Patrick & Henry Community College (P&HCC) located in Martinsville, Virginia, has been named the 2023 “Entrepreneurial College of the Year” by the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE). This prestigious award was presented to P&HCC President J. Gregory Hodges, Ph.D., by NACCE President and CEO Rebecca Corbin at NACCE’s annual conference in Nashville.
The recognition is a testament to P&HCC’s dedication to fostering entrepreneurship and driving positive change in the local community. P&HCC has demonstrated an unwavering commitment and leadership as a member of NACCE’s inaugural Entrepreneurial College of the Future (ECoF) program, yielding impressive results. Since the start of the ECoF program, the college has graduated 314 entrepreneurs, leading to the creation of 74 new businesses and 270 new jobs, with over $500,000 in cash and in-kind prizes awarded. Additionally, the college has expanded its Entrepreneurial Boot Camps with the Martinsville and Henry County Chamber of Commerce and established “MHC Grow,” a four-week program designed for budding entrepreneurs to provide them with the knowledge and skills to succeed.
NACCE President and CEO Rebecca Corbin commended the leadership of P&HCC President J. Gregory Hodges, Ph.D., for continuing to expand the college’s entrepreneurial programs. Notably, over half of the program participants in the ECoF program are women, and almost half are minorities, contributing to a surge in women and minority-owned small businesses in the region.
One notable aspect of P&HCC’s approach to entrepreneurship education is that it offers its Entrepreneurial Boot Camps entirely free of charge to all participants through its partnership with the MHC Chamber of Commerce, making entrepreneurship education accessible to a broader spectrum of the community. The economic renaissance experienced in the local community is a testament to the college’s dedication to expanding regional entrepreneurship.
The National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) is a 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship through community colleges by providing resources and support to build and sustain high-impact entrepreneurship programs. The association represents 340+ community and technical colleges, universities and HBCU’s, including over 2,000 faculty, staff, administrators, and presidents who serve more than three million students.
Patrick & Henry Community College, a comprehensive two-year institution, serves Martinsville as well as Patrick and Henry counties. P&HCC is a leader among community colleges in areas such as athletics, technology, and unique program offerings. By providing a multitude of innovative curricula such as motorsports, entrepreneurship, and mechatronics, P&HCC is changing lives and enriching the community it serves. P&HCC is an EEO institution.
For more information, visit http://www.nacce.com and http://www.patrickhenry.edu.
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