MANSFIELD — North Central State College has joined 17 other schools nationwide as a new member of the Metallica Scholars Initiative, expanding the workforce education program to 93 campuses in its eighth year.
The selection includes a $75,000 grant funded by All Within My Hands, a nonprofit organization founded by the rock band Metallica.
The funding will support and enhance the health sciences and nursing programs at North Central State College.
“Our nursing students are already bringing the heart, determination, and effort it takes to succeed,” said Leesa Cox, dean of health sciences at North Central State College.
“Thanks to the Metallica Scholars program, they’ll have even more support to keep moving forward. This investment isn’t just helping students earn a degree, it’s helping build a stronger healthcare system for our region,” Cox said.
All Within My Hands announced more than $3.3 million in funding for this eighth year of the initiative, marking its largest single grant cycle to date. The 18 new U.S. institutions will join 75 returning community colleges this fall.
“This thing started as a dream. Now our program is changing lives,” Metallica frontman James Hetfield said.
“To expand our impact on a global scale and support even more students is so rewarding. We’re so proud of all the Metallica Scholars who have come through it and all the ones who will participate in it.”
The initiative runs in partnership with the Washington, D.C.-based American Association of Community Colleges. Since its launch in 2019, the program has expanded from traditional trades like welding, plumbing, and electrical work into fields such as nursing, optical systems technology, automotive repair, maritime manufacturing, firefighting, EMT, and agriculture.
According to DeRionne P. Pollard, president and CEO of the AACC, the initiative has already supported 13,000 community college students nationwide.
Peter Delgrosso, executive director of All Within My Hands, noted that the eighth year expects to add nearly 4,000 students in the U.S. and more than 1,000 learners in the United Kingdom, representing a 40% increase in enrollment.
The foundation also renewed its corporate partnerships with Carhartt, Wolverine, CNH Construction, and Upstaging Inc., and added ServiceTitan as a new partner.
The 18 newly added institutions include:
- Barton Community College in Great Bend, Kansas
- Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield, Mass.
- Central Maine Community College in Auburn, Maine
- Delaware County Community College in Media, Pa.
- Dutchess Community College in Fairview, N.Y.
- Fletcher Technical Community College in Terrebonne Parish, La.
- Lake Region State College in Devils Lake, N.D.
- Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City, Mo.
- Monroe Community College in Rochester, N.Y.
- Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, Ill.
- North Central State College in Mansfield
- Northeast State Community College in Blountville, Tenn.
- Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia, Miss.
- Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg Township, N.J.
- Riverside City College in Riverside, Calif.
- South Texas College in McAllen, Texas
- Trident Technical College in North Charleston, S.C.
- William Rainey Harper College in Palatine, Ill.
North Central State College serves students at campuses and success centers in Mansfield, Shelby, and Bucyrus, offering bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, and certificates.
All Within My Hands was established in 2017. The band covers all administrative costs so that 100% of external donations go directly to local programs. To date, the foundation has provided $19 million in career and technical education grants, $8.8 million to combat food insecurity, and $6.2 million for disaster relief worldwide.
The AACC represents the nation’s public, not-for-profit community colleges, advocating for institutions that serve more than 10 million students.
