Red Rocks Community College Awards ~$850,000 in President’s Dream Grants

All college faculty, staff, and student leadership groups were invited to submit grant proposals that would support the President’s priorities of: 

1) enhance the Red Rocks workforce, 

2) increase workforce innovation and economic mobility, 

3) become the partner of choice for employers and communities, 

4) become the college of choice for students and families, and 

5) achieve equitable outcomes for all students.

And achieve one or more of the following: 

• Improve the student experience.
• Enhance academic programs.
• Beautify or improve the functioning of RRCC’s campuses.
• Drive employee engagement.
• Grow partnerships.

“The people who teach, work, and learn at Red Rocks Community College know best what we need to deliver on our promise to provide students with opportunities to grow, develop, and achieve their career objectives,” says Dr. Pirius. “I introduced the President’s Dream Grant Fund at the beginning of this year, eager to see what ideas our community would have to move our college forward and make a positive, lasting impact. We received 37 proposals for a total of $2.2M and out of that tremendous pool, we selected 14 projects that span many areas of the college and will benefit a wide range of audiences and programs.” 

Below are the President’s Dream Grant award recipients:

FACULTY PROJECTS

Soda kiln for the ceramics studio | Deborah Dell, Art Faculty

Purchase a new state-of-the-art soda kiln for the ceramics program. 

SCARS theatrical production and podcast | Kelly Eldredge, Theatre Arts & Dance Faculty and Department Chair

Develop a student touring production and podcast of SCARS. SCARS is named for the writing assignment completed by new Gateway students who are transitioning from prison/parole/probation to college (answering the question, “What is your scar?”). 

Radio telescope revitalization | Lynette Hoerner, Astronomy and Physics Faculty; Carlos Medina-Hernandez, Physics Faculty; Adam Forland, Mathematics Faculty; Lynn Albert, Biology Faculty; and Ed Saenz, Construction Technology Faculty

Repair and upgrade Red Rocks’ radio telescope to have network connectivity and secure remote access. Develop labs, assignments, and activities that use telescope data for astronomy, physics, and data science courses. 

Classroom enhancement for collaborative learning | Jodi Holzman, Mathematics Faculty; Stephanie Schooley, Business Faculty

Renovate five classrooms used by several academic disciplines into collaborative, active learning spaces with flexible layouts, updated technology, whiteboard walls, and more. 

First-Year Experience self-paced student modules | Dana Kobold, Psychology Faculty Emeritus

Create self-paced modules available 24/7 for students in the First-Year Experience program to develop their foundation for self-directed learning and academic achievement.

Courtyard mural | Katie Gabriel-Ramos, Art Faculty

Engage art students in the conceptualization, preparation, and painting of at least one large-scale mural on campus, and host a grand opening of the space in fall 2025. 

Cultural intelligence (CQ) in business courses | Julio Suarez-Pesquera, Business Faculty; Stephanie Schooley, Business Faculty

Integrate CQ learning outcomes, activities, and assessments into the three Business Foundations certificate courses, and provide CQ professional development training to faculty/instructors by request.

Adult Basic Education (ABE) training and development for incarcerated individuals | Maryann Touitou, Sociology Faculty

Offer remote instruction of basic math, reading, and writing to individuals in Colorado Department of Corrections facilities to support their completion of ABE certification, and train incarcerated individuals to become paraprofessional instructors in support of the ABE training.

STAFF PROJECTS

Leadership and Health Science Educational Bridge Academy | Kelly Lloyd, Admissions Coordinator

Design a 5-day program to introduce 15-20 first-generation junior and senior high school students to healthcare careers at the Arvada campus (June 2026), and market the program to solicit applicants.

STI testing equipment | Ginger Stewart, Director - Health and Counseling Center

Purchase and install machines that test for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) for the Red Rocks health clinic to expand students’ on-campus access to health and wellness offerings. 

Marketing and Communications Department equipment | Ben Vena, Creative Production Manager - Marketing & Communications

Purchase new printers, laminators, cutters, and workstation equipment to expand the department’s in-house materials/signage production capabilities. Offer student internships in design, production, and marketing. 

Alumni engagement | Evan Kravitz, Director - Career Success Center; Summer Applegate, Director - Workforce Cervices; Jane Marsh, Executive Director - RRCC Foundation; Jamal Bowen, Entrepreneurship Center Manager

Engage alumni across Career Services, Workforce Services, the Foundation, and the Entrepreneurship Center. Create career mentorship, internship, networking, extracurricular, and other opportunities for students; boost alumni donations; and foster alumni pride. 

STUDENT PROJECTS

Adult student peer mentoring program and welcome event | Ariana Lazo, Student Representative for the Adult Student Advocacy Collective (ASAC)

Plan a fall 2025 welcome event for adult students, and develop a mentorship program that supports adult students’ sense of belonging and academic success.

Campus-wide composting program and recycling education campaign | Ariana Lazo, Student Representative for Phi Theta Kappa (PTK)

Introduce a composting project and a recycling education campaign to increase the Red Rocks community’s sustainability awareness. 

The award winners will begin planning their projects over summer 2025. 

“Those who submitted proposals accepted the challenge to dream big and make Red Rocks better, and I’m so impressed with their passion,” continues Dr. Pirius. “I look forward to seeing our grant recipients carry out their visions and their incredible projects come to fruition.”