The Augusta Technical College Foundation is holding its first ever online giving day event. It will be on Tuesday, Sept. 27.
That will be part of the Founders’ Week activities from Sept. 26 through Sept. 30. The college celebrated its 60th birthday in 2021.
Dr. Jermaine Whirl, Augusta Tech’s president, said funds raised will help pay for classroom equipment, professional development for instructors and, most importantly, scholarships for students.
“We haven’t always been public about the challenges that our students need, the funding that can help them get over the threshold,” he said. “And we felt that allowing people to give online, you know, PC or mobile app, would be advantageous. And we’re just going to be curious to kind of see our responses. But our goal is really to increase the amount of scholarships that our foundation can award.”
Whirl said this event plays right into the college’s theme for 2022, “Accelerating Opportunities.”
“A way that we can accelerate what we’re doing on behalf of our students, and support a workforce, we’re trying to do it. And so, timing is right,” he said.
The press release announcing the Founders’ Week activities and giving day event included comments from some current Augusta Tech students.
“Your support would mean that there is a greater chance for my peers and me to succeed and have a better chance of getting into our field of choice,” said Emma Dusseau, a computer programming student.
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“Your support means we will have the ability to further bolster and modernize our training facilities to better equip our students for the modern advancements being made through all levels of industry in our ever-advancing communities,” said industrial systems technology student Jon Landrum.
Those training facilities will soon include a 65,000 square foot facility in the former Johnson Motor Company at Walton Way near 11th Street.
The facility will allow Augusta Tech to expand its automotive training disciplines. Currently, there are six certification programs and one diploma program. With the new center, that will increase to 16 certification programs including new ones related to auto body and collision repair, heavy diesel and electrical vehicle repair.
The goal is to have the center ready by the end of the year and begin to bring in students in early 2023.
“We have another announcement that we’re going to be having another investment in the downtown corridor soon,” said Whirl. We have a third facility that we will be announcing downtown. And again, it’s going to be a transformative project. And so again, the ability to accelerate what it is we’re doing and really accelerate our students’ abilities to be able to fund their education and graduate and go to work.”
Augusta Tech is also moving forward with its partnership with Piedmont Augusta to transform the Summerville Hospital into its new health science campus, scheduled to open in January.
Other Founders’ Week activities will include inducting alumni into the Den of Distinction, the school’s hall of fame for graduates.
“These are individuals that have graduated and have gone on to do phenomenal things either here in the region or in the country. We’re very pleased that we get 10 outstanding graduates, that will be here on that Friday evening, Sept. 30, where we will formally induct them, and we will be able to hear their story,” Whirl said.
The online portal for donations to the foundation opened on Aug. 29 at https://www.gagives.org/organization/Augusta-Technical-College-Foundation Donations can be made through Sept. 27.
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a general assignment reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com
