Innovations
February
2009
Cerro Coso Community College, located in the upper Mojave Desert, is on the cutting edge of developing an Energy Technician program to support the renewable energy industry. In the new industrial technology certificate and degree programs, students will complete an 18-unit core set of courses to provide for a well-rounded skilled technical worker. Courses in computer literacy, technical communication, blue print reading, basic hand tools, applied technical math, oxyacetylene welding, and industrial safety are in the core of the program. Within the degree program are three initial areas of...
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The word is out on Mott Community College's main campus about Ellen's Closet: It's the place to go shopping if you're an MCC student in the market for a great-looking, professional outfit--that won't cost a penny.
Housed in the MCC Business Division's McKay Cooperative Education Center in the Curtice-Mott Building, Ellen's Closet offers a wide variety of gently used clothing, suitable for job interviews or the first weeks of work before a paycheck comes in. Giving students that extra boost of confidence and professionalism as they approach the workforce is a great reward for all who are a...
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January
2009
On October 24, 2008, volunteers gathered at Bakersfield College to test their ability to vaccinate the community in a point-of-dispensing exercise. The college entered into the partnership because if Bakersfield was ever to experience pandemic influenza or another such disaster, it might be necessary to distribute medications to many citizens quickly, and Bakersfield College would be called on to provide the service.
Bakersfield College operated the entire event in an incident command system structure, which aligned all services and volunteers under one command structure. Calling on the...
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January
2009
Innovation Showcase was launched three years ago to feature the myriad ways community colleges connect with the communities they serve. In those three years, articles have focused on a wide range of these connections, from museums, art collections, and music festivals at quite a few colleges, to Johnson County Community College's barbecue tastings, Santa Fe College's on-campus zoo, and Bellingham Tech's welding rodeo. While many of the articles we've featured focus on art, music, and entertainment, others address the more sobering needs of the people our colleges serve: programs to help...
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December
2008
The Problem
Our rural county is defined by poverty. Fifty years ago Del Norte County, California, was awash in timber money and fishing money, but the big timber is gone and the coastal waters are fished out. One sad consequence of jobs that require little education is that machines can replace the people who used to do the hard work, and that has happened here. We have found ourselves with an unfortunate confluence involving a community that has traditionally put a low premium on education, industries that have outgrown their labor force, and a region that is so stunningly beautiful that...
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November
2008
When four Johnson County Community College employees set out for a barbecue lunch in 1997, little did they know they had created one of the most unique ways to foster collegiality on a community college campus in the country. They like to say unique in "the universe," which might be true or might be hyperbole. It's hard to really care about fact-checking when you're sinking your teeth into a hot tender serving of well-smoked ribs.
Participants in the June 2008 Learning College Summit in Overland Park got a taste for the camaraderie generated by barbecue when approximately 100 people signed up...
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October
2008
The New York State Thruway snakes across the state for 641 miles, connecting major cities, four neighboring states, and uncounted communities. It passes directly by Genesee Community College, making the college an ideal stopping place for a variety of travelers, students, and car enthusiasts in particular.
It was these car enthusiasts that Genesee welcomed to its second annual Cruise at the College on Saturday, July 26, 2008. The event attracted more than 75 cruising cars, trucks, and motorcycles from across the region, whose owners parked their vehicles in Genesee's spacious parking lots and...
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September
2008
Each year, South Seattle Community College hosts Gifts From the Earth, a signature event that brings together the campus and the larger Seattle community for an evening of good food, good wine, and a celebration of education.
For more than 20 years, South Seattle Community College has been home to an award-winning, American Culinary Federation accredited culinary arts program, which offers degree and certificate options in restaurant and food service production, catering and banquet operations, and pastry and specialty baking. Many of the guests and participants in Gifts From the Earth are...
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August
2008
Five years ago, at a time when colleges were slow to rid their campuses of tobacco products and smoking, Ozarks Technical Community College (OTC) faced the problem head-on and has enjoyed great success since. As a result, the college is now a national leader providing information and assistance to others in their tobacco-free efforts. This month marks the fifth year of the policy going into effect at OTC.
In 1997, there were about 5,000 faculty, staff, and student smokers on the OTC campus who produced debris and pollution affecting the 15,000 students and community members coming on campus...
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July
2008
Context
San Diego City College is an urban, largely working-class community college of 15,134 students in downtown San Diego not far from the international border. The student population of City College is diverse: 31.9 percent are white, 30.3 percent are Latino, 12.7 percent are African American, 5.8 are percent Asian American, 4.6 percent are Filipino, and 1 percent are Native American. A variety of other ethnicities are represented in the remainder. Immigrants comprise 10 percent of the student body. Just over 54 percent of our students are women and 45.6 percent are men. Over 40 percent...
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June
2008
For almost a decade after the first observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a national holiday in 1986, the third Monday in January was, for many Americans, a time for sleeping in and closed post offices. Since the 1994 passage of the King Holiday and Service Act marking the day as a national day of volunteer service, however, the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday has evolved into a day of interracial and intercultural cooperation and sharing. Instead of a day off of school and work, Americans of all different classes, colors, and creeds are asked to come together in the spirit of...
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May
2008
Established 26 years ago, the League's Innovation of the Year Award was devised as a way to recognize significant innovations reflecting capstone achievements and the continuing renewal of the spirit of innovation and experimentation upon which the League was founded. The award recognizes staff at member colleges who have designed and implemented a significant innovation. The award also provides a venue for showcasing these innovations and the dedicated community college educators who are working to create new programs, improve processes, and enhance the opportunities available in their...
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April
2008
Moving to a new country, looking for a new job, and seeking educational opportunities can seem daunting for anyone. Add the fact that English isn?t your native language, and the challenge becomes even greater. More than 14 percent of the residents of Charlotte, North Carolina, are facing these obstacles.
Fortunately for Charlotte, Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) is the number one provider of English as a Second Language (ESL) services in the region and is tackling this growing community need head-on. With the burgeoning influx of non-English speakers to the area, CPCC?s Adult ESL...
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March
2008
Portland Community College (PCC) in Oregon loves to expose people to art and culture.
PCC, the largest institution of higher education in the state of Oregon, has many large community cultural events during the year. From an acclaimed African film festival and a Native American powwow to a day devoted to the Asian arts, PCC is dedicated to making that connection with the college and its community in a variety of ways. This belief is even part of its mission.
But nothing is quite as big as PCC's Art Beat festival, held every May at its four major campuses. It offers students and the community...
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February
2008
Storytelling is the oldest form for communicating events, beliefs, traditions, values, and goals that people have. It is an interactive art form that relies on the relationship between the teller, the listener, and the story. Storytelling brings people together in community. The story of storytelling at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, Arizona, begins in the fall of 1994 when two faculty members, Lorraine Calbow and Liz Warren, attended a statewide Tellers of Tales conference where they experienced the magic of this ancient art form.
On returning to campus, Calbow was amazed when...
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January
2008
Middle school kids are called "tweens" for good reason: They're too old for daycare but too young to be left home alone after school.
Norwalk Community College (NCC) in Norwalk, Connecticut, cares about community youth. When the college learned that local children were at risk because their after-school program lacked adequate space, it offered to host a program on campus and provide student volunteers to serve as tutors and mentors. The volunteers are part of a recently launched service learning program that gives students the opportunity to earn college credits while giving back to the...
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