Request for College Proposals
Frequently Asked Questions
Metallica Scholars Initiative
Deadlines and format
When is the grant proposal deadline?
The deadline is Friday, June 4, 2021, by noon ET.
How should I submit?
The complete application package should be submitted electronically in a single file labeled “{INSERT YOUR COLLEGE NAME HERE}_Metallica Scholars Initiative_2021”. The subject line of your e-mail should be: MSI – {INSERT YOUR COLLEGE’S FULL NAME}. Submit electronically in one e-mail to Jen Worth at jworth@aacc.nche.edu. Early submissions are welcomed.
What is the proposal format?
Applicants will submit their responses to the RFP in a 100 point-valued application. Ten pages maximum on 8.5”x11” paper in single-spaced Calibri font 11-point.
Requirements
Who is eligible to apply to become a Metallica Scholars Initiative College?
Applicants must be current AACC member community colleges and ensure membership within AACC during the period of performance of this initiative. If you are unsure whether your community college is currently an AACC member, please go to the AACC’s community college finder page at https://www.aacc.nche.edu/college-finder/
The initial requirement for applicants to be located in the communities within 50 miles of where Metallica performed during their United States tours from 2017 to their 2019 listings has been lifted.
What fields of study are eligible for Metallica Scholars Initiative funding?
Each of the applicants will identify their unique labor market needs and target student populations. Metallica Scholars Initiative is open to programs of study defined as career and technical education.
Grant Financials
What is the amount awarded?
Grant awards will be made for a total of $100,000 for the one-year grant period including travel support to attend a project meeting (as permissible). The grant period is June 1, 2021 – May 31, 2022.
Does this funding include travel costs?
As a collective group, AACC will convene the eight (8) sites twice annually, the first virtually in the fall of 2021 and the second in conjunction with AACC’s annual Workforce Development Institute (WDI) 2022 in Jacksonville, Fl in January 2022. Colleges should plan for a minimum of two consistent staff participating in the in-person meetings currently scheduled to take place at AACC’s annual Workforce Development Institute (3-days/2-nights) meeting.
What support should Metallica Scholars Initiative funding include?
Funds may be used for college personnel time, and staff travel expenses in conjunction with the two convenings, however, the majority of the funds are intended to ensure students receive skills that will make them competitive in the marketplace. Purchase of student safety gear, learning materials, scholarships or tuition offset, childcare and transportation assistance, etc. are all eligible.
Technical Assistance
What are the benefits of the Metallica Scholars Initiative?
Selected sites will receive regular technical assistance by AACC and AWMH on identifying, implementing and leveraging collaborative opportunities with local and national partners. This technical assistance will be conducted through collective phone calls, video conference meetings, individual regular touch-points with each college engaged, and mobilizing of colleges with associated national partners at virtual and in-person convenings. AACC and AWMH will coach each site and provide customized technical support for each college.
Each of the colleges will be tasked with promoting their efforts to build the branding for career and technical education (e.g. local, regional, or statewide media) to elevate the visibility of the initiative as a whole. AACC and AWMH Foundation will coordinate to identify and support the selected colleges with templates and strategies on how to design and disseminate appropriate messages nationally.
Commitment
Who should be on the Metallica Scholars team?
Colleges must identify a team of at least three individuals consistent with their proposal comprised of some combination of the president, a workforce and economic development college leader (e.g. vice president or dean), and/or an economic development partner or employer/s led by their primary college contact. This cohort is mandatory to ensure that despite any staffing turnover that may occur, the initiative will continue without interruption. The consistency of participation by these same individuals on group communications and/or in-person meetings with AACC and the AWMH Foundation is viewed as essential for the success of this effort.
Colleges should have a presence on regular group and individual calls and webinars, as well as to contribute to shared products and be receptive to technical assistance and modification of their activities based on findings from the shared group related to their proposal and the shared outcomes.
Selection Process
How will Metallica Scholars Initiative colleges proposal be reviewed?
AACC and AWMH Foundation will review all applications and score them on the 100-point scale. At least three reviewers will score every application. The final colleges will be selected with the funder’s approval.
How many community colleges will be selected for the Metallica Scholars Initiative project?
Up to eight community colleges will be selected to be part of the Metallica Scholars Initiative.
When will we hear if our college has been accepted?
AACC intends to notify applicants (selected and non-selected) by June 2021.