Meadville, Pa. -- February 15, 2004 -- The Richard King Mellon Foundation has given $780,000 to enhance Allegheny College's academic support and environmental education outreach programs.
The grant provides $600,000 to support the Learning Commons, the centerpiece in re-structuring Pelletier Library to incorporate all the academic support services available on campus for both faculty and students. The Learning Commons is organized around three centers: the Reference and Communication Center, the Technology Support Center, and the Academic Support Center. In the Learning Commons, students can learn effective strategies for organizing ideas for a paper, getting the most from reading their textbooks, developing an oral presentation, using software to analyze their Senior Project data, and more. In addition, the Learning Commons provides support for students with disabilities.
The remaining $180,000 will support Creek Connections, a collaboration between Allegheny College and public school districts in western Pennsylvania and New York. Creek Connections emphasizes a hands-on, inquiry-based investigation of local waterways. The project provides K-12 teachers with equipment and supplies, instructional modules, professional development, and college student liaisons, who assist with ongoing water investigations in their classes. Creek Connections reached more than 6,000 students in New York and western Pennsylvania last year.
