Grants from area partners help Lone Star College Foundation fund high-quality equipment so Lone Star College System can keep vocational programs affordable for students. The foundation recently received a $22,500 grant from the Texas Educational Foundation Fund, a component fund of Greater Houston Community Foundation, toward the purchase of a vehicle for the college’s Law Enforcement Academy, where students are on their way to becoming police officers.

“Lone Star College Foundation is grateful for the Texas Educational Foundation Fund’s partnership, which helps us train tomorrow’s workforce today,” said Nicole Robinson Gauthier, CFRE, LSC Foundation executive director.

The academy obtained a 2024 Ford Explorer this June.

“Primarily, it will be used for driving training, patrol tactics and some of our other handson training. It was a major need because of the number of students that we have,” said Glenn Riddle, LSCS director, Law Enforcement Academy.

The six-month, full-time program trains about 100 students each year with classroom instruction and hands-on experience to prepare them for the state licensing exam. The training requirements are mandated by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.

“Through the Texas Educational Foundation Fund, the Greater Houston Community Foundation is proud to award this grant. Lone Star College System’s vocational programs are not only a great opportunity for students to further their education, but the college strengthens its surrounding communities as a result,” said Lauren Spackman, Greater Houston Community Foundation client manager.

LSCS’s Law Enforcement Academy was founded in 2022 in response to a growing demand for police officers at local agencies. The program provides a strong pipeline of candidates for the many law enforcement agencies in the Greater Houston area, especially since many of these departments don’t have their own police academies.

By the end of the program, students learn about state laws; work to meet physical fitness standards; and demonstrate their skills in driving, firearms, patrol procedures, arrest and control tactics, standardized field sobriety testing, and emergency medical assistance.

The academy has one full-time instructor and a team of 20 adjunct instructors with diverse law enforcement backgrounds, exposing students to a range of experiences and perspectives. The next Law Enforcement Academy class will kick off in February 2026, following the move from LSC-East Aldine Center to the academy’s new home at LSCKingwood.

Learn more at LoneStar.edu/Programs-Of-Study/Law-Enforcement-Academy.