PIQUA — The Edison Foundation recently received grants from two local foundations on behalf of Edison State Community College. The Piqua Community Foundation provided a $5,600 grant to support a microscope replacement project for the College’s biology program and a $1,500 grant for the Edison State Student Needs Team’s Feed Me Market C project. The microscope project also received a $5,000 grant from the Miami County Foundation.

Students in Edison State’s General Biology, Microbiology, and Anatomy & Physiology classes use microscopes on a weekly basis to study body tissues, mitosis, meiosis, and other organisms with cellular biology. However, many of the microscopes currently used have been in the labs for several decades. Grant funding will allow the department to replace outdated microscopes, ensuring the College has the quality resources needed to help students achieve their learning objectives for biology coursework. Ultimately, updated microscopes will provide better learning and strengthen instruction.

“We really appreciate the opportunity to provide the type of equipment our students would use in the workforce,” said Erin Reese, Associate Professor of Biology and Science Lab Coordinator at Edison State. “We couldn’t do this without community support from the Miami County Foundation and the Piqua Community Foundation. Providing working microscopes gives students the confidence and competence to develop working laboratory and clinical skills.”

The Feed Me Market C project aims to help College Credit Plus (CCP) students access a balanced lunch when taking classes on campus. The CCP program allows high school students to earn college and high school credit concurrently, and students who would ordinarily receive free and reduced lunches at their high school are expected to pay out of pocket if not at their high school during lunch. This pilot program will help provide Piqua High School CCP students taking classes at Edison State’s Piqua Campus with funding to utilize Market C, the self-service micro-market available on campus.

“The Student Needs Team has been so fortunate to receive support from our community to help provide for our students who are experiencing food insecurity,” said Dr. Amanda Bylczynski, Assistant Dean for Accreditation and Academic Effectiveness at Edison State. “We can’t thank the Piqua Community Foundation enough for recognizing the need of Piqua students taking CCP classes at Edison State and allowing us to run a pilot program to ensure they have access to nutritious meals and snacks. This allows students to focus on their academics and not on figuring out how to study and take exams on an empty stomach.”

The Edison Foundation assists Edison State in meeting its education and community service goals by providing resources to advance student success. The Edison Foundation accomplishes this through scholarships, student emergency assistance, employee mini-grants, and capital improvement.