(TAMPA, Fla.) – Hillsborough Community College has been awarded a $100,000 Entrepreneurship Education and Training (EET) grant from the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE). This competitive program seeks to fund innovative EET projects, cultivating entrepreneurial mindsets and capabilities in career and technical education (CTE) students.
“HCC is dedicated to developing a talent pipeline to help support Tampa Bay’s flourishing entrepreneurship community,” HCC President Dr. Ken Atwater said. “This grant, combined with our robust program offerings, will allow us to equip individuals with the training they need to succeed.”
In partnership with Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS), the grant seeks to spearhead a comprehensive entrepreneurship education and training program Innovators in Action to serve Career and Technical Education (CTE) educators and students of the Tampa Bay area. This project's overarching objective is to drive a dynamic CTE entrepreneurial environment by scaling an immersive education and training experience across multiple CTE career pathways that impact the way educators think, students learn, and how businesses engage with CTE programs. Grant efforts will reach across the bay with a joint pitch competition in collaboration with St. Petersburg College and Pinellas County Schools.
The College was awarded the high-impact funding investment tier, meaning the program must include a minimum of three initiatives or activities related to EET. HCC was one of 22 Florida educational institutions included in this initiative, and one of 12 to receive the high funding tier. Additional tiers include medium-high and medium, which are awarded $50,000 and $25,000, respectively.
For more information about the EET grant, please visit http://www.fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu/funding-opportunities/2020-2021-funding-opportunities/perkins.stml.
Hillsborough Community College serves more than 47,000 students annually at its five campuses located throughout Tampa Bay. The College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. For more information, visit hccfl.edu.