Lone Star College Foundation recently received a $22,500 grant from the Texas Educational Foundation Fund, a component fund of Greater Houston Community Foundation, to support vocational programming and technical training. The grant went toward the purchase of a vehicle for the college's Law Enforcement Academy, which helps students learn how to become police officers.
"Lone Star College Foundation is grateful for the Texas Educational Foundation Fund’s partnership, which helps us train tomorrow’s workforce today," said Nicole Robinson Gauthier, CFRE, LSC Foundation executive director.
The academy obtained a 2024 Ford Explorer this June.
"Primarily, it will be used for driving training, patrol tactics and some of our other hands-on training. It was a major need because of the number of students that we have," said Glenn Riddle, LSC director, Law Enforcement Academy.
The six-month, full-time program trains about 100 students each year with classroom instruction and hands-on experience to prepare them for the state licensing exam.
"Through the Texas Educational Foundation Fund, Greater Houston Community Foundation is proud to award this grant. Lone Star College's vocational programs are not only a great opportunity for students to further their education, but the college strengthens its surrounding communities as a result," said Lauren Spackman, Greater Houston Community Foundation client manager.
LSC's Law Enforcement Academy was founded in 2022 in response to a growing demand for police officers at local agencies.
"We have so many law enforcement agencies here in the Greater Houston area, and we are a very important applicant pipeline for those agencies because most don’t have their own academies," said Riddle.
By the end of the program, students learn about state laws; work to meet physical fitness standards; and demonstrate their skills in driving, firearms, patrol procedures, arrest and control tactics, standardized field sobriety testing, and emergency medical assistance.
The academy has one full-time instructor and a team of 20 adjunct instructors with diverse law enforcement backgrounds, exposing students to a range of experiences and perspectives.