ANKENY, Iowa—April is National Community College Month. It’s a time when community colleges traditionally celebrate their successes and prepare for commencement ceremonies and award banquets, recognizing the hard work and achievements of their students.

And while the COVID-19 pandemic has made this April different in many ways, DMACC students, faculty and staff continue to inspire, achieve and make a difference through service and innovation.

“Community and connection have never been more important to all of us,” DMACC President Rob Denson said. “As our DMACC students, faculty and staff work together from a distance and in new and different ways, we’re proud to see their dedication, ideas and efforts make a positive impact in the communities around us.”

Here are some recent examples of how DMACC is working to help others during these unprecedented times:

• DMACC quickly responds to a call asking organizations to donate personal protective equipment (PPE) to health care providers in Central Iowa together with the Greater Des Moines Partnership: In March,DMACC donated 4,000 N95 masks to Broadlawns Medical Center in Des Moines. The donation was personally picked up by Broadlawns’ Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Yogi Shah, and acknowledged by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds during her daily news conference on March 30.
• DMACC Campuses and Centers in Boone and Perry donate personal protective equipment (PPE) to local health care providers, emphasizing the importance of health care workers in communities of every size: The DMACC Perry VanKirk Career Academy donated 150 masks, 80 isolation gowns and approximately 1,000 gloves to the Dallas County Hospital and Family Medicine Clinics in Perry, while the DMACC Boone Campus delivered a donation of 60 N95 masks, 130 isolation gowns, 6,500 exam gloves, 600 sterile gloves, 100 face masks and another 250 face masks with shields to the Boone County Hospital.
• DMACC nursing students enter the workforce and support health care systems: Nearly 100 pre-licensure DMACC Nursing students set to graduate in May were authorized to complete their education early and immediately be hired as nurses under a section of the Proclamation of Disaster Emergency issued on March 27 by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds.
• DMACC Fashion Merchandising and Design students sew Olson masks from home support local health care providers: Under the direction of DMACC faculty members Alecia Mintle, Courtney Conlin, Gretchen Bohling and Ann Gadbury, DMACC Fashion Merchandising and Design students have sewn hundreds of protective Olson masks to donate to local hospitals and medical offices responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• DMACC students help protect vulnerable populations through service learning project: DMACC Psychology Professor Marilyn Jerome and her students have worked together to make and donate protective masks to workers in local nursing homes and shelters.
• DMACC reallocates funds set aside for commencement ceremonies to instead help students impacted by COVID-19:When DMACC made the difficult decision to cancel of its College-wide Spring Semester Commencement Ceremonies due to the impact of COVID-19, DMACC President Rob Denson committed to moving funds that would have paid for commencement ceremonies into an emergency fund for students.

“As we celebrate National Community College Month, our priority continues to be the health and safety of our DMACC students, faculty, staff and communities, as well as supporting the goals and dreams that our students bring with them, every day, to education,” Denson said. “During these challenging times, it’s inspiring to see continued learning and what can be achieved through creativity, compassion and commitment. We’re in this together, and the future remains bright.”

(contributed press release, DMACC)