Metallica’s foundation will offer North Idaho Community College and Spokane Community College students a $100,000 grant to fund traditional trade education.
NIC and SCC are two of ten community colleges nationwide chosen through a competitive proposal process to receive $100,000 to support students training to enter the American workforce. The Metallica Scholars Initiative grant is funded by Metallica’s All Within My Hands Foundation.
The Metallica Scholars partnered with the American Association of Community Colleges, a Washington, D.C. based organization that represents the nation’s 1,103 community colleges, to design awards, like this one, that provide support for relevant job skill-training for community college students. The students of the chosen schools will become the first cohorts of Metallica Scholars.
The ten chosen colleges are all based in and around stops on Metallica’s 2017-2019 WorldWired Tour.
“All of us in the band feel fortunate that music has provided us the opportunity to be successful doing something we are passionate about,” Metallica drummer and co-founder Lars Ulrich said. “We want to share our success with others so that they can find a job where they can do the same.”
Spokane Community College said it plans to use the funds to serve adults in the community who may need to get their GED or need extra support, which might include financial support, additional staff support or special classes.
"It is really exciting for us at SCC to know that our partnership with Metallica is going to result in direct assistance in getting our returning adult students into high-demand career and technical fields and on to a prosperous career," SCC President Kevin Brockbank said. "The mission of the All Within My Hands Foundation runs parallel to our mission at SCC and we are honored to be in partnership with the foundation and the greatest rock band ever."