ALPENA — Alpena Community College received word this week that it was awarded a five-year, $2.25 million Strengthening Institutions grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Dawn Stone, ACC dean of workforce development, said Thursday the college will receive $450,000 each year to expand the nursing program, improve student services, and strengthen the college’s endowment.

“They’re hard grants to get because they’re flexible and useful,” ACC President Don MacMaster said. “Our team did a lot of work in a short period of time.”

The nursing program expansion correlates with the college’s Van Lare Hall renovation project, Stone said.

MacMaster said $380,000 in manikins will be purchased with the grant. Those were originally supposed to be purchased with college money.

“That was certainly one of the pieces why we went after the grant,” MacMaster said.

The student services aspect will help students deal with the things going on outside the classroom so they can do better inside the classroom. Amanda Dort, learning technology technician, said a survey was sent to students last year, asking for their top three needs. Results of that survey were part of the college’s grant application.

Dort said receiving the grant is good for the college, because everyone will benefit from it in some way.

“I think, even though we have the three separate objectives, it still benefits the whole institution,” Dort said.

Stone said the equipment for the nursing program and the Van Lare Hall renovation will both have a large impact on the nursing workforce.

“It’s really fantastic,” Stone said.

Julie Goldberg can be reached at 989-358-5688 or jgoldberg@thealpenanews.com. Follow her on Twitter @jkgoldberg12.