Special to Iredell Free News

Mitchell Community College’s Huskins Library recently received a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Community Engagement Grant from the State Library of North Carolina.

The second LSTA grant received by Huskins Library in 2019, this $4,811 award will fund Women’s History Month programming in March, as well as the first week of April, in conjunction with the “She Changed the World: North Carolina Women Breaking Barriers” initiative by the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

This initiative “celebrates the achievements of North Carolina women and explores the diversity of their experiences and impact on our history” in accordance with the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote.

Titled “She Gather Me: A Celebration of Women,” the grant will fund a series of events focused on the achievements of women, with an emphasis on the accomplishments of women from North Carolina, including film screenings, a musical performance, a panel discussion with local women business owners, and more.

All events will be free and open to the public. “A commitment to equity is one of the College’s core values,” said Sarah Sowa, Mitchell librarian and project manager. “These events will not only celebrate the accomplishments and experiences of women, they will also give participants a platform to discuss how we as a community can work together to improve and protect equity for all.”

This grant is made possible by funding from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) as administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (IMLS grant number NC-19-54).

About Mitchell Community College

Mitchell Community College serves 10,000 students annually through a variety of curriculum, continuing education and workforce development programs. With campuses in Statesville and Mooresville, Mitchell offers quality, affordable education options to residents of Iredell County and the surrounding area. For more information, visit www.mitchellcc.edu or call (704) 878-3200 (Statesville Campus) or (704) 663-1923 (Mooresville Campus).