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A new initiative at Guilford Tech will provide green vans to bring students and community members to campus.
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As part of a $5 million grant, Guilford Technical Community College in North Carolina will purchase two electric-powered 15-person vans to transport local residents to campus. The program will provide reliable transportation for students and other community members for day and evening events, GTCC president Anthony Clarke says.
The need: Transportation is one of the largest nonacademic challenges for GTCC students, Clarke says: “With 59 percent of the student population identifying as minority, 56 percent eligible for Pell Grants and 30 percent living at or below the poverty line, unreliable or unavailable transportation often prevents individuals from accessing classes, job fairs and other campus opportunities.”
A 2021 report found only 57 percent of primary community college campuses are within half a mile of a transit stop, but 99 percent of community college students commute to school.
Students’ proximity to a community college is also associated with higher rates of college going and degree completion for first-time and transfer students. Distance from a community college was more likely to impact students from low-income and first-generation backgrounds, as well, perpetuating equity concerns.
Even for students who do have access to their own transportation, research from Florida Atlantic University found a connection between poor mental health of commuter students and their likelihood to be in a car crash, which could further impact students’ retention and completion, as well as their mental and physical health.
The new vans will provide accessible transportation for students to participate in curricular and extracurricular activities, as well as increase access for residents to engage in the new skilled trades program launching at GTCC, Clarke says.
The college is still establishing program specifics and will partner with community members to ensure it promotes access and opportunities widely.
“With the addition of the electric vans, GTCC is reinforcing its commitment to making education inclusive, accessible and impactful for all students,” Clarke says.
Going green: The grant was provided by the Environmental Protection Agency to the Southwest Renewal Foundation in High Point, which totals $18.5 million for a series of projects in the area. While some other grantees have had their funding suspended or found payment systems frozen, GTCC is still receiving funds, according to a college spokesperson.
In addition to funding transportation, the grant will be applied to renovation of GTCC’s Johnson Warehouse to support the Skilled Trades Center, which houses three programs—HVAC and hotel and apartment maintenance—and will also hold a fourth to be determined.
“Once completed, the renovated facilities will be used to train approximately 75 students per year for green jobs that are projected to provide at least $40,000 a year in earnings and an annual economic impact of $3 million for the community,” according to a college press release.
Students taking classes in the skilled trades center will be supported by a full-time career navigator to help them train for green jobs in the community, as well as support their academic success.
The college will install an EV charging station on the High Point campus, further supporting green energy efforts.
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