Department of Energy to make a more significant difference to the communities most in need,” said Dr. Toni Hopper Pendergrass, President of San Juan College.

The Environmental Justice Grant is designed to have a broad impact, enabling the college to serve children, students, and community members. San Juan College will offer a range of programs and initiatives over the coming year to address the specific needs of communities throughout the region. A sampling of offerings under this grant includes:

First aid/CPR/bloodborne pathogens training for 90 people in remote communities who can’t access emergency services quickly.Sponsorship of 100 students for the Kids Kollege STEM Camp in the summer of 2024.
Full scholarships to include housing and meals for a number of School of Energy Students.
Virtual reality headsets and gear that can be used for a variety of educational purposes.
Day care for a number of School of Energy students at the SJC Child and Family Development Center.
Purchase of a membrane technology water purification unit to be integrated into water technician training.
Host two summer children’s camps on youth entrepreneurship and environmental science and engineering. There will be 50 students in each camp, pre-K to eighth grade.

The college will begin outreach initiatives soon to engage with the public and inform them about the various programs and opportunities the grant will support.