Video: Urban Farming Community Review

The hard work of the pilot project of the Keller Future Center, the Urban Farming Project, has been completed and the results of the team’s hard work were made available to the greater West Michigan community:

GRCC’s Keller Future Center Featured on “LjjSpeaks: Less Stress More Success” Podcast

GRCC’s Interim Communication Director Lynne Jarman-Johnson is featured Mondays from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. on “LjjSpeaks: Less Stress More Success” on WJRW AM1340.

Click here to listen to this week’s episode, which features interviews with the people involved in the Keller Future Center Urban Farming Project.

Upward Bound Partners with GRCC Departments for Career Exploration

The 2010 Upward Bound summer program is underway and this year is partnering with GRCC departments to open up career exploration with our UB scholars. Upward Bound works with high school students from Ottawa Hills and Creston High Schools, offering a 6-week residential summer program for 10-12th grade students. In addition to the career exploration opportunities all students take summer classes in English, math, science and various labs. At the completion of the 6-week program, students may earn the opportunity to take a week long educational trip to Boston, MA.

Following is a list of departments UB is partnering with this summer. The partnership includes a tour of the department, an introduction to the academic requirements of each career field, as well as a look into the actual career experience via hands on activity.

• Creative Dining – David Lincoln | David visited the UB program for an “Etiquette Dinner.” Students learned the proper way to communicate and eat in a formal dinner setting.
• Performing and Visual Arts – Tim Heldt | Students were able to work with this department to become more experienced in the field of music production.
• Technology (Mechanical & Architectural Design) – Tom Boersma | With the help of the Computer Aided Design (CAD) software and technology, students were able to design houses. (see picture)
• Radiology Tech – Deb Nordman | With the help of this department, students will be given an x-ray demonstration and will learn how to read x-rays.
• Dentistry – Eve Sidney | Students will learn the chemical compounds used in dental hygiene and will have the opportunity to make impressions and molds used in dentistry.
• Counseling and Career Center | This department will help Upward Bound students by teaching some of the workshops they offer GRCC students during the school year including Effective Note Taking, Coping Strategies, and Test Taking/Anxiety.

Partnerships with Community Organizations

• Lake Michigan Credit Union | In UB’s second year of partnering with LMCU, the credit union has helped the program create and maintain a “token economy system” where students can earn Raider Bucks throughout the summer by displaying good character and academic achievement. These “Bucks” can be used in the student run “dorm store” as well as being used to purchase involvement in outside activities and the end of the year trip. LMCU also trains select students on how to work as a teller, allowing the rest of the program students to deposit their Raider Bucks into a type of savings account each week. This year, LMCU is also offering a tour of their corporate headquarters and will educate our UB scholars regarding the various career pathways associated with the banking industry.

• AmeriCorps VISTA |  Starting with the 2010 school year, UB will be hiring a VISTA (Volunteers In Service to America) worker within the department. This worker will help the UB Program:

  – Develop collaborative relationships with other community organizations
  – Plan and Implement activities that will develop leadership qualities in UB students through service learning
  – Organize UB parents by furthering the efforts of the Parent Advisory Council’s (PAC) activities and mission

Phone System Testing Today

GRCC is working with CBI Telecommunications Consultants to help identify some of the various phone lines that the college owns. They will be placing test calls to various numbers today (6/29/10), most of which are fax machines, alarm circuits etc. They will not be dialing any phones in the 234- exchange, so offices and classrooms should not be affected. If you do receive a test call, the caller will identify herself as being from CBI.

College Channel Special Programming: 6/28/10-7/11/10

The latest listings for GRCC’s college channel TV programming are up on www.grcc.edu/channel28.  The new slate includes the entire Collegiate Network’s 3rd Annual Summer Summit, a brand new Lunch & Learn titled, “Canning Foods” (embedded below) along with many other programs recorded around the area. As always most programs are on our Youtube channel at www.youtube.com/grcc.

GRCC in the News: 6/29/10

Should lawmakers get involved to lower textbook costs?
Published: Monday, June 28, 2010, 3:42 PM | Dave Murray | The Grand Rapids Press

Should state lawmakers get involved in picking college textbooks to drive down costs? Book costs seem to be upsetting a lot of folks since they’re bubbling up as an issue here and in other states as well. […] Even used editions of books easily cost more than $100 each, which is more than a credit hour at Grand Rapids Community College.  (More)

Youths turn out for free Tony Annese football camp; future numbers expected to increase
Published: Monday, June 28, 2010, 9:00 AM | Jeff Chaney | The Grand Rapids Press

GRAND RAPIDS — Matthew Wagner and Keegan Kresnak had no problem waking up early Sunday morning for some football. The two 11-year-olds had to be at MVP Fieldhouse by 9 a.m. to take part in the inaugural Tony Annese Free Football Camp. Annese, the Grand Rapids Community College head coach, offered three free sessions of drills and learning for campers in grades 4-12.  (More)

GRCC Upward Bound Fundraiser Event at Woody’s Press Box 7/3/10

GRCC’s Upward Bound program will be holding a fundraiser on Saturday, July 3rd from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at Woody’s Press Box (located at 5656 Clyde Park Ave. in Wyoming, MI).

Some of the other local events associated with the third annual Mirror Image “Help Us Help Others” event are one dollar bowling for everyone, a classic car show competition, inflatable bounce houses for children, and a great DJ!

“Never Give Up” Scholarship Winners *Date Corrected

The West Side Learning Corner would like to congratulate their incredible staff Sabra Kinsley (Professional Tutor) and Jackie Villegas (Data Entry) for winning the Mary J. Szczepanski “Never Give Up” MS Scholarship.

Scholarships will be awarded at the 3rd Annual Miniature Golf Event for MS on Saturday, August 14th, 2010 (date corrected). Please contact Rick Szczepanski at scholarships@iserv.net for more information about the scholarship or event.