Strada Education Network selected MiraCosta College's Biomanufacturing program to receive a grant through Strada’s Employer and Community College Partnership Challenge. Strada awarded this $400,000 grant as part of an effort to support innovative collaborations across the country between community colleges and employers in their region. MiraCosta College also will participate with Strada in a community of practice to learn from other select community college-employer partnerships around the country. 

Within the grant, MiraCosta College will collaborate with Sterogene Bioseparations and Open Biopharma Research and Training Institute Overview. 

Sterogene Bioseparations is privately held company headquartered in Carlsbad, California. The company develops and manufactures stable, NaOH affinity chromatography resins that are used in the purification of human blood products and biopharmaceuticals, the company has evolved into being a key supplier of chromatography resins and services to some of the world’s largest biopharmaceutical companies. 

Open Biopharma Research and Training Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to reduce the price of biopharmaceuticals, and thus reduce drug prices.  Their goal is to drive innovation that reduces the cost of biopharma manufacturing and as an educational institution, to ensure the training of life sciences professionals for the newest biopharmaceutical manufacturing and related technologies. 

In addition to MiraCosta College, 10 other colleges received grants:

Broward College, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Carl Albert State College, Sallisaw, Oklahoma

Community College of Rhode Island, Warwick, Rhode Island 

Green River College, Auburn, Washington

Honolulu Community College, Honolulu, Hawaii

Ivy Tech Community College, Indianapolis, Indiana

Pima County Community College, Tucson, Arizona

Salt Lake Community College, Salt Lake City, Utah

Surry Community College, Dobson, North Carolina

West Georgia Technical College, La Grange, Georgia

“At Strada, we believe in investing in innovative solutions that deliver results beyond completion,” Strada Education Network President and CEO Stephen Moret said. “Community colleges have long played a critical role by serving the dynamic needs of both learners and employers in their communities. We are thrilled to have the chance to support college leaders and employers who are coming together to provide timely opportunities for learners.”

Strada Education Network created this grant-making initiative as the first step in a strategy to partner with community colleges to support stronger local economies and communities. This represents Strada’s first major investment in the transformative potential of the community college sector and a recognition that community colleges have a unique capacity to address changing local workforce needs. The initiative aims to improve employment and socioeconomic outcomes after degree or credential completion for students who historically have faced significant barriers to economic mobility.

“Community colleges are engines of opportunity with unique insight into local dynamics and needs,” Strada Impact President Ruth V. Watkins said. “We’re honored to both support and learn from these programs as we work to align measures of success beyond completion with the things that matter most to learners: career mobility and earning potential, meaningful work and the chance to contribute to their communities.”