Fairfax, VA – February 13, 2025 – Claude Moore Charitable Foundation recently granted $391,543.75 to the Blue Ridge Partnership for Health Science Careers of Virginia (Blue Ridge Partnership) to fund health science educational programming in schools in multiple locations across Southwest Virginia. The grant is the fourth grant to the Blue Ridge Partnership by CMCF, bringing total giving to $826,544 to help increase the opportunities for experiential learning opportunities for students of all ages and stages of career development.
“This funding not only supports education but also supports the communities in which it will be utilized. Students and their families will benefit from expanded educational opportunities and th opportunity to graduate high school with the ability to step directly into a well-paying healthcare
career,” said J. Hamilton Lambert, CEO of CMCF. “Communities will benefit from a trained an job-ready talent pool that fulfills regional employer needs for life science and health science career occupations.
“The Commonwealth continues to experience huge gaps between the need for healthcare services and available healthcare professionals to provide them. The Claude Moore Foundation is proud to support the Blue Ridge Partnership in its quest to fill the need through tailore workforce development training programs in public school systems,” Lambert continued.
The Blue Ridge Partnership is a collaboration of educators, employers and workforce and economic development professionals in GO Virginia Region 2, which includes the areas of Roanoke, New River Valley, Alleghany and Greater Lynchburg. The employer-led coalition
follows a collective impact model to align and integrate actions of more than 54 stakeholder groups, all striving to support the emerging health and life sciences sector. Funding from Claude Moore will support the following areas and programs:
- Alleghany County Schools: $50,000
- Eagle Rock Ruritan Club Science and STEM Festival: $1,500
- Franklin County High School: $6,500
- Lynchburg City schools: $30,000
- Pulaski County schools: $50,000
- Radford City Schools: $7,500
- Roanoke City Schools: $25,000
- Roanoke County Public Schools – $37,986
- Rockbridge County schools: $60,000
- Salem City Schools: $58,057.75
- VA Western Community College: $15,000
Blue Ridge Partnership also will utilize $50,000 of the total grant for outreach through the launch of a community ambassador program in primarily African American communities; webinars for educators, school counselors and job advisors; and other health sciences career exposure events and programs.
“We are honored to have the continued support and partnership of the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation and Claude Moore Opportunities,” said Cynthia Lawrence, President. “With their funding, we are better able to coordinate resources and health sciences courses among accredited institutions, as well as drive engagement with the schools and students at earlier stages of education. We also have greater opportunities to communicate the most critically needed jobs to counselors, educators, students, parents and create opportunities to engage the students in the pathways.
“This grant is particularly important because the programs it will support each meet needs identified by regional health and life science employers as the most in-demand jobs. B increasing the rigor and capacity of academic courses required for these jobs, Western Virginia can better support area residents,” Lawrence concluded.
The Claude Moore Charitable Foundation
Founded in 1987, the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation (CMCF) mission is to provide assistance exclusively for charitable and educational purposes. CMCF has invested more than $20 million in the Claude Moore Scholars Healthcare Education Program and is committed to expanding the program to other school districts within Virginia. In addition to the annual support for the Loudoun County Education System and local charities, major contributions have also been made to the Claude Moore Heritage Farm Park, the University of Virginia School of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Nursing, the University of Virginia Medical Library, the Roanoke Higher Education Center, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar Hazy Center at Washington Dulles International Airport, James Madison’s Montpelier, Inova Health Systems and the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties.