The Plum Creek Foundation has awarded Santa Fe College a $50,000 grant to be used for the expansion of SF’s Blount Center located in downtown Gainesville. Dr,. Ssser was on hand to receive the donation at a special check presentation ceremony yesterday, at SF’s Center for Innovation and Economic Development (CIED). Grant funds will help finance construction of a new classroom building at the Blount Center.
“We understand the high standards and commitment to economic development, sustainability and integrity for which Plum Creek is known,” Dr. Sasser said. “We are grateful for this generous contribution from the Plum Creek Foundation and will work to uphold the values of this great company and the college.”
The Blount Center expansion will allow SF to better serve students who are co-enrolled at the University of Florida, working students in the downtown and area and students living in east Gainesville.
The ultimate goal is to transform the Blount Center into a fully operating SF campus with an emphasis on business education. This will allow for increased educational access in east Gainesville, leading to a well-educated and well-trained workforce to support the needs of local employers.
“We are pleased to support Santa Fe College as it expands into downtown Gainesville. This campus will serve the growing demand for education on the east side of Alachua County, and it’s very exciting. As we work to create a vision of the future in Alachua county through the Envision Alachua process, we know a well-educated and trained workforce is a fundamental building block,” said Todd Powell, senior director of real estate for Plum Creek. “Santa Fe was recently named one of the top 10 colleges in the country, but we know it as our community’s college and Plum Creek is proud to support its growth and expansion.”
The Plum Creek Foundation supports organizations that improve the quality of life in the communities in which they operate and where their employees live and work. Grants are awarded to non-profit organizations throughout Plum Creek’s operating area. In 2010, the Foundation provided more than $1.4 million to communities across the United States.
Read more in the Gainesville Sun.
