# BCTC gets $7,900 grant to expand robotics program **Published:** 2026-04-01T14:47:33.000Z **Source:** [Bluegrass Community & Technical College](https://bluegrass.kctcs.edu/news/2026/bctc-foundation-receives-grant-to-expand-robot-gladiator-league.aspx) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/bctc-gets-7-900-grant-to-expand-robotics-program LEXINGTON, Ky. — [The Bluegrass Community and Technical College Foundation has received a $7,900 grant from the Julian-Carver Family Foundation of Versailles](https://bluegrass.kctcs.edu/news/2026/bctc-foundation-receives-grant-to-expand-robot-gladiator-league.aspx), funding an initiative to expand hands-on robotics learning opportunities for students. The funding will support a project titled "Engagement That Drives Persistence & Credential Completion Through Experiential Learning Robotics Team Participation," which aims to establish a fully equipped Robot Gladiator League chapter at BCTC's Georgetown Campus. [The initiative is designed to expand access to experiential learning opportunities and enable more students to connect classroom instruction with real-world technical application](https://www.lanereport.com/186877/2026/04/bctc-expanding-robot-gladiator-league-with-grant/). [The program will include expanded faculty mentorship to foster a collaborative environment that promotes engagement, belonging, and academic persistence](https://bluegrass.kctcs.edu/news/2026/bctc-foundation-receives-grant-to-expand-robot-gladiator-league.aspx). Equipment, materials, and practice infrastructure for hands-on engineering, fabrication, and testing activities will be funded through the grant. "The generous support from the Julian-Carver Family Foundation is an investment in both our students and the future workforce of Central Kentucky," said Dr. Greg Feeney, president and CEO of BCTC. "Through hands-on, experiential learning opportunities like the Robot Gladiator League, we are creating pathways for students to apply their knowledge, build critical technical skills, and persist through to credential completion." [The Julian-Carver Family Foundation was established in 2018 to support education in the southern United States, with a focus on helping community college students attain certificates, diplomas, and degrees](https://www.jcfamfd.org/about-jcff). [In seven years of grantmaking, the foundation has awarded more than $135,000 to community and technical colleges across Kentucky](https://bluegrass.kctcs.edu/news/2026/bctc-foundation-receives-grant-to-expand-robot-gladiator-league.aspx). The project is expected to be completed by June 2027. For more information about the Robot Gladiator League, contact Jeff Herrin at jeff.herrin@kctcs.edu. ## Sources - [Bluegrass Community & Technical College](https://bluegrass.kctcs.edu/news/2026/bctc-foundation-receives-grant-to-expand-robot-gladiator-league.aspx) - [Lane Report coverage of BCTC robotics grant](https://www.lanereport.com/186877/2026/04/bctc-expanding-robot-gladiator-league-with-grant/) - [Julian-Carver Family Foundation about page](https://www.jcfamfd.org/about-jcff) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Bluegrass Community & Technical College, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://bluegrass.kctcs.edu/news/2026/bctc-foundation-receives-grant-to-expand-robot-gladiator-league.aspx.