The Riverland Community College Foundation received a $13,000 AT&T donation Wednesday to support its scholarship programs.

The AT&T donation will support 13 scholarships at $1,000 each for Riverland Community College freshmen who are attending Riverland to pursue a diploma or degree in a STEM-based (science, technology, engineering and math) career, and are in need of scholarship support.

“We are very excited to continue this partnership with AT&T and provide scholarships to students who need financial support pursuing or exploring careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM),” Riverland President Dr. Adenuga Atewologu said in a press release. “We are in an era of a knowledge economy that continues to generate exciting career opportunities in STEM. The earlier students acquire strong math skills in their education continuum, the easier it is for them to choose STEM careers. These scholarships will help many students start earlier, nearer to home, and go farther in their quest for success.”

With baby boomer retirements in full swing, local businesses are faced with a skills gap that requires workers to obtain education and training to match the requirements of jobs, especially in STEM-related careers.

“AT&T Minnesota is committed to helping advance the education of our young people, particularly in the critical fields of science, technology, engineering and math,” Paul Weirtz, president of AT&T Minnesota, said in the release. “We are proud to once again support Riverland’s scholarship program and help more students receive the STEM education they need to be prepared for careers in the 21st Century.”

In addition to Wednesday’s donation, AT&T provided a $13,000 donation to Riverland last year for an initial class of 13 scholarship recipients.

The Riverland Community College Foundation supports the college in a variety of ways, including raising funds to increase access for students and advance the quality of programming.

“This is exciting news for Riverland students who are looking to explore STEM careers and are in need of financial support,” State Senator Dan Sparks said in the release. “Many of today’s students face financial obstacles to realizing their dreams of a college education. Scholarship support is so critical to helping many students attend and graduate college.”

About 4,900 students are served annually through credit-based educational opportunities. An additional 5,400 students are annually served in non-credit courses.

AT&T and the AT&T Foundation have given nearly $87 million nationwide to support STEM initiatives since 1995. Projects supported by AT&T contributions range from STEM scholarship programs and science and math-focused summer camps for at-risk youth, to hands-on technology labs and elite robotics competitions at the nation’s leading universities.