ROCKLAND — The American Foundation, an Ohio private family foundation, has made a gift to the University of Maine at Augusta Rockland Center to expand, upgrade and enhance its science education teaching space in support of nursing and medical laboratory technology degree programs.

The American Foundation’s gift of $85,000 to UMA Rockland will support a renovation of the science classroom and its adjacent lab space plus add new microscopes, slides, spectrophotometers, skeleton and scientific bone models for the teaching of anatomy and physiology plus expand technology to support instruction.

“We at the Foundation are pleased to support such a worthwhile and needed endeavor in Midcoast Maine,” said Jan Corning of The American Foundation, in a news release. “Addressing the nursing shortage here can lead to better healthcare for all of the area’s population.”

In the Fall of 2019, the UMA Rockland Center accepted 20 new students into UMA’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing. With a serious nursing shortage statewide, UMA’s renewed commitment to educating nurses is important to meeting nursing shortages in the Midcoast area, according to UMA Rockland in the release. With clinical instruction planned for local hospitals, UMA’s program will educate students who plan to live and work locally in the health care field.

“We are incredibly grateful to The American Foundation as they give generously to support the highest quality science education for local health care professionals. This will allow us to dramatically improve our science education programming at the Rockland Center,” said UMA Rockland’s director, Deborah Meehan.

The University of Maine at Augusta is currently accepting new applications to its nursing and medical laboratory technology programs for the Fall of 2020. Applications are due by January 31, 2020 and the process is very competitive, according to URock.

For further information contact the Rockland Center at 596-6906.