Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) received a $25,000 emergency award from Oklahoma Humanities Organizations Pandemic Emergency Grants (H.O.P.E. Grants). The H.O.P.E. Grant helps cultural organizations in Oklahoma which have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Oklahoma City Community College is the only college in Oklahoma to receive the H.O.P.E. Grant and the college will use the emergency funds to cover instructional and staff costs in the Humanities Department and Cultural Programs Division.

“OCCC provides world-class, culturally-diverse performing and visual arts experiences to our students and to the Oklahoma City community,†said OCCC President Jerry Steward. “I am so grateful to the H.O.P.E. for their generosity and support, and I am proud that our college supports the humanities. Now is the time to invest in these programs, as they will prove so vital in Oklahoma’s ability to heal, recover and regain a sense of normalcy again.â€

Oklahoma Humanities (OH) has provided over $400,000 in immediate emergency grant funding to humanities positions, projects and other cultural nonprofits who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The grants range from $5,000 to $25,000, and funding was made possible by the $2.2. trillion CARES Act passed by the federal government in late March.