FAIRFIELD — Kennebec Valley Community College has received grant funds intended to enhance the college’s capacity for remote education and increase student participation in remote and high school dual enrollment programs.

The Institutional Resilience and Expanded Postsecondary Opportunity program awarded the grant in August.

The COVID-19 pandemic has showcased the need for remote learning opportunities for community college students. This is especially true for KVCC, where much of the student body lives in rural, underserved communities lacking high-speed internet and post-secondary education access.

“We crafted the proposal in the throes of the pandemic, leveraging our lessons of experience to focus on the needs of our students. KV can now use these significant resources to shore up key academic positions and retool education delivery mechanisms to ensure the continued health and safety of our community,” said Richard Hopper, former president of KVCC, who submitted the grant proposal in October 2020, according to a news release from the college.

“Critical to these efforts are not only enhanced medical simulation capacity, and stronger college pathways for high school students, but also support for student mental health,” Hopper added. “I am deeply proud of how the college has maintained education quality with a comprehensive approach to community wellbeing. This large grant is both timely and carefully targeted. I am absolutely thrilled for KVCC.”

For more information about KVCC’s online programs, or about dual and concurrent enrollment for local high school students, visit kvcc.me.edu.

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