Published: October 27, 2008 11:06 am            

Central College receives grant from Kresge

Central College was recognized by The Kresge Foundation with a prestigious capital challenge grant of $850,000. The very selective grant will assist funding of Central’s new education and psychology building. The grant is made on a challenge basis to help Central raise the balance required to complete funding the building project.

In order to receive the award, Central must raise $3.59 million to complete the funding of the education and psychology building. To date, Central has raised $4.89 million for the education and psychology building.

“We, at Central College, are both delighted and humbled by this terrific grant from The Kresge Foundation,” said David Roe, president of Central College. “This vote of confidence in Central’s envisioned future underscores for us the value that discerning professionals from outside the Central family place on our efforts to lead by example and serve our society by educating tomorrow’s leaders and teachers.”

Central’s education and psychology building project is underway and will be completed in time for the start of the fall 2009 semester. Central is committed to its students as well as energy conservation and environmental responsibility. The new 57,460-gross square foot building is being built with U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) elements. Central hopes to receive a platinum rating, the highest rating given by the U.S. Green Building Council. The building will be the third on campus with a LEED rating. Central was the first campus in Iowa to have two LEED-certified buildings. The other two include the Vermeer Science Center, the first LEED-rated building in Iowa, which received a silver rating and Howard McKee Hall, the first residence hall in Iowa to receive LEED certification earning a gold rating.

In a letter to Central College from Rip Rapson, president and CEO of The Kresge Foundation, Rapson identified Central for its leadership in sustainability stating, “Your construction of Iowa’s first platinum building is helping set new standards for sustainable design.” Rapson went on to say, “Your high percentage of first-generation college students represents a commendable commitment to providing opportunities to [serve those] students.”

The building brings together two of Central’s largest and most distinguished academic departments. Additionally, it captures more of the latent synergies entailed in the closer collaboration it affords to Central’s office of community-based learning, which also will move to the new building.

The Kresge Foundation is a national, private foundation that seeks to influence the quality of life for future generations by creating access and opportunity for the organization’s six fields of focused interest: health, the environment, arts and culture, education, human services and community development. In 2007, the foundation awarded 283 grants totaling $178.5 million with the majority of the awards going to nonprofit organizations in the United States.

To make a donation to the education and psychology building to help Central meet the Kresge challenge, contact the advancement office toll-free at 800-447-0287.

        

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