The John Wood Community College Board of Trustees, meeting in regular session in Quincy Wednesday evening, March 18, received an update on the College’s 2x2 online degree program.

Launched in June of 2014 in response to a growing demand for online courses, the 2x2 program provides an opportunity for students to earn an associate degree in two years entirely online by taking two eight-week courses at a time.

The share of credit hours taken by students online has almost doubled at JWCC since 2011.  In 2011, twelve percent of total credit hours were delivered online.  This year, twenty-three percent of courses taken by students at JWCC are in an online format.

Andy Happekotte, director of advising and retention, and Stephanie Phillips, director of instructional support and distance learning, reported that the 2x2 program has received 230 inquiries from prospective students since it began.  Thirty-five of those students enrolled in 442 credit hours within the 2x2 program, generating $76,024 in tuition revenue.

Another 58 new students who first inquired about the 2x2 program enrolled at JWCC in other online or classroom based courses to seek degrees or certificates. In total, forty percent of all students who inquired about 2x2 program ultimately enrolled in courses at the College.

JWCC programs available in the 2x2 program include accounting, business, economics, history, psychology and general studies.  Next fall JWCC proposes to add law enforcement and education to 2x2 offerings.

Trustees also heard a report on the JWCC’s participation in the State of Illinois Debt Recovery Program. In December 2013 the JWCC Board of Trustees entered into an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Illinois Office of the Comptroller (IOC) to participate in the Local Debt Recovery Program. 

This program, signed into law in December 2011, allows the IOC to assist counties, municipalities, school districts, community colleges, public universities and other local governments in collecting unpaid debt such as parking tickets, fines, fees, and other types of obligations, by offsetting state wages, tax refunds, commercial payments and lottery winnings. Since joining the program in January 2014, the College has received offset payments totaling $57,259 from the State. 

In other business, the Board adopted the 2015-16 College catalog.

The next meeting will be held Wednesday, April 29, at 7 p.m. in Quincy.

John Wood Community College Trustee Dene Lambkin has resigned his seat on the College’s Board of Trustees to focus on the expansion of his business. He is the owner of Dene Lambkin Honda/Hyundai and was elected to serve a six-year term as a JWCC Trustee from 2011 to 2017. 

“I’ve been in the mode of expanding my business outside of the Quincy market, which involves considerable travel that has made it really challenging to fulfill my duties as a Trustee,” Lambkin said.  “I feel it is in the best interest of the College, and the residents of the district, for me to resign and have the Board appoint an individual that can devote the time it takes to be a fully engaged Trustee.”

As afforded by law, the JWCC Board may appoint an individual to serve the remaining two years of Lambkin’s term. The Board will meet for its annual retreat March 26, during which Trustees will begin the process of identifying possible candidates to fill the seat opened by Lambkin’s resignation.

JWCC Trustees hope to have an individual appointed to fill Lambkin’s seat by the Board’s annual reorganizational meeting on April 29.  At that meeting, two individuals will also be seated as Trustees based on results of the April 7 election and new officers will be named for the 2015-16 year.

JWCC Spring Concert April 28

Audiences will betreated to a wide variety of vocal and instrumental selections performed bytalented area students at John Wood Community College’s Fine Arts Department Spring Music Concert.  The annual event is set for Tuesday, April 28 at 7 p.m. in the JWCC Paul Heath Center Mary Ellen Orr Auditorium on the Quincy campus at 48^th and Harrison.

JWCC’s Concert Choir, Jazz Band and Vocal Show Ensemble will provide a showcase to appeal to all ages.  The Concert Choir’s portion of the program will include such works as “O Vos Omnes” by Tomas Luis de Victoria, jazz standards “Autumn Leaves” and “Cry Me a River,” Norman Luboff’s arrangement of “All My Trials”, and the “Neighbors’ Chorus” by Jacques Offenbach. The Vocal Show Ensemble will perform “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, “Shake it Off” by Taylor Swift, “Suit & Tie” by Justin Timberlake, and “Treasure” by Bruno Mars. The Jazz Band’s offerings will include “All of Me,” “Fever,” “Birdland,” and “Chameleon.” Admission is $3.00 for adults. Students are admitted free of charge.

Proceeds from theevent will support the group’s 2014 spring tour.  JWCC’s music groups tour annually and in past years have performed in Chicago, Memphis, Nashville, Kansas City and Branson at popular venues, including Union Station, Stax Music Academy, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis Redbirds’ AutoZone Park and Silver Dollar City.

The groups are under the direction of Gary DeClue, JWCC fine arts professor and department chair, and Rhonda Basinger, JWCC associate professor of music and accompanist.

Individuals interested in pursuing a nursing career are encouraged to attend an information session about John Wood Community College’s nursing program. Two sessions will be held on April 16. One will be held in Quincy at the 48^th and Harrison campus in the cafeteria, and the other at the JWCC Pittsfield Education Center located at 1308 West Washington. Both sessions begin at 6:00 p.m.

Marcheta Hays, CNA Coordinator, and Monsavahn (Von) Lithila, MLT program director, will be in attendance at the Quincy campus, while Mary Hass, Professor of Health Sciences, will be speaking in Pittsfield.

Participants will learn more about JWCC’s nursing program and admission requirements. Attendees will have an opportunity to talk to nursing faculty about program expectations, courses, labs, clinical opportunities, support services and financial considerations. The information session is designed for both those currently attending JWCC and those who are thinking about going back to school.

Contact Hass for more information at mhass@jwcc.edu or 217.641.4542. More information about JWCC’s nursing program can be found at jwcc.edu/academics/choose/health-sciences. 

Two students from John Wood Community College’s Agriculture Club placed at the 2015 National Postsecondary Agriculture Student (PAS) conference in Boise, IdahoMarch 10.  Eleven of the 20 states with PAS membership participated in the event, with approximately 500 students and advisors attending.

Students from JWCC who qualified at the state competition last fall and winter attended the conference accompanied by Gary Shupe, Ag Club advisor.  Seth Terwelp of Payson, placed second in the Extemporaneous Public Speaking for Agriculture competition. Dusti Irwin of Rushville, placed third in Career Planning: Agriculture Education Systems.

The National Postsecondary Agricultural Student Organization is an organization associated with agriculture/agribusiness and natural resources offerings in approved postsecondary institutions offeringbaccalaureate degrees, associate degrees, diplomas and/or certificates.

PAS is one of the 11 career and technical student organizations that has been approved by the U. S. Department of Education as an integral part of career and technical education.

JWCC Administering Test for Teacher Aides; Registration Deadline is April 22

John Wood Community College is offering the ACT WorkKeys test which helps paraprofessionals (teacher aides) meet the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. Registration and payment for the test must be received by April 22.

The test will be administered Thursday, May 14, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. in Room W117 of the JWCC Workforce Development Center in Quincy at 4220 Kochs Lane. It consists of applied mathematics, reading for information and writing. 

Participants must register and pay a $75 fee for the WorkKeys exam by registration deadline, April 22.  No refunds will be issued for any reason after that date. A minimum of eight registrants is required to schedule thetest.

Registration or more information is available by calling 217-641-4971. 

April is National Volunteer Month

Kyle Moore, Mayor of Quincy, will honor the Adams, Brown and Pike County Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), sponsored by John Wood Community College. Moore will recognize the program for its importance to volunteerism and service on the 2015 Mayor’s Day of National Service Recognition, sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service, celebrated on April 7.

On Monday, April 6, a proclamation will be signed at the Quincy City Council meeting at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall to recognize the day and importance RSVP has in our community. The public is invited to attend.

RSVP is a federal program under the Senior Corps umbrella of National Service.  RSVP has been active in Adams County for the last 41 years.  In 2012 RSVP was awarded a grant to expand into Brown & Pike counties.

In 2014, there were 510 active Adams County volunteers who gave a total of 78,970 volunteer hours.  The Independent Sector estimated value of volunteer time in the U.S. is $22.55 per hour, which means the value of the volunteer hours would be $1,780,774.

The RSVP program receives a large portion of their funding through the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).  As the federal agency for national service and volunteering, CNCS annually engages five million citizens in service at more than 60,000 sites in 8,500 cities across the country.  Through AmeriCorps, VISTA, NCCC, Senior Corps/RSVP, the Social Innovation Fund, and other programs, CNCS leverages federal and private funds to support organizations that achieve measurable results where the need is greatest.

Each year the Corporation for National and Community Service promotes the Mayor’s Day of National Service Recognition. The purpose of the day is to promote national service through many volunteer programs by asking Mayors of communities great and small to recognize the importance of volunteerism and service. Through the promotion of this day, word is spread about the importance of national service across the country. Attached is a link to the CNCS website link:

http://www.nationalservice.gov/special-initiatives/mayors-day

For more information on RSVP, contact Barbara B. Casady, Manager of Volunteer Services – RSVP, at 217-641-4960 or email bcasady@jwcc.edu.

Activities include 3D printing, welding simulation, cartoon portraits, fire trucks, crafts, basketball, and chemistry experiments

Families are invited to take part in free interactive and educational activities hosted by John Wood Community College on Saturday, April 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Quincy Mall.

The inaugural event is focused on showcasing JWCC programs available for kids and adults and previewing JWCC’s newly branded “JDub Academy,” formerly known as Children’s College, which will take place in the month of June.  JDub Academy courses will be held in Quincy, Pittsfield and Mt. Sterling.

Free interactive activities include use of 3D printing technology, welding simulator and graphic design software.  Kids of all ages can have their cartoon portraits made, build a birdhouse, step inside a semi-truck, police car or fire truck, make crafts, diagnose a “patient” and participate in chemistry and engineering experiments.

JWCC’s culinary arts and local foods students will prepare food for purchase and tasting, some of which was grown hydroponically in the College’s greenhouse.

Members of the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Trail Blazer National Runner-Up basketball team will be on hand for photos with the national trophy and Woody the Trail Blazer, JWCC’s new mascot.

Admissions, financial aid, GED, literacy, volunteer and disability services staff will have informational tables to share academic and scholarship opportunities.

Participants may also register to win an iPad, or one of three free JDub Academy classes valued at $75 each.

More information is available from admissions@jwcc.edu or 217.641.4367.

John Wood Community College’s Psychology students will host “Canstock 2015”,April 18 from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Orr Auditorium on the main campus in Quincy at 48^th and Harrison.

The event is sponsored by psychology students of Danelle Batterton, JWCC adjunct psychology instructor, as a class project for the spring semester.  Performances will start at 1 p.m. and feature Logan Kammerer, Liz Bentley, West of Greenwich, along with Jacob Tracy and CJ Dean, Jr.  Admittance to the event is a non-perishable item for local food pantries.  Individuals who bring more than one item will receive a raffle ticket for each additional item.  Following the concert a raffle for gift certificates to local restaurants will be held. 

During the spring and fall semesters psychology students hosted a variety of events to help stock local food pantries.  Some events included a movie night, decade of fashion show and game night.  Entry fee for each event was a non-perishable food item for local food pantries. 

Activities Focused on Sustainable Living, Composting, Locally Grown Foods, Tiny House Living and Solar Energy

John Wood Community College Community Education will host an Earth Day event Saturday, April 18 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Science and Technology building and greenhouse area on the southernmost area of the campus in Quincy at 48^th and Harrison.

The event is being held to foster appreciation of the earth’s environment and provide education to help community members live a more “green” and sustainable lifestyle. Admission is $10, which includes access to workshops, vendor attractions and children’s activities throughout the day. Eight workshops included in the $10 admission fee will begin at 10 a.m., 11a.m, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. and range from tiny house living to solar power.

A locally grown soup and salad buffet will be offered by Chef Michael from Bittersweet Café from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Cost for the lunch is $8 per person.  Other locally grown food will be available for purchase from area vendors in a mini Farmer’s Market on the JWCC campus.

Children’s activities will take place in the butterfly garden and outdoor classroom within the Spring Valley Trails Arboretum on the JWCC campus. Butterfly gardening information will be led by Julie Bice, the Butterfly Lady.  Youth will take home their own planted milkweed, which is vital to the growth and continuation of Monarchs.  Muddy River Herb guild will also offer planting options for herbs and flowers.

A Tiny House Living workshop will be conducted by Jacob Krieger, sustainable compost businessman, at 10 a.m. Tiny House Living is a social movement to downsize living space for environmental and financial reasons.  The typical American home is around 2600 square feet, while the typical small or tiny house is around 100-400 square feet.  Krieger, who built and lives in a Tiny House with his wife and two children, will share off-grid energy options and the benefits of Tiny House Living. 

Raised Bed Gardens and Biointensive Growing information will be shared by Michael Richter, JWCC community education instructor, at 10 a.m. Raised garden beds are used to grow small plots of herbs, veggies and flowers.  The beds prevent soil compaction, offer good drainage and serve as a barrier to some insects and weeds. Richter will provide tips to improve existing beds and share how to properly construct raised beds.

Locally Grown Foods will be the topic of a workshop at 11a.m. led by Michelle Wilkerson, Owner of Quincy’s Grown –n – Gathered store. Wilkerson will share the benefits and sources of locally grown food in the region.

A Solar Energy workshop will take place at 11 a.m.   Troy Van Beek, president of Ideal Energy based in Fairfield Iowa, will share benefits and simple ways to use forms of solar and other alternative energy in homes and businesses.

At 1 p.m., Jacob Krieger will offer a Life in the Soil workshop.  Krieger will explore the microscopic life found in healthy soil. Participants will learn how microorganisms function in soil, with plants, and throughout the human body as well as how crucial the soil is for earth’s sustainability.

A workshop on Permaculture will take place at 1 p.m., led by Edwin Waters, local gardening expert.  Permaculture uses the qualities of plants and animals combined with the natural characteristics of landscapes and structures to produce a life-supporting system for city or country living, using the smallest practical area. Waters will provide information on how to introduce various sustainable systems into everyday living, such as gardens, landscapes and other methods.

At 2 p.m. Mark Lockett will offer a workshop on how to create and use rain barrels.  Participants will learn how to collect and store roof rainwater that is normally lost to runoff or diverted to storm drains and streams.

A Hydroponics workshop will be instructed by Jeff Bash at 2 p.m.  Hydroponics is the process of growing plants in sand, gravel, or liquid, with added nutrients but without soil to extend the growing season and expand the harvest.  Bash will show examples of hydroponic systems in place at JWCC’s greenhouse and instruct participants on how to begin to grow plants hydroponically.

A tour of JWCC’s hydroponic greenhouse, hoop house and gardens will take place at 3 p.m.

Vendors participating in Earth Day include Grown –n- Gathered, Terrapin Farms, Tristate Local Foods Network, Muddy River Herb Guild, Four Winds Farm, Farmers Market, Ideal Energy, Jacobs Compost and OxiFresh.

In addition to sustainable living workshops, JWCC Community Education will offer a Compost 101course taught by Mark Lockett from 9 a.m. to noon.  Participants will build a recycled pallet compost bin and learn the basics of rich compost. Cost is $35.  Registration is required and can be made by calling 217.641.4905.

More information is available from Pam Maddox, JWCC community outreach specialist, at 217.641.4905 or pmaddox@jwcc.edu.

Introduction of some local foods activities, programs and future classes are sponsored in part by a TAACCCT Illinois Green Economy Network grant.

John Wood Community College will offer Health Care Assistant (HCA) training starting April 6.  The training includes three courses offered in a 16 week span designed to prepare individuals for patient excellence representative positions open at area healthcare providers. 

 The three HCA courses in the program are Medical Office Administrative Procedures, Basic Health Care and Phlebotomy.  Classes cover a wide range of patient needs including health information intake, recording vital signs and collecting basic lab samples.  Students will receive instruction in traditional classroom settings, through observation and by hands-on learning at clinical sites.

 Funding to cover the cost of the classes may be available from the Workforce Investment Board of Western Illinois for students who qualify, including low-income, dislocated workers and veterans.

 For information about HCA courses or to register, contact Hollie Perry at 641.4551or healthsciences@jwcc.edu.  More information about funding is available from Jeremy Oshner, Two Rivers Regional Council of Public Officials, at 217.222.1560 Ext. 233. 

John Wood Community College’s Psychology students will host “Canstock 2015”,April 18 from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Orr Auditorium on the main campus in Quincy at 48^th and Harrison.

The event is sponsored by psychology students of Danelle Batterton, JWCC adjunct psychology instructor, as a class project for the spring semester.  Performances will start at 1 p.m. and feature Logan Kammerer, Liz Bentley, West of Greenwich, along with Jacob Tracy and CJ Dean, Jr.  Admittance to the event is a non-perishable item for local food pantries.  Individuals who bring more than one item will receive a raffle ticket for each additional item.  Following the concert a raffle for gift certificates to local restaurants will be held. 

During the spring and fall semesters psychology students hosted a variety of events to help stock local food pantries.  Some events included a movie night, decade of fashion show and game night.  Entry fee for each event was a non-perishable food item for local food pantries. 

The John Wood Community College Concert Choir, Vocal Show Ensemble and Jazz Band will kick off a series of performances this spring, concluding with their annual Spring Concert.

The JWCC Concert Choir will perform a pre-tour concert on Sunday, April 12, at Christ Lutheran Church, 333 South 36^th in Quincy. The performance will begin at 7 pm and is free to the public.

Performances at three area schools are also included on this year’s tour.  On Monday, April 13, all three groups will perform at Liberty High School at 9:00 a.m. and again at Pleasant Hill High School at 2:00 p.m. A third concert will be held on Thursday, April 16, at Brown County High School at 10:20 a.m. The groups will then travel to perform at several venues in Memphis, Tenn., and will present a showcase that appeals to all ages, including traditional literature as well as pop, rhythm and blues and jazz numbers.   

All three groups will be featured in concert at Stax Museum of American Soul Music in Memphis on Tuesday, April 14. The JWCC Concert Choir will sing the National Anthem at a Memphis Redbirds’ game at AutoZone Park that evening, and a concert featuring all groups is also scheduled at the Center for Southern Folklore Wednesday, April 15.

The 25-voice Concert Choir will perform spirituals, light jazz and pop numbers in addition to more traditional choral works.  Featured this year are jazz favorites Cry Me a River by Arthur Hamilton, and Autumn Leaves by Johnny Mercer, as well as Offenbach’s Neighbors’ Chorus, and Riversong, A Celtic Celebration by Roger Emerson.

The 10-member Vocal Show Ensemble showcases pop, rhythm and blues and soul numbers, including contemporary as well as standard pieces. The Vocal Show Ensemble’s portion of the program will feature Roar by Katy Perry, Shake It Off by Taylor Swift, Suit & Tie by Justin Timberlake, and Treasure by Bruno Mars.

The Jazz Band will kick it up a notch with charts ranging from cool and mellow to swing and funk.   Featured numbers include Fever by John Davenport, Chameleon by Herbie Hancock, Birdland by Weather Report, and All ofMe by Simons and Marks.

The tour concludes with the annual Spring Concert, Tuesday, April 28, at 7:00 p.m. in Mary Ellen Orr Auditorium in the Paul Heath Community Education and Fine Arts Center, 48^th and Harrison, Quincy. Tickets are $3 for the general public, while students are admitted free of charge.

In past years, JWCC groups have performed in Nashville, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Chicago and Branson. This is the groups’ seventh trip to Memphis, where they have also presented concerts at Stax Music Academy, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Southwest Tennessee Community College.

The groups are under the direction of Gary DeClue, JWCC fine arts professor and department chair, and Rhonda Basinger, JWCC associate professor of music and accompanist.

Area art enthusiasts will have an opportunity to invest in artwork of local students by visiting the John Wood Community College Heath Center Art Gallery this spring. The gallery will feature artwork created by this year’s visual art students.  The exhibit will be on display from April 20 to May 20 in the Heath Center Art Gallery. 

“The community has really responded to seeing our students’ artwork and several pieces are purchased every year,” said Addie Seabarkrob, JWCC fine arts instructor. “It gives our students a sense of accomplishment to see their classwork on display and purchased by community members.”

The JWCC Advancement Office receives 20 percent of the proceeds from the sale to enhance the arts education program at JWCC.   The individual students receive the remainder of the proceeds. 

Featured works have been selected for display and priced affordably for sale.  The pieces will include a wide diversity in media and approach. Media will include paintings, drawings, monotypes, graphic designs and mixed-media created during the past year by JWCC students.

The exhibit will be available for viewing during the College’s normal operating hours and is located in the lower level of the Heath Fine Arts and Community Education Center located on the Quincy campus at 48^th and Harrison.

John Wood Community College is offering an OSHA ten-hour General Industry Training Program April 27 and 28. This training course is intended to provide entry-level general industry workers information about their rights, employer responsibilities, and how to identify, abate, avoid and prevent job related hazards on a job site.

In today’s challenging business climate, many employers are faced with the need to have their employees be able to perform new and multiple job functions. As personnel shift to accommodate business needs, it is essential to have staff understand the importance of safety and health management and the underlying effect it has on business. In two half-day sessions this course offers the resources and tools to create or enhance aneffective safety and health management system, a review of the OSHA Act, and highlights of many key General Industry Safety and Health Standards.

Sid Coe, a World Safety Organization Certified Safety Executive and Registered Safety Director, will teach the course. Sid has over 40 years of experience and is a HumaTech Certified Ergonomics Trainer, a Laser Safety Officer, as well as an OSHA Outreach Authorized Trainer.

The class will meet Monday and Tuesday, April 27 and 28, from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the JWCC Workforce Development Center at 4220 Kochs Lane, in Room W136.  

John Wood Community College's Workforce Development Center has partnered with the Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce to bring Chet Holmes International sales training to Quincy May 7.

 The founder of Chet Holmes International (CHI) was co-author of the New York Times Best-Seller, The Ultimate Selling Machine and partner with international motivational speaker, Tony Robbins. Holmes also ran nine divisions of a company for Charlie Munger, partner of Warren Buffet.  Using CHI Core Competencies, the company doubled sales volume in each division and continued sustained growth. Munger, listed on Forbes “Billionaires List”, called Holmes “America’s greatest sales and marketing executive.”

 After Holmes’ untimely death from leukemia, his daughter, Amanda Holmes, became chief executive officer of CHI. 

She leads a group of professional trainers focused on helping businesses of all sizes grow sales and surpass competition. Companies that have used CHI methods have experienced dramatic sales increases, often doubling or tripling sales and breaking long-standing company sales records.

Holmes will offer two training programs in the Mary Ellen Orr Auditorium of JWCC's Heath Center at 48th and Harrison on Thursday, May 7.

 A lunch and learn program for company managers and sales trainers will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Holmes will review the proven 12 Core Competencies developed by her father and used by such clients as American Express, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley, Pac Bell, Estee Lauder, Thomson International, Merrill Lynch, Solomon Brothers, Cosmair, Banker's Trust, Xerox and others. Cost is $75 per person, and includes lunch.

 Holmes will provide a self-improvement and motivational training from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.  Any sales, marketing or service professionals, or anyone interested in self-improvement and motivational training will benefit from the program.  Cost is $12 in advance or $15 at the door.

 The training is being offered in response to feedback from businesses in JWCC’s district.

 "As we have talked with area business owners, they shared a need to provide formal sales training for companies in this area, “Gordon Forbes, JWCC workforce outreach coordinator said. "Businesses would normally pay several thousand dollars to send managers or sales staff to a national conference to receive this type of sales training. Our partnership with the Chamber has allowed us to bring world class program to all area businesses at an affordable cost."

 Registration can be made by contacting the JWCC Workforce Development Center at 217.641.4971 or wdc@jwcc.edu.  More information about CHI is available at chetholmes.com.

John Wood Community College’s TRiO Student Support Services will host a workshop titled “Gender Bias in Higher Education,” presented by Kathy Grove, director of the Office for Women at Indiana University-Purdue. This free workshop is open to the public and will be held Thursday, April 23, from 11:30 am to 1 pm in the Orr Auditorium in the Paul Heath Center, at JWCC’s 48^th and Harrison campus.

The workshop will focus on gender stereotypes and their effects on how men and women interact in higher education and beyond.  It will also explore how male and female students may experience college life differently from one another.

For more information contact Bridget Quinlivan, JWCC retention advisor for TRiO Student Support Services, at 217-641-4379 or email bquinlivan@jwcc.edu.

Format for 3-6 Grade Students Mixes Fun with Interactive Academics

 John Wood Community College’s popular Children’s College summer program is now “JDUB Academy” and is coming to Pittsfield this June.   JDUB Academy will be offered for students entering third through sixth grade from June 8 to 12 and June 15 to 19 at the Crossroads Center at 125 West Jefferson Street in Pittsfield.

The name change symbolizes a new approach to summer learning that mixes fun with a focused, interactive style to help youth begin to explore how their hobbies, interests and strengths might connect with a future career.

Its new moniker, “JDUB Academy” relates to the third through sixth grade age group and the new level of instruction parents and students can expect from the experience.

“JDUB” is the slang term for JWCC used by youngsters and high school students that refers to the college’s “J” and “W” initials.   “J” stands for John in John Wood Community College. “DUB” is short for the slang word “Dubbya”, representing the initial “W”. 

“When the college held community forums in the southeastern portion of our district last summer, residents told us they wanted educational programs for youth, and we’ve responded by bringing JDUB Academy to the area, “ Samantha Wilson, JWCC youth specialist said.  “We have a wide range of classes with great educational value that will be fun and interactive for students at the same time.”

Area youth may choose from seven classes in the areas of art, science and culture during two different weeks of JDUB Academy offered Monday through Fridays: June 8-12 or June 15-19. Each week will have an 8 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. session and a 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m. session.  Children may choose to attend one or both morning sessions. 

Classes include Click, Click Snap!, Health Occupations, Amazing Animal Art, Life in the Soil, Let’s Fiesta, Crazy Chemistry and Whale of a Time!

Details on JDUB Academy offerings are available online at www.jwcc.edu/jdubacademy JDUB Academy booklets will be delivered to youth in area elementary and middle schools in early May. For more information or to register, please call Cheryl Weinant at 217.285.5319.

John Wood Community College’s popular Children’s College summer program is now “JDUB Academy”.   The name change symbolizes a new approach to summer learning that mixes fun with a focused, interactive style to help youth begin to explore how their hobbies, interests and strengths might connect with a future career.

Its new moniker, “JDUB Academy” better relates to the K-8 age group of its students and the new level of instruction parents and students can expect from the experience.

“JDUB” is the slang term for JWCC used by youngsters and high school students that refers to the college’s “J” and “W” initials.   “J” stands for John in John Wood Community College. “DUB” is short for the slang word “Dubbya”, representing the initial “W”. 

Experts in a range of professions from graphic design and healthcare to engineering and photography will instruct classes. All classes will have interactive elements, projects and a deeper academic focus.

“As the community’s college, it is our mission to open the minds of area youth and to have them realize what they like to do might be the first step on the path to their future career,” Samantha Wilson, JWCC youth outreach specialist, said. “Of course they’ll be taking that step by having a lot of fun by doing things like building robots, performing mock crime scene investigations and launching rockets.”

Area youth may choose from more than a dozen classes during four different weeks of JDUB Academy offered Monday through Fridays: June 1-5, June 8-12, June 15-19 and June 22-26. Each week will have an 8 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. session a 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m. session.  Children may choose to attend one or both morning sessions. 

This year JDUB Academy sessions will also be in Mt. Sterling and Pittsfield. The academy will be held June 8 to 12 and June 15-19 at the Crossroads Center in Pittsfield.  In Mt. Sterling, students can attend June 8 -12 and June 15 – 19 at Brown County Middle School.

Crazy Chemistry, Digital E-magination, Fungineering, Rocket Camp, Life in the Soil and Crime Scene Lab and To the Rescue! are just a few of the classes offered.   

An orientation session will be held prior to the first session to help children feel comfortable on campus and to answer questions from parents.

JWCC has been providing learning opportunities for area youth for more than 23 years.  This unique program offers children hands-on academic and enrichment workshops on a college campus.

Get your children ready for a fun summer ahead and check out all the great offerings online at www.jwcc.edu/jdubacademy.   For more information please call 217.641.4905.