POWELL, Wyo. – Northwest College has been awarded a $2,999,950 Title III Strengthening Institutions Grant from the U.S. Department of Education, its first grant of this kind in over two decades. The five-year award, among the most competitive in federal higher education funding, will fund a new initiative called NWC TRAILS to expand online program options, build a technology-driven early-alert system, and grow tutoring and mentoring support for students across the college.
“Learning that Northwest College was awarded the Title III Strengthening Institutions Grant was a moment of great excitement and pride knowing the hard work and creativity our faculty and staff poured into this submission,” said NWC President Lisa Watson.
“This Title III Strengthening Institutions Grant will provide significant investment in our students and the future of our institution,” added NWC Vice President for Academic Affairs Dave Erickson. “We are particularly excited to be able to incorporate artificial intelligence literacy into the work in thoughtful and responsible ways.”
The creation of NWC TRAILS – Pathway to Success: Technology, Retention, Access, Innovation, Learning, and Student Support addresses each of three stated priorities with specific activities that enhance existing programs and services, while creating new opportunities for students that are essential in improving their academic and personal success. Funding is scheduled to begin this October and will be distributed over five years.
NWC will move four academic programs fully online, standardize online course design across the institution, and launch new orientation tools for online students. Faculty will receive ongoing training in online instruction, course design, and the ethical use of AI in teaching, aligning with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Artificial Intelligence Literacy Framework.
The grant also funds an expanded, embedded tutoring model available across existing and new courses, a new faculty-to-student mentoring program, and a technology-enabled early-alert system, with potential AI capabilities, that flags students who need support in real time, in both online and in-person courses.
“Months of strategic development and a focus on NWC’s mission as a student-centered campus made Strengthening Institutions a natural grant to strive for,” Watson said. “Through expanded programming, course delivery, tools and professional development, the College is well positioned to build new TRAILS for our students.”
“This grant will give NWC the opportunity to strengthen the student experience from entry through completion,” said Erickson, “and will help ensure our academic programs continue to meet the evolving needs of our students and communities.”
NWC TRAILS (Technology, Retention, Access, Innovation, Learning, and Student Support) reflects the college's broader strategic plan to strengthen enrollment, retention, and completion for the roughly 1,400 students it serves across Park, Big Horn, and Washakie counties.