Holy Cross College is excited to announce it has been awarded a Phase II Digital Skills Accelerator grant of $200,000 by the LIFT Network, a regional consortium that supports innovation and workforce development.
The funds will establish a new computer science undergraduate minor within the College. Holy Cross will also offer non-degree certificate programs for non-computer science minors to incumbent and adult workers that train around key coding/computer programming languages such as C++, Python, and other emerging areas. The College will also deliver dual enrollment computer science courses and has established agreements with area K-12 districts and partners.
“Introducing computer science to our curriculum is innovative because it builds on the College’s recent focus on STEM disciplines within the context of a liberal arts education. This grant will enable undergraduates an on-campus solution to their technology interests and close an important institutional skill gap by offering students a foundation of comprehensive computer skills. These skills are foundational for many occupations, and drive local technology and support regional economic growth,” said Holy Cross College President Rev. David T. Tyson, C.S.C.
Holy Cross College is launching a computer science minor this fall, with courses ranging from Computer Security to Principles of AI to Algorithm Development. With this opportunity, Holy Cross computer science minors hone their programming skills and learn to apply the latest technology to real-world problems.
The grant stem from the LIFT Network’s Digital Skills Accelerator Fund, which is facilitated by the South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership and the University of Notre Dame. The LIFT Network is a regional consortium of colleges and non-profits, led by the University of Notre Dame and the South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership. Funding to catalyze the network is made possible by a $42.4 million Lilly Endowment Inc. grant to Notre Dame, awarded in 2019.
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The Labs for Industry Futures and Transformation (LIFT) Network was established to formalize the collaborative opportunities among the South Bend – Elkhart Region’s innovation, R&D, workforce training and educational assets to provide a comprehensive portfolio of cutting-edge resources to support advancement in the region’s key industrial sectors. Collectively these efforts will support the South Bend – Elkhart region through the transformation to an increasingly digital and automated future, enhancing the current manufacturing base with new business models, technologies and tailored workforce training programs while accelerating new high-tech sector growth in the region. For more information about the LIFT Network, visit liftsbe.org.
LIFT Network and the associated iNDustry Labs at Notre Dame were catalyzed by a $42.4 million grant awarded to the University of Notre Dame in 2019 from Lilly Endowment Inc. The grant supports Notre Dame’s partnership with the South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership in establishing and advancing the LIFT Network.