Yuma, Arizona - Arizona’s Senator McCain and Congressman Gosar’s offices contacted Arizona Western College on September 27, 2016 to notify that the Informatics-STEMing Into New Careers for Today and Tomorrow (INSTINCT2) proposal had been funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, Hispanic Serving Institutions Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (HIS-STEM) and Articulation Program.

This grant will be in the amount of $1.2M of discretionary funding for the period of 10/1/16 through 9/30/17 with anticipated funding for four subsequent years; for a total anticipated award of $5,955,854. The funds will help develop and carry out activities to improve and expand the College’s capacity to serve Hispanic and other low-income students.

In cooperation with the University of Arizona South (UA South), the project will establish multiple local pathways for AWC students to attain a STEM degree in Informatics with specialization opportunities in system administration, software development, information management, or educational technology.

Centered in San Luis, INSTINCT2 will develop a synergistic network of evidence-based student services while developing and enhancing curriculum in order to provide innovative courses that use the latest technology to provide hands-on experiences that allow students to make connections between courses, disciplines, technology and the larger world.

There were 254 applicants of which 91 proposals were funded.  Of funded proposals, 46 were community colleges.  AWC was one of 2 projects funded in the State of Arizona.