{"id":10104,"date":"2025-10-18T18:21:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-18T18:21:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/10104\/"},"modified":"2025-10-18T18:21:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-18T18:21:08","slug":"spc-launches-100-million-centennial-campaign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/10104\/","title":{"rendered":"SPC launches $100 million centennial campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"

St. Petersburg College<\/a> has launched a $100 million fundraising effort to mark its centennial and strengthen its role as a driver of education and economic opportunity.<\/p>\n

The campaign, titled Pathway to Better \u2013 The Centennial Campaign of St. Petersburg College, was unveiled during SPC Day, the school\u2019s annual anniversary celebration. The initiative seeks to honor nearly a century of public investment and civic vision that began when local residents founded St. Petersburg Junior College in 1927.<\/p>\n

SPC President Dr. Tonjua Williams called the campaign a reflection of the college\u2019s continued commitment to shaping lives through education. \u201cSPC is more than a college \u2014 it\u2019s a catalyst for opportunity and progress,\u201d she said. \u201cAs we approach our centennial, the generosity of our donors fuels a future of better jobs, brighter lives and stronger communities for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Funds raised through the campaign will support scholarships, academic resources and facilities upgrades across SPC\u2019s campuses. The effort also aims to expand workforce training programs that align with regional industry needs.<\/p>\n

Former astronaut and SPC alumna Nicole Stott, a member of the honorary campaign committee, said her experience at SPC opened doors she \u201cnever imagined \u2014 including the path that eventually took me to space.\u201d She described the campaign as a way to ensure future students have the same chance \u201cto dream big, achieve more and transform the world around them.\u201d<\/p>\n

A recent independent study by Lightcast underscored the college\u2019s regional influence. For every dollar invested in SPC, the report found, the community gains $13.70 in income and social savings. During the 2022\u201323 fiscal year, SPC contributed $3.2 billion to the Tampa Bay economy \u2014 equal to 1.4% of the region\u2019s total output.<\/p>\n

In Pinellas County, the college\u2019s annual impact was measured at $1.8 billion, supporting more than 21,500 jobs. Alumni added $2.9 billion in income and sustained over 31,000 jobs, an effect compared to hosting the Super Bowl eight times. Across the broader region, SPC supports one of every 62 jobs.<\/p>\n

Looking forward, the college plans to invest in facilities designed to meet future workforce demands. The centerpiece is the Midtown Industry 4.0 Lab in South St. Petersburg, a new advanced manufacturing training center focused on semiconductors, robotics and automation. The lab is expected to help build a skilled workforce for companies such as Jabil, Honeywell and Lockheed Martin.<\/p>\n

The Facilities Master Plan also expands SPC\u2019s nursing program at the Clearwater Campus and Midtown Center to address the region\u2019s growing healthcare needs.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt SPC, philanthropy drives progress,\u201d said Jesse Turtle, the college\u2019s vice president of institutional advancement in a prepared statement. \u201cEvery contribution to the Pathway to Better Campaign directly supports students through scholarships, innovative programs and facilities that reflect the needs of today\u2019s workforce.\u201d<\/p>\n

The campaign will carry SPC into its second century as Florida\u2019s first two-year institution and the first state college to offer bachelor\u2019s degrees. Its leaders hope the effort will extend the college\u2019s long-standing legacy of access and opportunity.<\/p>\n

Community members and alumni can contribute at spcollege.edu\/pathway-to-better<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"St. Petersburg College has launched a $100 million fundraising effort to mark its centennial and strengthen its role…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10105,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[202,204,203,199,201,200],"class_list":["post-10104","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-st-petersburg","tag-st-pete","tag-st-pete-headlines","tag-st-pete-news","tag-st-petersburg","tag-st-petersburg-headlines","tag-st-petersburg-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10104","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10104"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10104\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10105"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10104"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10104"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10104"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}