Washington, DC – Today U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) announced a $67,300 Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grant for the Allegany College of Maryland’s STEM Enhancement project. The federal funding will be matched by $67,300 in local funds for a project total of $134,600.

“ARC continues to deliver important federal investments for Allegany County. This federal investment in our students’ future is good news for western Maryland and an example what we should be doing across the country,” said Senator Cardin. “A strong STEM education opens doors to good quality jobs and the know how to move our economy forward.”

“Maryland’s success depends on the strength of every region of our state, and the Appalachian Regional Commission has been a vital source of job-creating investments in Western Maryland,” said Senator Van Hollen, member of the Senate Appropriations and Budget Committees. “This grant for Allegany College is a smart investment to equip our students with the skills they need for in-demand, high-tech jobs, and I will continue to fight against efforts by the Trump Administration to eliminate the ARC.”

The grant will be used to prepare the regional workforce for STEM-related careers. Equipment such as a chemistry spectrometer, a chemical hygiene cabinet, and CO2 gas sensors will be purchased to help students better quantify data and improve scientific reasoning skills.

The ARC received $152 million in the FY 2017 appropriations bill, up from the previous year’s $144 million. Since its creation, ARC has invested in 25,000 projects across Appalachia, creating nearly 312,000 jobs and generating $10 billion in added earnings for the region. After President Trump proposed eliminated ARC’s funding with his 2017 budget proposal, Senators Cardin and Van Hollen joined a bipartisan group of colleagues urging the president to reconsider and work with Congress to find the funds necessary. Their full letter can be found here.  

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