Over the past year, a spirit of entrepreneurship has become entrenched in Cayuga Community College curricula and projects, in hallways and classrooms and into the minds of business-savvy college students.

A band of CCC faculty and community members not only want to continue that trend, but also expand it.

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a national organization dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship, recently awarded eight $10,000 to $12,000 two-year grants to fund projects to do just that. This second round of grants for the college range from researching the feasibility of opening a microbrewery or brew pub in downtown Auburn to establishing a student-managed video and digital film production company.

The Kauffman Foundation requires a 5-to-1 funding match; the Fred L. Emerson Foundation, the Stardust Foundation of Central New York, First Niagara Foundation and New York state, though the office of state Sen. Michael Nozzolio, have contributed in the case of the CCC grants.

Last year, CCC and five other central New York higher education institutions teamed-up to bring the region various projects that foster economic and social entrepreneurship. Led by Syracuse University, the institutions received $3 million for their five-year “Enitiative” from the Kansas City, Mo.-based Kauffman Foundation.

At CCC, the Emerson Foundation endowed chair in enterprise and innovation, Thomas Paczkowski, said the grants reflect the school's commitment to the Kauffman Foundation and entrepreneurship as a whole.

“We are entirely consistent with the intent of the Enitiative,” he said. “We are meeting the goals and objectives, and it is absolutely fair to say that Syracuse University and the Kauffman Foundation are pleased with our performance and progress. I think when one considers that eight out of 10 grant applications were funded, we are clearly in step and in tune with the Kauffman Enitiative.”

In the summer of 2006, Paczkowski, with the support of then-college President Dennis Golladay and Vice President Philip Gover, researched entrepreneurship opportunities and how they can be applicable to Cayuga Community College. A year later, the Kauffman Foundation approved six grants for projects in entrepreneurship,

Paczkowski said the first round of grants went extremely well, and he has high hopes for this year's projects. There will be two more rounds of grants beyond this year.

“I think the faculty and staff that have been involved in the projects have delivered more than was promised,” he said. “There's enormous enthusiasm for the implementation of these projects.”

Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or alyssa.sunkin@lee.net

A look at the projects

Below is a summary of the Cayuga Community College projects that will receive $10,000-$12,000 grants from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation with matching funds coming from the Emerson Foundation, Stardust Foundation of Central New York, First Niagara Foundation and New York state through the office of state Sen. Michael Nozzolio:

#&149; Assistant professor for computer science and mathematics Dia Carabajal, Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center Executive Director Donna Lamb and Auburn Public Theater artistic director Angela Daddabbo will explore the feasibility of creating a Downtown Auburn Arts, Culture and Entertainment District to encourage development and tourism in downtown Auburn.

#&149; CCC information technology director Gregory Szczepanski and Fred L. Emerson endowed chair in innovation and entrepreneurship Thomas Paczkowski will explore the possibility of creating a microbrewery and/or brew pub in downtown Auburn as part of an economic redevelopment plan. Students, CCC faculty and staff members will contribute to the study, and information derived will be incorporated into several courses taught at CCC, including brewing classes taught by Szczepanski.

#&149; Director of CCC programs in video and electronic media, audio and music production and telecommunications Steven Keeler will develop a student-managed video and digital film production company and distribution enterprise, with support from a practicum course. Students will learn the operations of a production company from start to finish, from project development to final distribution.

#&149; Keeler, in partnership with APT executive director Carey Eidel, will teach students from the music business and video/film business practicum courses how to produce live events, market and distribute the media assets that result from the production of a live event. The project would build off the fruits of a Kauffman grant awarded last year used to establish a student-run independent record label as well as the student-managed video and digital film production company.

#&149; Keeler will research and devise a plan for students on how to develop a business from their first day in college to its creation and successful operation, infuse entrepreneurial activities into the telecommunications/broadcasting curriculum and establish relationships with the community to enable CCC graduates to continue their entrepreneurial business development activities.

#&149; Assistant professor for business and computer science Elizabeth McCormick, director of distance learning, evening and special programs Edward Kowalski and Paczkowski, along with Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce executive director Terri Bridenbecker, will create a series of online, credit-free training courses in entrepreneurship and small business management as a way to provide instruction and information for people interested in starting or enhancing a business.

#&149; CCC career services counselor Meg Osbourne and academic advisement and student development coordinator Jeanine Eckenrode will explore service-learning and how to best implement its practice at the college.

#&149; Paczkowski, criminal justice and history instructor John Lamphere, Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES Superintendent Bill Speck and BOCES technology director Anthony Abbatiello will research how to imbed entepreneurship in all areas of study at CCC as well as BOCES.