Whitney Benefits supports community projects including the Whitney Community Advisory Group, Whitney Center, Sheridan College, Sheridan County YMCA, and City of Sheridan.

Whitney Benefits recognized a need in the Sheridan community for a place where local non-profits with the mission to improve educational and vocational opportunities could work side by side and collaborate.  In 2002, Whitney Benefits purchased the former RENEW building located at 245 Broadway.  The 27,000 square foot building was quickly transformed to accommodate the educational oriented organizations.  Under the Even Start Early Childhood Program, the Even Start Preschool makes its home in the building, with the premise that every child deserves an equal opportunity for his/her respective education.  In addition to the Preschool, the building houses ten other non-profit organizations committed to improving education in the Sheridan community.

The building received exterior renovations in the summer of 2006 that included new windows, doors, concrete work, additional lighting, trees, planters, a flagpole, signage, awnings, and the Easter Seals horse, “Twilight Trails”.  The front entrance was updated and the historic “Sheridan Creamery” sign on the 245 Broadway building was uncovered and renovated during the construction.  Whitney Benefits plans for interior renovations to make room for additional nonprofit organizations in 2007.

Whitney Benefits has also located its office in the building providing Sheridan and Johnson County residents the opportunity to receive interest free student loans for educational purposes.  To help maintain the operational costs of the building, Whitney pays rent monthly to the Sheridan Community Educational Foundation (SCEF), who manages the building.

In March 2009, Whitney Benefits gifted the Whitney Center to Sheridan College, extending the College’s educational campus to downtown and our community.  This gift exceeded $1.76 million, including a newly concreted and landscaped parking lot.  Whitney also made a gift of $30,000 for maintenance needs and $250,000 to create a maintenance endowment.  The endowment gift was matched by $250,000 from the State of Wyoming to create a $500,000 maintenance fund.  The College plans to use approximately one-half of the first floor space of the building for college programs and continue to lease the other half to current tenants. 

WHITNEY DONATES $7.6 MILLION FOR NEW SHERIDAN COLLEGE ACADEMIC CENTER
Sheridan College plans to break ground on their new Academic Center project in the spring of 2012. Whitney Benefits would like to thank our local legislators for their active and avid support of this project in the legislature.  On May 17, 2011, Whitney Benefits agreed to grant $7,667,487 to Sheridan College to build a new Academic Center. This money will be matched with $7,500,000 from the State of Wyoming. The new building will be on the west side of the current Whitney building, facing Coffeen Avenue, and will become the new front door of the college.

The building will be two stories.  The first floor will house a large gathering space and student services: admissions, testing, advising, recruiting, career services, financial aid and the business office.  There will also be a 1,600 square foot book store with a coffee shop. The second floor will have small gathering spaces, over 14,000 square feet of classrooms, including PC lab, MAC lab, CADD/GIS lab, physics/engineering/astronomy lab, flexible classrooms, open computer lab for students and smaller lounge spaces for student meetings and project collaboration.

HOUSING AT SHERIDAN COLLEGE
Whitney continues to donate funds to Sheridan College for their new student housing project.  In 2011, Whitney gifted $750,000 for this project as one part of their $7.5 million gift to Sheridan College for their continued support of efforts to expand the on-campus living facilities.  The newly added 150 bed suite style student housing units have vastly expanded Sheridan College’s ability to recruit and house new students. The Whitney Lofts also added a new food court area in the Hayes Building and a recreational lounge area in the newly constructed Williams building.  The new housing at Sheridan College provides a new and unique opportunity for students to foster educational opportunities and enjoy their college educations.

WHITNEY PROVIDES ASSISTANCE TO ENDOWMENTS AT SHERIDAN COLLEGE
In August 2011, Whitney Benefits granted $22,645.08 to Sheridan College to offset market losses in the Whitney Nursing Endowment grant for the 2010/2011 year.  The additional funding was granted to maintain the Whitney endowed Nursing Chair and make sure the program could continue until the market rebounds and the endowments can be self-sustaining.  The Nursing program continues to be one of Whitney’s priorities as the need for trained medical personnel in the United States and Sheridan County is ever increasing.
 
IMPROVEMENTS TO WHITNEY BUILDING GATHERING AREA AT SHERIDAN COLLEGE
The entrance and gathering area in the Whitney building at Sheridan College is the first place that new and potential students see. Sheridan College has worked very hard to improve the image of its campus so in January 2011, Whitney Benefits donated $25,000 to match a $25,000 grant to make improvements to the Whitney building’s gathering area. This $50,000 facelift will give the building an entirely new look and feel and creates a welcoming environment for students, parents and faculty.

WHITNEY GRANTS FUNDING TO CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM FOR NEW EQUIPMENT
 In February 2011, the Perkins Foundation notified Whitney Benefits of their intent to grant funding to the Sheridan College construction program for new equipment. They asked that the Whitney Foundation match these granted funds. Whitney granted $15,000 for a new skid steer, $25,000 for digital machine tool upgrades and $25,000 to update hydraulics for the diesel program. This $65,000 donation was matched by $65,000 from the Perkins Foundation for a $130,000 grant to Sheridan College.
 
WHITNEY BENEFITS SUPPORTS GREENHOUSE SENIOR LIVING PROJECT
Whitney Benefits completed their  $250,000 grant to Sheridan College for the Sheridan College partnership with the Green House Living Project in June 2011.  This exciting community venture will set a new standard for elderly care in Sheridan and provide workforce training and internships for several Sheridan College educational programs such as: nursing, culinary arts, construction, dental hygiene, agriculture and food sciences.  Once completed, the Greenhouse Project will teach community members and other elderly care facilities the benefits to this unique way of treatment and senior support and help fill void of needed senior housing in the Sheridan area.
 
WHITNEY FUNDS SHERIDAN COLLEGE DIRECTOR AND INSTRUCTOR IN AGRICULTURE
In June 2011, Whitney Benefits paid the second and third year installments of the Sheridan College grant request for $80,000 per year for three years (total of $240,000) to hire a Sheridan College Director and Instructor in Agriculture. This new position will implement needed changes in the agriculture program to keep the Sheridan College agriculture program moving forward.  Agriculture education has been a keystone program for Sheridan College and for Whitney Benefits.

UW SCIENCE RESEARCH CENTER MOVING TO ADAMS RANCH
Thanks to a unique opportunity afforded by Whitney Benefits and a special appropriation by the Wyoming State Legislature, the University of Wyoming began to develop a comprehensive planning document intended to provide a unified presence for the University in Sheridan. Four distinct University programs are proposed to be co-located to promote ties to Sheridan College. These programs include Sheridan County Cooperative Extension Service, Sheridan Research & Extension Center, the Outreach School, and student support services. The University of Wyoming Outreach, Research, and Extension Center at Sheridan will be located in close proximity to Sheridan College located on the Whitney owned Adam’s Ranch to strengthen research collaborations and learning opportunities. The new facility will provide classrooms, laboratories, offices, and other support facilities to meet the needs of these programs well into the future.

VIDEO TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM
In 2010, Whitney Benefits gifted $68,048 to Sheridan College to fund the first year of the Video Technology Program. This year Whitney continued funding this program by donating $38,250 for the purchase of more equipment. This program presents a great vocational opportunity in Sheridan County. These are the very types of courses that get at-risk students more involved in their own education.  The program started in the 2010/2011 school year at Sheridan High School and enrollments have almost doubled for this year.

HOUSING
In 2007 the Whitney Benefits Board pledged $7.5 million to Sheridan College towards 150-bed, suite-style student housing units as part of their continued efforts to build our community.  Phase I of the housing began with 83 beds in nine new buildings called Whitney Villas, and opened for students in September 2008.  These buildings all vary in square footage, but are primarily designed as two story units with a residential look in style.

The Whitney Lofts opened in August 2009 adding 60 more suites in efficiency one bedroom units.  Students began living in these modern facilities the fall.  The Whitney Lofts also added a new food court area in the Hayes Building, as well as a recreational lounge area in the newly constructed Williams building.

SHERIDAN COLLEGE - OVER $22 MILLION GIFTED TO DATE
In his will, Mr. Whitney specifically suggested the establishment of a college in or near the City of Sheridan, Wyoming from the corporation’s net income, after the worth of the corporation exceeded $1,000,000.  Through the vision and generosity of the late Edward A. Whitney, Whitney Benefits has played a pivotal role in establishing the Sheridan College campus and programs.  This includes the first gift of land on which the campus is built, which now encompasses 124.11 acres - all gifted by Whitney Benefits.  In total, Whitney Benefits’ unmatched generosity and unparalleled gifts to Sheridan College amount to over $22 million.

ADAMS RANCH LAND - 560 ACRES
Whitney Benefits is continuing the no fee lease agreement with Sheridan College on the Whitney owned 560-acre Adams Ranch, located to the south of Sheridan College campus.  In turn, Sheridan College subleases the ranch to a local rancher.  The income received from the property benefits the Sheridan College agriculture programs. The land is also used for hands-on educational programming and teaching at Sheridan College.

GRANTS AND DEVELOPMENT AT SHERIDAN COLLEGE
In May of 2006, Whitney Benefits gifted $168,999 to Sheridan College to create a Grants and Development office on campus.  The goal was to purposefully increase Federal and State grants to the College to support a variety of initiatives.  The grant will be paid over a period of three years, with the intent that the position will become permanent and self-sustaining.  Sheridan College is utilizing the grant to fund a director of grants and development position.  The director works closely with the college and Sheridan area leaders to assess college priorities, community needs, and funding opportunities.  Susan Bigelow of Sheridan College stated, "Many federal and state economic development grants are designed specifically for schools including community colleges. We simply have to seek them out and apply."

Whitney Benefits Trustee Everett McGlothlin stated, "The Whitney Board is pleased to assist in providing funding for the creation of a Sheridan College Grants and Development office.  We are particularly pleased in that this director of grants position will seek additional funding in and outside of the community for collaborative educational program funding."

In July 2008, the Grants and Development Office secured two significant three year grants: $848,372 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and $975,881 from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) – Employment Training Administration.  The NSF funded project, Energy Technician Education Program, will result in curriculum for energy technologists for certificates and associates degrees.  The DOL High-Growth Job Training Initiative Grant for the Energy Industry will result in a Mining Technology program.

WHITNEY BENEFITS DONATES FOOD TROLLEY TO WYOMING CULINARY PROGRAM
Thanks to the support of Whitney Benefits, Sheridan College students are now operating a catering trolley that sells hot food and drinks Fridays through Sundays at Sheridan Ice.  The trolley is part of an innovative educational experience that will help hospitality management students learn the ins and outs of running all aspects of a food service business.  The students also have an additional incentive to make sure the catering trolley is profitable, because the money they make ends up back in their pockets.  Students who work the trolley are paid an hourly wage, and food and operating costs are paid out of the gross revenue.  The remainder of the income is placed into a scholarship fund that supports the educational costs of culinary and hospitality students.  The trolley will be used by the students at other community venues after the ice skating season is finished.

TECHNICAL CENTER UPGRADES
In July of 2006, Whitney Benefits gifted the Sheridan College Technical Center $46,000 to install a direct expansion cooling upgrade to the existing heating and ventilating unit serving the classroom portion of the Technical Center.  The new system allows for easier temperature control and helps to make the learning environment better and more conducive by providing a quieter learning space.  The project included the installation of a ‘Building Automation Control’ unit which will connect to the existing campus building control system. The system also incorporates graphics and higher level control functions for the air handling unit.

NURSING ENDOWMENT
$1 MILLION, WHITNEY BENEFITS + $1 MILLION, STATE OF WYOMING = $2 MILLION ENDOWED CHAIR

On November 21, 2006, Whitney Benefits presented the Sheridan College Foundation with a $1 million check for the Edward A. Whitney Endowed Nursing Chair.  The creation of the chair will allow Sheridan College to add a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing to the curriculum. The degree can be completed on-site in Sheridan.

Sheridan College President Kevin Drumm stated, "An endowed chair is the pinnacle of achievement for any college.  Until today, Wyoming was slated to have the largest nursing shortage in the nation until 2020."

The $1 million gift will be matched by the State of Wyoming under the Community College Endowment Challenge program.  The endowed chairperson will implement the already existing UW online nursing curriculum at Sheridan College and teach select courses each semester in the traditional classroom setting to better meet the needs of the Associate Degree RNs in our community.  "We want a top-notch (program) and we know we’re going to have it", stated Whitney Benefits President Tom Kinnison at the news conference.

"The reality of having the ability to offer a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing at Sheridan College is paramount," SC Dean of Health Sciences, Trudy Munsick stated, "everyone involved in this project simply wanted to offer the opportunity for students to pursue higher education without leaving the area.  Our Nursing Department has a great working relationship with the UW Nursing School and is very excited about taking that relationship to the next level.  Thanks to Whitney Benefits, I believe this will open many doors for our students. It is truly a wonderful gift."

E. A. WHITNEY ENDOWED NURSING CHAIR MENTORS LOCAL NURSES
Sheridan College hired Dr. Janice E. Stephens for this Endowed Chair. This past year, Dr. Stephens worked in partnership with the University of Wyoming in the RN-BSN Completion program.  Through her work, regional interest in baccalaureate education continues to grow and enrollment in her “Introduction to Higher Education in Nursing” course has increased by 25%.   Dr. Stephens was pleased to announce that four registered nurses from Sheridan County graduated with their BSN this spring and summer: Katherine Carlson, Robin Horsley, Daunee’ Kennedy, and Amy Wyatt.  Three of the nurses are graduates of Sheridan College’s Associate Degree Nursing (A.D.N) Program.

Dr. Stephens also mentored regional nurses working on graduate degrees. Nancy Hooge, Clinical Nurse Educator at Sheridan Memorial Hospital, received her UW Master of Science Degree in the Nurse Educator track.  Nancy was the recipient of the “Carol Macnee Scholarship Award” for excellence in scholarship and research.  The Endowed Chair, Dr. Stephens was a member of Nancy’s graduate committee.  Dr. Pamela Clarke from the UW School of Nursing presented Nancy the award for her outstanding study on “Readiness of Wyoming Hospitals in Moving towards Baby Friendly Hospital Initiatives.”  Dr. Clarke noted her research has the potential to change health policy to promote improved breastfeeding outcomes with an expected impact on public health and better nourished babies in Wyoming.

NURSING PRACTICUM
A $500,000 gift from Whitney Benefits Inc. to Sheridan College created the Edward A. Whitney Endowed Nursing Practicum Experience at Sheridan College.  This program will create a grant fund available to students enrolled in the collaborative Sheridan College/University of Wyoming RN-BSN completion program and to those enrolled or recently graduated from the Sheridan College Associate Degree Nursing Program who seek funds to support expenses with their practicum or other clinical learning opportunities.  The State of Wyoming will match Whitney's gift to create a $1 million endowment to support this program.

The grants will make it possible for students to participate in practicum and supplemental experiences in research medical facilities, specialized medical facilities, or outreach centers, according to Dr. Janice E. Stephens, the Edward A. Whitney Endowed Nursing Chair at Sheridan College. Students from Sheridan and Johnson Counties will be given preference for this program.

FIRST WHITNEY BENEFITS NURSING PRACTICUM RECIPIENTS
Trudy Munsick, Dean of the Health Science Division at Sheridan College announced that the first Whitney Practicum Experiences were funded in the spring of 2009.  According to Judy McDowell, Director of the Associate Degree Program, the Whitney Benefits Endowment is designed to enhance nursing student practica in the RN-BSN and A.D.N. programs.  This endowment enables students to have access to experiences across the country by providing funding for housing, travel, educational, and living expenses.  Because of the size of the Sheridan community, some nursing specialties are not available for clinical practica.

Ursula Schwirian, as a second year nursing student at Sheridan College, was honored to be one of the first recipients of Whitney Practicum funding.  Ursula enhanced her nursing career by completing a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit practicum at Rapid City Regional Hospital in South Dakota.  Aimee Tow, also a second year nursing student at Sheridan College, was the second recipient of the Whitney Practicum funding.   Aimee completed her nursing practicum at Wyoming Behavioral Institute in Casper, WY. Criteria for participation in this program include: Sheridan or Johnson County resident, enrollment in either the RN-BSN Sheridan College/UW collaboration or the Sheridan College A.D.N. Program, or a recent graduate from the Sheridan College A.D.N. Program.  The Nursing Practicum Advisory Board reviews applications three times a year and decides on the recipients.

PROFESSORSHIP OF AGRICULTURE
A $1.25 million gift from Whitney Benefits Inc. to Sheridan College will enable the University of Wyoming to strengthen the agriculture curriculum at Sheridan College.  UW's College of Agriculture will partner with SC to develop a horticulture option to the B.S. degree in agroecology now offered by the university.  The State of Wyoming will match Whitney's gift to create the E.A. Whitney Professorship in Agriculture. The Whitney Endowed Professor will implement at Sheridan College an enhanced degree completion program within UW's agroecology curriculum and will teach selected courses each semester.  An on-site professor both teaching and advising will better meet the needs of students wishing to pursue the bachelor's degree, says Frank Galey, Dean of the UW College of Agriculture.

"The ability to offer a bachelor's degree in agriculture at Sheridan College is paramount," says Jim Bennage, SC Dean of Ag and Technical Programs.  He says the program will help meet a strong demand for well-trained professionals in horticulture and agriculture.

Whitney Benefits Board of Directors President Tom Kinnison notes that "The Whitney Board is pleased to play a role in this joint project.  Our focus is enhancing educational opportunities for the citizens in our area and a partnership such as this one demonstrates innovation and a true willingness to work together for our students. Mr. Whitney would be delighted to see his gift continue to assist Sheridan College, the students, and the community residents."

A national search for an endowed professor is underway.  Currently, Ami N. Erickson, Ph.D. is Acting Dean of Agriculture and Technology while a national search is underway to fill this chair. The endowed professor will be a UW College of Agriculture faculty member, based at UW’s Sheridan Research and Extension Center (SREC), and the professor will develop course work and research on agriculture, environment, and natural resource issues in northeastern Wyoming, to enhance usage of natural resources

Over 50 students are enrolled in the agriculture programs including the Agriculture Business A.S. class. UW’s rangeland ecology faculty members, Dr. Tom Thurow and Dr. Ann Hild, and two focus groups met in the summer of 2009 to continue developing the newly named “Resource and Ranch Management” program. This program will prep are Sheridan College students to transfer to UW’s Rangeland Ecology and Watershed Management program, while also training Sheridan College students in the more practical skills that are necessary for a ranch or resource manager.

Another joint effort with UW was the “Mobile Slaughter Unit” presentation at the State Fair.  Local meat processing enables producers to access more markets and sell their meat products to local retailers like restaurants and grocery stores.  Worland is the closest public state inspected slaughter house.  The idea of “Pasture to Plate” could be feasible through educational programs at Sheridan College, and could provide significant learning opportunities.  Meat from the Animal Science program could be harvested, processed by the Food Science students in the state-inspected meat laboratory, and Wyoming Culinary Arts students could prepare the meats and serve it with vegetables grown at the youth/community garden.  Several joint partnerships are being researched.

EQUIPMENT UPGRADES
In 2004, Whitney Benefits and Sheridan College recognized the need to upgrade and replace equipment and technologies.  Whitney Benefits gifted Sheridan College $291,197 for vocational programs including Welding Department, Machine Shop Department, and Diesel Department equipment needs.  Whitney's gift purchased an additional sixteen welding workstations and added a CNC Vertical Machining Center to train students in the high demand market for computerized machine center operators.  The gift also included purchase of milling machines, vertical band saws, computerized lathes with digital readouts, various welders, tear-down engines, Caterpillar Electronic ACERT engines, and various small tool equipment replacement, as well as department specific educational training tools.