DES MOINES, Iowa [WHO-TV] — DMACC (Des Moines Area Community College) has received a $100,000 Legacy Grant from Prairie Meadows to help fund new DMACC Transportation Institute. DMACC is opening a new Transportation Institute in north Des Moines. It will allow the college to almost double the number of attendees and provide better learning opportunities for students.

The project involves the construction of a three-story inspection bay, 8,600-square-foot facility with classrooms, and student study spaces. The institute currently has a 12-acre concrete training course, which they will be able to repave. DMACC President Rob Denson says this wouldn’t be possible without their generous donors. In a time where Iowa desperately needs more truckers, Denson hopes that this program will allow more people to enter the program.

DMACC’s Transportation Institute is a comprehensive program which guides their students through learning theory, behind-the-wheel driving, and finally, helps them complete their Commerical Driver’s License (CDL). The project is already underway and due to be completed in 2025.