You may know that the Eastern Shore Community College Foundation provides scholarships for ESCC students.  You may know someone who has received a scholarship or you may even have benefited from one yourself.  A scholarship through the Foundation can be obtained in addition to other forms of financial aid.  There are scholarships for specific programs, such as Education and Nursing, or to cover tuition and expenses for general college studies. Scholarships are funded directly by the Foundation, which also manages scholarships funded by various Eastern Shore individuals, families and businesses.  But the ESCC Foundation does much more for the college.  The Foundation provides funds to support facilities, academic programs, student activities, student clubs, and faculty professional development.
In order to continue to fund these and other ESCC initiatives, the Foundation Board of Directors has undertaken a major gifts campaign over the past 18 months.  Two lead gifts, from the Batten Educational Achievement Fund and Mr. Donald Trufant, of $500,000 and $300,000, respectively, kicked off the campaign in October 2015, and a goal of $2 million was set.  The Campaign for Eastern Shore Community College has three main priorities.  Workforce and Economic Development underscores the importance of the role ESCC plays in workforce training and continuing education for Eastern Shore residents.  ESCC’s skills-based training is linked specifically to employer needs, ensuring job opportunities for graduating students and a steady stream of qualified workers for businesses.  Increasing Access and Student Success gives all ESCC students, whether pursuing degrees, certificates, industry certifications, GEDs, or training for a second career, the support and guidance necessary to achieve their goals.  Equipment and Technology Enhancements will allow ESCC to equip its new academic and administration building with cutting-edge technology and equipment, both instructional and discipline-specific.  As is always the case, the Eastern Shore community has been incredibly supportive of the college, and to date the Campaign has raised approximately $1.85 million, over 90% of the goal. With several significant gifts and grants on the horizon, the Foundation and College look forward to celebrating surpassing the goal in the near future.

The ESCC Foundation is a non-profit organization that receives funds from the generosity of the people and businesses of the Shore.  The board of directors includes community and business leaders who believe that ESCC is the best resource for the citizens of the Eastern Shore for education, career training, and economic development.  The Foundation has now almost $7 million since its inception that directly supports the mission of the College, and the Board would like to thank our contributors who have made that possible.  If you would like to help sustain the work of the ESCC Foundation or for more information on The Campaign for Eastern Shore Community College, contact Eve Belote, Executive Director at 757.789.1767 or ebelote@es.vccs.edu.

Current rendering of the proposed new main building on campus at ESCC.