12 Franklin County students named to STCC dean’s list
SPRINGFIELD — Twelve Franklin County students have been named to the dean’s list at Springfield Technical Community College for the fall semester. They are:
Hailey Lyn Jackson of Erving; Daniel Ware of Gill; Patrick McGrevy of Northfield; James Gonzalez, Brooke Meuse and Kimberly Todd, all of Orange; Emily Page of Shelburne Falls; Matthew L. Kinder of Shutesbury; Yasmin Yenny Garcia of South Deerfield; Annalise Celeste Zera of Sunderland; and Laura Cioclea and Deepa Khanal, both of Turners Falls.
To be named to the dean’s list, degree-seeking students must earn 12 or more college-level credits in the current semester, or a total of 12 or more combined college-level credits between the fall and spring semesters. They must also earn at least a 3.3 grade point average.
Tech Foundry receives $2.35M grant
SPRINGFIELD — Tech Foundry, an information technology workforce development and training organization, was recently awarded a four-year grant totaling $2.35 million from The Ceres Foundation, representing the largest award in Tech Foundry’s history.
While some of the funding will cover general operating expenses, the majority of the grant money will be used to enhance the organization’s data systems and fund stipends for alumni and students of Tech Foundry’s IT workforce training program, which was recently renamed Tech Launch. Details about the program can be found at thetechfoundry.org/stipend.
“We are incredibly grateful to The Ceres Foundation and humbled by their faith in our mission,” Tech Foundry CEO Tricia Canavan said in a statement. “As an organization, we have been seeking a way to fund stipends for our students since the program’s inception. This initiative is a game-changer for those seeking alternative pathways for career growth. It is our hope that the stipends funded by Ceres will allow individuals, who were previously unable to join our programs, the means to invest in their futures.
“In addition, the operational dollars awarded by Ceres will catalyze the priorities of our new three-year strategic plan, which is focused on growth and serving more people and communities,” Canavan continued. “Funding for new data systems will allow Tech Foundry to better track and analyze our programs, making real-time strategy adjustments and evaluating longitudinal impact, which will improve outcomes for those we serve.”
Tech Foundry is accepting applications for its spring 2026 cohort, which begins on Feb. 9 and will run for 18 weeks. The deadline to apply is Jan. 16.
For more information, visit thetechfoundry.org/cohort-application. To learn more about the Ceres Foundation and the projects it funds, go to ceresgiving.org.
Flexible Funding grants awarded to 123 nonprofits
SPRINGFIELD — The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts has announced the distribution of nearly $3.35 million in unrestricted grant funding through its Flexible Funding cycle, supporting 123 nonprofits across Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden counties. Funding may be used to advance each nonprofit’s mission, strengthen operations, support staff or respond to evolving community needs.
“Flexible Funding has played a critical role in strengthening our nonprofit sector,” Denise Hurst, vice president of community impact and partnerships, said in a statement. “Our approach has helped us to support the sector’s stability, responsiveness and the long-term impact they have in their communities.”
The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts has also received an increase in support for its next grant cycle. The MassMutual Foundation has committed $1 million toward 2027 Flexible Funding grants.
“The MassMutual Foundation’s increased investment allows us to expand and refine our Flexible Funding support so that it best responds to the needs of the moment,” Megan Burke, the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts’ president and CEO, said in a statement. “It comes at a time when many nonprofit organizations are navigating reduced or uncertain federal funding this year and allows us to shape resources in ways that increase their impact, strengthen leadership and ensure organizations have what they need to serve their communities today and into the years ahead.”
Of the 123 nonprofits to receive funding, recipients with locations in Franklin County include The Art Garden, Artspace Community Arts Center, Ashfield Community Preschool, The Brick House Community Resource Center, the Center for New Americans, the Children’s Advocacy Center of Franklin County and North Quabbin, Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA), Double Edge Theatre, the Franklin County Community Development Corporation, Greenfield Community Television, LaunchSpace, The LAVA Center, Looky Here, the Memorial Hall Association in Shelburne Falls, Musica Franklin, Piti Theatre Co., the Resilience Center of Franklin County, the Shea Theater Arts Center, Silverthorne Theater Co., Stone Soup Cafe, The Heartwing Center, The Literacy Project and Weathervane Community Arts. Some grant recipients serve multiple counties.