Guam Community College

GCC receives federal grant to furnish Learning Resource Center

The Guam Community College received word this morning from the Department of Interior that the college will receive nearly $320,000 from Interior’s Operations and Maintenance Improvement Program (OMIP) to supply its new Learning Resource Center with recyclable furniture and collateral equipment. The $4.3 million building, which will be the first LEED- certified building for the government of Guam, is being paid for through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Construction of the 22,000 square foot, two-story LRC is expected to be finished in September of this year.

GCC President Dr. Mary Okada had initially requested the funding from Interior Asst. Secretary Tony Babauta during the ribbon cutting for the Anthony A. Leon Guerrero Allied Health Center last December, when Babauta commented on the construction of LRC. Dr. Okada then submitted a formal request for the grant money when she visited Babauta’s office in Washington D.C. in February. This morning, when Babauta signed an executive order with Gov. Felix Camacho regarding renewable energy efforts on the island, he also signed the GCC grant award for the LRC furniture.

“We are glad that, following the news of our ninth consecutive clean audit, Interior deems us fiscally responsible enough to give us more money,” Dr. Okada said of the grant award. “We feel we have to take advantage of this funding for capital improvements while it is available in order to prepare for the continued increase in enrollment that we expect because of the military buildup.”

Secretary Babauta was also on hand when President Okada signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials today. GCC is partnering with the U.S. EPA in a community education program of environmental awareness.

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