OCTC Foundation, Inc. Report

Welcome | Annual Report 2022

Steve Gardner - Board Chair

Dear Friends,

Academic year 2021-2022 was wonderful, and we could not have done it without partners like you!  We are grateful for your generosity as you attended restaurant nights, sponsored events, established scholarships, stocked the Pathfinder Pantry, and made gifts to support student success.

The OCTC Foundation, Inc. is committed to providing students with the resources to make their goal of earning college credentials a reality. OCTC faculty and staff work tirelessly to help students achieve their dreams. Partners like you generously support our mission to help students create a better life. OCTC is a welcoming community that offers a quality, affordable education that prepares students for their futures. By providing students with opportunities to learn using modern technology and equipment, OCTC is a great place for our community to learn valuable skills and enter the fields of healthcare, business, industry, public service, and many more. Together, we are making a difference.

Over the last three years, it has been an honor to serve as the OCTC Foundation, Inc. Board Chair. I have enjoyed hearing about students who have beat all odds, earned their education, and are now giving back to the community. It has been wonderful to see business partnerships and new programs grow, ensuring students have careers once they complete their studies. I am excited for the bright future of OCTC, our students, and the OCTC Foundation, Inc. I would like to welcome Ms. Amy Jackson to the role as OCTC Foundation, Inc. Board Chair. I have no doubt her energy and dedication will serve us well, and she will provide excellent leadership. I look forward to continuing to serve as a board member and hearing amazing stories of OCTC students, partners, faculty, and staff.

I have no doubt that 2022-23 will be even better due to wonderful partners like you. Please enjoy the amazing stories and features that describe how you are making a difference every day.  Thank you for helping make OCTC a great place!

Sincerely,

Steve Gardner

OCTC Foundation, Inc. Board Chair

OCTC Gratitude | 2021 Great College to Work For - 4011 Students Enrolled

Scott Williams - OCTC President

Dear Friends,

As Owensboro Community and Technical College (OCTC) completes its 35th year, I am proud to announce we have served more than 82,986 individuals in our community since our inception.  OCTC’s 35th year was hugely successful.  It was arguably one of our most successful.  OCTC had its largest fall enrollment in seven years with 4,111 students enrolled in the fall 2021.  We added accelerated and innovative programs to meet the needs of our community, such as Automation and Robotics, CDL Driving Academy, Plumbing Fast Track, and Fiber Optic Technician.  We were recognized as a Great College to Work For by The Chronicle of Higher Education and voted the Platinum Award winner for Higher Education in the Messenger & Inquirer Reader’s Choice Awards for the third straight year. 

However, none of that would be possible without the tremendous support of our community, friends of the college, and OCTC Foundation.  Through your generosity and support, we eclipsed our annual campaign goal in 2022 and enhanced our ability to provide students with the support they need to be successful.  Your generosity allowed us to increase our student emergency aid funds, scholarships, and transportation and food pantry aid.  These are all essential to ensure our students have what they need to achieve their dreams and attain a better quality of life.  We could not do it without you. OCTC and our students thank you.

While we are proud of the present, we are even more excited about the future.  The dedicated and hardworking OCTC team, along with the OCTC Foundation have built a strong foundation to propel us into an even more successful future.  OCTC’s future, is brighter than ever, and we are poised to achieve greater heights.  I am confident that together we will create a better quality of life for everyone in our community and region.  Together we ensure that those who turn to OCTC will achieve their dreams, and that would not be possible without you. 

We hope that you enjoy the stories and successes in this year’s Annual Report.  From all of us at OCTC, we thank you, and we are grateful for the opportunity to serve this community.

Sincerely,

Scott Williams, Ph.D.

President, Owensboro Community and Technical College

OCTC | NEW PROJECTS

CDL: 16 business and industry partners were served by this program, and 52 students completed the program, November 1- June 30. 

01 - CDL

OCTC launched a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Academy in November 2021 to help address the driver shortage in our region. Offered through the Workforce Solutions division, this driving academy was made possible through a public partnership with the Owensboro Riverport Authority (ORA) and offers both CDL Class A and Class B certification training.

OCTC’s multi truck and trailer program received funding support from KCTCS-TRAINS and a generous no-cost lease agreement for the program’s required driving range through the ORA.

The CDL Driving Academy places a heavy emphasis on work and learn sponsorships, apprenticeships, and post training employer placement along with a full range of free career navigator services.

02 - NKE Apprenticeship

OCTC’s Workforce Solutions, working with Norman King Electric (NKE), expanded the electrical apprenticeship program to train additional electricians in our area.

The program is a federally registered apprenticeship program in which students may earn an associate degree while completing their apprenticeship program and working in the field for NKE.

This program is looking to expand availability to other electrical companies during the 2022-2023 academic year. 

03 - Camps & Activities

OCTC hosted a variety of summer camps and activities. STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) Camp included training a robot to pick and place a 3-D printed object, exploring engineering while creating and launching a rocket, and printmaking techniques.

OCTC’s STEAM Camp was funded in part by a grant received from the Alcoa Foundation.

OCTC’s Level Up Camp served graduating high school seniors. Successful participants earned one college credit hour and became eligible for a scholarship for the fall semester. Students attended a STEAM-focused behind-the-scenes tour of Holiday World.

This project was funded by the US Department of Education and the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER), authorized by Section 18002

of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) to provide emergency aid to states to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Lori Donohoo | Director, Nursing

"The OCTC Healthcare Career Camp included hands-on activities with each of the allied health programs to include: radiography, nursing, medical assisting, surgical technology, and paramedicine. Guest speaker Delanor Manson shared her experiences as a woman of color in the allied health field, and a showcase event presented by the participants wrapped up the academy. The healthcare career exploration summer camp was funded in part by a grant from the Owensboro Health Community Health Investments Grant program."

04 - Commonwealth West Healthcare Workforce Innovation Center

$38 million was received from the state legislature as start-up funding for a public-private partnership project to address healthcare workforce shortages in the region. This is a consortia of eight colleges/universities, Owensboro Health, and regional healthcare organizations.

Goals:

• Increase healthcare career pipeline
• Establish state of the art simulation training center in Owensboro
• Increase shared instructional resources to increase healthcare program graduates

Next Steps: 

• Create operational organization and working agreements
• Hire staff
• Renovate and equip simulation center
• Build pathways
• Start accelerated education pathways and career recruitment

OCTC Foundation, Inc. | Growth

2021-22 Power of OCTC Annual Campaign

Goal: $425,000 | Total Raised: $429,966 -- 436 Gifts from 285 Donors

SCHOLARSHIPS Awarded Fall 2022 -- $196, 019 to 147 Students

OCTC | New Scholarships

BJ Killian Nursing This scholarship funds tuition, fees, and books to successfully complete the OCTC Nursing program. Students can be full or part-time and must have a minimum 2.75 cumulative or nursing GPA.

Ryan Family This scholarship is for students enrolled in the OCTC Engineering and Electronics Technology certificate, diploma, or associate degree program. Students can be full or part-time and must have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA.

VTNE Scholarship This scholarship is for full-time Veterinary Technology students in their final semester to assist with the Veterinary Technical National Examination (VTNE) fee. Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in veterinary technology coursework and obtain a passing score on the VTNE.

Utica Masonic Lodge Working Tools for Life This scholarship is for students enrolled in any OCTC technical certificate, diploma, or associate in applied science degree program to purchase tools needed to successfully participate in and complete that program. Students must have a minimum 2.5 GPA and can either be full or part-time.

Project LIFT Scholarship This scholarship is for students in the Tech X program who need assistance to purchase program supplies and materials, especially if they are experiencing homelessness, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, or incarceration.

First Christian Church Heritage Scholarship This scholarship assists students of Burmese nationality or students whose primary language is not English. Students must be enrolled in a certificate, diploma, or associate degree program and have a minimum 2.0 GPA. The scholarship can be used for tuition, books, or program-related expenses.

NEW ENDOWMENT Title III E3 @ OCTC Multiple Business Endowment

OCTC | DONORS

OCTC | FINANCIAL HEALTH

Assets | Current Assets

Assets | Non-Current Assets

Liabilities & Net Assets

New Grants Awarded | 2021-2022