EDUCATION
From the earliest days of the foundation, education has been a critical element of our grantmaking. Our very first grants approved were to establish scholarship programs. Clearly, for George and Gladys Abell supporting educational endeavors was an intended priority for this organization.
Over the nearly seventy years of our existence, we have sought to honor the direction they provided. Whether it was through student scholarships, direct support for colleges and universities, the Legacy Scholarship program, or educational support systems provided through other nonprofits, we have supported a variety of educational initiatives.
George Abell served the Midland Independent School District as Board President in the 1949-1950 school year. Since that time, we have supported administrative consultation, provided funds for student uniforms, underwritten Veterans’ Day programs, staff recruitment and retention and many programming grants. We continue to be very interested in support that directly impacts student success. Most recently, we have granted funds for a program that addresses the capacity for any teacher to deliver high-quality instruction and we are anxious to see the fruit of that training.
We are most excited as we watch the evolution of discussions and planning for enhanced and new CTE facilities at Midland College. CTE- Certified Technical Education is a needed and critical element of the educational landscape. Not everyone wants a traditional college degree. Many are choosing to pursue other credentials sought after for a variety of industries, not the least of which is the oil and gas industry. Dr. Ray Perryman, a leading U.S. economist, has documented the dramatic increases expected in a vast array of positions in the Permian Basin and our current and anticipated deficits in the numbers of those skilled workers. Midland College is stepping up to meet that challenge.
Finally, we are supporting emergent efforts to increase advocacy and career counseling for students in the public schools regarding the programming opportunities that are available and the plentiful local scholarship programs. Many students and their families don’t understand that going to college or entering a technical training program are viable options. We want them to start thinking about those opportunities early and be in preparation for them.
Midland is a place of great opportunity, but we must ensure that institutions that fuel that opportunity prosper. Thanks to George and Gladys Abell for their vision to invest in education.