Welcome
January 9, 2016
January 9, 2016
INVEST IN THE FUTURE OF THE GREATER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY FOR 5 MINUTES…
Commissioner Joe Klebon of Northumberland County has requested that a public survey be conducted to determine the interest in creating a new regional community college to serve Pennsylvania’s middle counties. Click on the image above or link below to complete the 5 minute survey.
Regional Public Anchor Community College Interest Survey
May 2021
Marywood University Pledges Partnership with SVCEP
and Proposed Regional Community College
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Thank YOU to the Community Giving Foundation
The Community Giving Foundation generously awarded $20,000 to launch a state certified Nursing Assistant program in Sunbury.
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YOU Gave to Raise Up
Our Own Regional Sponsored Community College!
ENVISION
HOW DOES IT PAY?
Higher wages. Better jobs.
Preventing student debt.
Keeping our kids & jobs in the valley.
Growing local economies.
• $3,500 tuition per semester.
• Voter cost is 50 cents a household per week. Equals a cup of coffee – a month!
• $5 of tax money is returned for every $1 of tax money spent.
• 67% of PA students have loans that average $36,193 – highest in the nation.
• 94% of community college student stay in PA.
• Currently, our largest employers must bring skilled employees in from OUTSIDE the valley.
• Traditional & online courses offered to a multi-county region.
Where are Pennsylvania’s community colleges located?
There are 14 community colleges in Pennsylvania.
They are clustered around Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with one in the northeast and one in the state capitol city, Harrisburg.
Where are Pennsylvania Workforce Development Areas?
Where are the corresponding 14 regional community colleges?
Is there a corresponding regional community college for the Central Workforce Development Area?
Why an independent over a branch, center, or satellite site of another college ?
Like other PA Workforce Development Areas there would be a Corresponding Regional Community College governed by leaders of the serviced counties.
Our own community college would provide the most relevant programming a full catalog of certificates and degrees and student services where students can complete their degrees and certification close to family, home, and work.
There are more than 5,000 high priority job openings in our central Pennsylvania region each year that go unfilled and 11,000 total job openings.
Only an independent, full service community college can fill that level of employer need.
• Community colleges give a 400% return on investment. With a branch, that money would leave the Valley.
• 3,100 expected enrollment of an independent community college serving Montour, Northumberland, Snyder and Union counties.
• 300 – at a branch center location of another college.
Thank you, Mark Lawrence, and Sunbury Broadcasting, for giving airtime to national and local community college advocates. Listen to the podcasts here:
3/25/2020 WKOK Sunrise: Dr. Lenaire Ahlum
What community colleges can do during a crisis, how their agility and resiliency can help a region when a flexible learning setting is needed.
10/25/19 WKOK Sunrise: Dr. Randy Smith
10/25/19 On The Mark: Mark & Ben host local community college advocates – wkok.com
Thank YOU, Chris Elio, for an enlightening and informative interview about
establishing OUR OWN NEW Community College!
Dr. Randy Smith, President of the Rural Community College Alliance and
Dr. Lenaire Ahlum, Executive Director of the Susquehanna Valley Community Education Project discuss –
HOW MUCH is SPONSORSHIP?
WHAT is the RETURN ON SPONSORSHIP INVESTMENT?
Listen Now – Click Here.
This NCC grad went from rehab to Pa.’s top community college scholar
3/22/19 On The Mark: Mark and John Shipman talk community college
Mark Lawrence and guest co-host John Shipman host Dr. Lenaire Ahlum, Susquehanna Valley Community Education Project, and (her sister) Lt. Col. Malia Pearson, US Army Reserves/US Army Corp of Engineers, on the mission and progress of creating a Sunbury based community college.
Q: Why is education in Pennsylvania important to you? A: As a leader in education, I recognize that the future of our economy and workforce are dependent upon a highly trained and qualified employee. I support funding for Community Colleges and the expansion of existing, and development of new, career pathways for students.
Q: What knowledge, background or skills do you bring to the Community College Caucus?
A: I am a former professor having spent 14 years in the classroom. In addition, I have been the Chairman of the House Democratic Education Committee for the past 18 years, as well as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Community College of Philadelphia and have been actively involved in the issues facing our Community Colleges.
Q: How would you describe the impact of community colleges in your district and statewide?
A: Community colleges provide young people with a foundation on which to build successful lives. It affords them the opportunity to better themselves and to reach their dreams.
Q: What motivates you to improve access to education in Pennsylvania?
A: If we want to keep up with the ever-changing workforce, Pennsylvania needs to prioritize increasing attainment of education certificates and associates degrees for our working families. Community Colleges help achieve that by providing the most affordable options for students to obtain a degree.
Q: What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing community colleges in the Commonwealth?
A: One issue facing community colleges is keeping the students in school until graduation. The primary challenge is remedial students who struggle at the beginning of their college career, and shortly give up and drop out before completing their degree. We need to close the gap! Students need to come ready to learn.
Across the board, the price of attending college has risen dramatically in recent years. While Community college has been the most affordable option, they are no longer the exception to this trend.
Q: Anything else?
A: Investing in higher education, and in community colleges in particular, is one of the best investments a state can make. Pennsylvania needs to improve its investment in its community colleges to ensure they remain an accessible and affordable pathway to higher education for students.
A: I am a former professor having spent 14 years in the classroom. In addition, I have been the Chairman of the House Democratic Education Committee for the past 18 years, as well as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Community College of Philadelphia and have been actively involved in the issues facing our Community Colleges.
Q: How would you describe the impact of community colleges in your district and statewide?
A: Community colleges provide young people with a foundation on which to build successful lives. It affords them the opportunity to better themselves and to reach their dreams.
Q: What motivates you to improve access to education in Pennsylvania?
A: If we want to keep up with the ever-changing workforce, Pennsylvania needs to prioritize increasing attainment of education certificates and associates degrees for our working families. Community Colleges help achieve that by providing the most affordable options for students to obtain a degree.
Q: What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing community colleges in the Commonwealth?
A: One issue facing community colleges is keeping the students in school until graduation. The primary challenge is remedial students who struggle at the beginning of their college career, and shortly give up and drop out before completing their degree. We need to close the gap! Students need to come ready to learn.
Across the board, the price of attending college has risen dramatically in recent years. While Community college has been the most affordable option, they are no longer the exception to this trend.
Q: Anything else?
A: Investing in higher education, and in community colleges in particular, is one of the best investments a state can make. Pennsylvania needs to improve its investment in its community colleges to ensure they remain an accessible and affordable pathway to higher education for students.
U.S. Department of Labor Looks To Community Colleges To Build The Nation’s Workforce
AACC to Lead Efforts to Build Apprenticeship Network
Posted on
by amorgsuperuser
Charting a course to success for low-skill and working adult students
Adult learners bring incredible diversity into classrooms across America. Their variety of life-experiences and perspectives, their determination to succeed, and their work-ethic make them model students in many ways. However, adult learners also face special challenges. They need support dealing with new technology, financial issues, and intergenerational classroom dynamics.
Adult learners make up a large part of the student body at community colleges, and so whether they succeed or fail will impact these schools’ enrollment goals and financial targets. Community colleges and non-traditional students succeed together when schools understand how best to serve this important demographic.
Community Colleges are an important resource for adult learners
A study from the College Research Board
shows that community colleges are a key resource for adults returning to school. In 2011-12 about 44% of first and second year undergraduate students in the public two-year sector were older than twenty-five. This is more than double the percentage of older students in the public four-year sector, which served only 20% of students over twenty-five. The percentage of full-time adult students in the public four-year sector was even lower, only 10%, a third of the number of full-time adult learners in the public two-year sector.
Although community colleges are not the only institution serving adult learners, they are often the first choice for returning students looking to pick up new job skills or obtain a degree. Both affordable and friendly to working students, community colleges appeal to returning adult learners. In turn, adult learners provide a large part of the tuition dollars that community colleges need to keep functioning each year.
Adult learners need help picking up the pieces
Returning adult learners often have had some previous college experience. The difficulty is how to best fashion it to support their new academic goals. Obtaining decades old transcripts can be difficult, and even once the official copies are delivered the courses may not be up to the institution’s transfer standards. However, adult learners are highly motivated and returning to school with clear objectives in mind. Whatever missteps they’ve had in the past, with the right support they can flourish in an academic setting.
Admissions officers should encourage adult students to request old transcripts that could reduce the credit load they have to take to complete a degree. Even just helping adult learners find the right number to call at their previous institution can make the process easier. The credit transfer process should also be as simple as possible. Otherwise, adult learners lose time and money re-taking courses they’ve already had.
Adult learners need wrap-around support services
Adult students are likely to be financially independent from their parents, and so assuming the entire financial burden of college. NPR reports than half are financially independent, and 1 in 4 have their own children to support. Because of this, they may need more vertical support from advisors, teachers, and financial aid counselors, as well as additional services like technology classes or childcare assistance.
How well a community college can provide this kind of support will have a measurable impact on whether these students thrive. Of course, colleges are financially limited in what they can do. Yet, an adult student without a ride to school, or childcare, or a home computer is bound to struggle with completing assignments. If your institution can proactively work with students to confront these challenges, they are more likely to matriculate.
Financial aid makes a difference to adult students
A longitudinal study of community colleges in Washington state
showed that adult students enrolled in community colleges were more likely to earn a credential or complete at least 45 credits when they received financial aid. However, the same study showed that less than a majority of low-skill adult learners received this kind of support. This meant more returned to the workforce without the additional earning power a community college could provide.
Other adult learners might be returning to school to retrain for a new job after years in the workforce, when they’ve suddenly lost a long-term job. With their own retirement looming, it can be difficult to know how to factor in student loans or pay for courses. Having a financial aid staff that understands the special challenges that older students face, from paying for courses to planning for retirement, is an important part of supporting mature students.
Adult learners worry about navigating relationship with younger students
Adult learners might be anxious about participating in study groups or other peer learning opportunities. Joining a classroom with much younger students, especially those that seem adept at the kinds of academic tasks that adult learners find intimidating, can be very difficult. In fact, fear of humiliation can keep adult learners from forming invaluable student-to-student relationships.
However, teachers can help draw adult learners into the classroom experience. Their life-experience enriches classroom discussion and their mature perspective and determination to succeed can motivate younger students. With the right encouragement, older and younger students can develop mutually beneficial relationships.
Community colleges succeed when adult students succeed
Adult learners are a critical part of the community college student body. To continue to meet enrollment goals, community colleges must be appealing to adult learners. Doing this means showing that the school understands the kind of support these students need. Every interaction with admissions staff and financial aid officers should leave returning adult learners feeling satisfied that the school can help them overcome the unique kinds of challenges they face.
However, the college needs to communicate this message to prospective adult students long before they arrive on campus for a visit. We believe the best way to do this is by providing clear and informative content that engages prospective students and the community at large. This is the best way to attract adult students in today’s competitive college marketplace. If you want to know how your college can do this economically and effectively, request a demonstration of our services today.
MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT : APERTURE CONTENT MARKETING
THANK YOU FOR A FANTASTIC EVENT!!!
SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY
COMMUNITY COLLEGE SUMMIT
FRIDAY OCTOBER 19 2018
WELCOME!
YOU are visiting the website dedicated
to forward the effort
to establish
a new and independent
Susquehanna Valley Community College
Vision, Mission & Values
For a
Susquehanna Valley Community College
Vision
– Providing hope and direction to our community through education.
Mission Statement
– The Susquehanna Valley community college promotes student success and lifelong learning through accessible, empowering, and innovative programs and partnerships.
Core Values
Connected Nation
Connected Nation believes that states, communities, families, and individuals can realize great economic and social advantages when we accelerate broadband availability in underserved areas and increase broadband use in all areas, rural and urban, alike.
A bipartisan agenda to expand new collar jobs
In July, several members of Congress introduced the New Collar Jobs Act,
a bill aimed at growing America’s cybersecurity workforce by incentivizing training, increasing scholarship funding and providing student debt relief.
As the company that coined the term, IBM is delighted that policymakers have adopted new collar jobs as an economic priority. We truly believe that helping more Americans build the skills for fast-growing new collar careers — roles that do not necessarily require a bachelor’s degree — can help close this country’s widening skills gap.
At IBM, we have seen numerous examples
of students, young professionals and mid-career workers alike who have learned the skills necessary to thrive in today’s modern economy. They are former teachers, fast food workers and rappers who now fight cyber threats, operate cloud platforms and design digital experiences for mobile applications.
They’ve acquired new collar skills through community colleges… read the full article here.
At IBM, we are working hard to make today’s tech workforce more diversity and inclusive. That diversity is reflected in the ways that many of our professionals have built the skills required for success in these exciting fields. In fact, around 15% of the new employees IBM hires in the US each year have less than a traditional bachelor’s degree.
These IBMers’ roles aren’t white collar or blue collar jobs, they’re New Collar jobs – where skills matter more than degrees. From coding camps and P-TECH
(which IBM pioneered) to community colleges, new collar IBMers have built in-demand skills that qualify them for jobs in fast growing fields that offer significant upward mobility. Read the full article here.
The current presidential administration has an inter-agency Rural U.S. and Prosperity Task Force through the United States Department of Agriculture working with stakeholders to address four key areas of rural development: 1) quality of life, 2) economic development 3) workforce development and 4) innovation. More information can be found at this website- https://www.usda.gov/ruralprosperity
Community College Event Showcases the Power of Business, Education Collaboration
Click on this link to read the full article: https://learningfirst.org/blog/community-college-event-showcases-power-business-education-collaboration
The value of an associate’s degree has never been clearer. Currently, the median salary for someone with only a high school diploma is $36,000. For those with a community-college degree, it’s $42,600. And that gap is projected to grow as automation transforms the U.S. workforce, making higher-level science, technology, engineering and math skills critical in fields that once required little more than manual dexterity. Earlier this year, 48% of small businesses reported that they couldn’t find qualified job applicants to fill open positions, according to the National Federation of Independent Business…
The problems are particularly acute in places that stand to benefit most. In Pennsylvania, which has a need for skilled workers after losing tens of thousands of blue collar manufacturing jobs, community-college graduation rates are some of the lowest in the country. Bucks County Community College in Newtown, Pa., graduated 12.3% of its students in 2014, according to the U.S. Department of Education. At Community College of Philadelphia, the figure was just 9.8%.
The culprits are many. Pennsylvania’s 14 community colleges are run as stand-alone shops, without a state-level office to coordinate them. Unlike South Dakota’s LATI, which shapes its coursework around the needs of employers and relies on their donations of heavy-duty machinery for its classrooms, Keystone State schools have been left largely on their own. “The chronic lack of resources makes it more difficult for community colleges to respond to the workforce needs than in a state where they’re better supported,” says Kate Shaw, executive director of the Philadelphia-based education nonprofit Research for Action.
Thank you to Jerry Spegman, Community Coach with County Health Rankings. County Health Rankings publishes data relevant to health factors and health outcomes for every county in the United States. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funds the research to assist policy makers with 30 measures of their regional health. Jerry presented the annual county health rankings for Pennsylvania and honed in on counties that would be serviced by the Susquehanna Valley Community College.
Research the health of counties at this website – County Health Rankings and Roadmaps website or at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation website.
The study concludes: “If the country is to retain its competitive edge, it must reverse the current policies that result in providing the lowest levels of taxpayer support to institutions that enroll the highest percentage of low-income, nontraditional and minority students—the fastest-growing segments of the population.”
CNN MONEY
A degree from this college all but guarantees you a job
by Katie Lobosco
@KatieLobosco
March 17, 2017: 12:28 PM ET
An associate’s degree from a small technical college in South Dakota is proving to be more valuable than a degree from some four-year schools.
On campus at Lake Area Technical Institute
, students are operating excavators. Others are working on the engine of a 727 airplane. Future nurses are learning how to draw blood from a patient.
And almost all of them will leave school with a job.
READ the full article here: http://money.cnn.com/2017/03/17/pf/college/community-college-aspen-prize/
College of DuPage 2014 Commencement Ceremony
New community college study eyed
County Council on Dec. 13 is expected to sign off on allocating $60,000 toward a feasibility study for a community college in the Erie area.
The nonprofit Empower Erie, led by Erie lawyer Ron DiNicola, will use the money to hire a consulting firm familiar with the framework of community colleges to conduct the study. That analysis is expected to examine possible locations for the school; staffing requirements; community needs; accreditation; funding sources, and other factors.
County government’s contribution would supplement $300,000 given by the Erie Community Foundation, the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority and the Susan Hirt Hagen Fund for Transformational Philanthropy.
If County Council eventually votes in favor of creating the college, as well as county sponsorship of the school, the Hagen Fund, foundation and ECGRA have promised an additional $3.7 million in support.
Community college students often include men and women who did not go on to college immediately after high school; displaced workers looking to be retrained for a new occupation; and college-educated adults who want to further their education to help advance their careers.
DiNicola said that there remains “compelling” evidence in favor of establishing a community college.
He noted that none of the state’s 14 community colleges is located near Erie; the region continues to see high poverty rates; the area is still suffering from the loss of manufacturing jobs at places like GE Transportation; and access to affordable postsecondary education remains an issue for many students with limited financial means.
According to a recent report by Research for Action, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit education research organization, Pennsylvania has the lowest rate of community colleges per capita in the U.S. Further, Erie County is one of the largest areas in the state without direct access to a community college, DiNicola said.
“We feel we need to move with great speed,” DiNicola said, adding that both the community college study and a strategic plan for launching the school could be completed by the end of June. “It’s a rather elaborate research project.”
Political support
Unlike 2010, there appears to be majority support on County Council for launching a community college.
Four of the panel’s seven members – Chairman Andre Horton, Councilwoman Kathy Fatica and Councilmen Jay Breneman and Fiore Leone – have told the Erie Times-News they plan to support the community college study on Dec. 13.
All support the notion of establishing a new school as well.
“I admire all the work all of those (colleges and trade schools) have done to provide affordable, accessible, quality education,” said Horton, a strong supporter of the Empower Erie effort. “But I do believe there’s still room in that space for a community college. I believe there is a vast amount of need not being met, particularly in the urban core, in terms of meeting employers’ needs and preparing people for the workforce.
“The county has the political will, I believe, to see it through this time,” Horton said. “And I think this study will show there is still a need.”
According to the College Board, the average cost of tuition and fees nationwide for the 2015-2016 academic year was $32,405 at private colleges, $9,410 for state residents at public colleges, and $23,893 for out-of-state residents attending public universities.
By contrast, average tuition and fees at a community college was $3,131, and many students receive financial aid that covers most or all of that cost, the College Board’s research shows.
Erie County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper also supports the study, and would like to see a new community college eventually created in Erie County.
“One thing about community colleges, they are very nimble. So as business needs change, the community college can react to that,” Dahlkemper said. “That’s something that has really been missing in our region.”
However, County Councilwoman Carol Loll said she still opposes establishing a community college – and is likely to vote no on the study – because she feels the school would duplicate what other colleges, universities and trade schools do.
“The taxpayers don’t need to pay for something that’s already being offered,” Loll said.
Community college costs are typically covered by the school’s local sponsor, through state funding, and student tuition.
County Councilman Kyle Foust, a director of internship programs at Mercyhurst University, has indicated he will abstain from voting on the community college study because of concerns that the school would compete with his employer.
Foust also abstained from voting on county sponsorship of a community college in 2010.
Councilman Edward T. DiMattio Jr. said he might also abstain because he has a relative who works for one of the state’s other community colleges.
“A necessary thing”
Since 2014, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania has been among the schools trying to fill the local community college void.
At its 26-acre Porreco College campus, 2951 W. 38th St., Edinboro offers two-year associate degrees in applied technology, business administration, criminal justice, human services, liberal studies and preschool education, as well as other programs. Porreco College’s enrollment for the fall semester is 381 students, up from 320 students in the fall of 2015, Edinboro spokesman Jeffrey Hileman said.
Tuition and fees for full-time students are $4,347 annually, but Erie County residents are eligible for endowment funding of up to $1,500, which lowers the total to $2,847, Hileman said.
Hileman said that Edinboro “is neutral on the plan to conduct a new feasibility study” for a community college.
However, Hileman said that if a new Erie County community college is established, “it is likely that the relationship between the university and a community college would be complementary rather than competitive. Porreco College was created, and continues to develop, to fill the community college void in Erie County. That’s one of many ways that Edinboro University strives to fulfill its mission.
“The university, through Porreco College, will continue for the foreseeable future to work with area employers and other educational institutions to offer associate degree, certificate and training programs that fill workforce needs,” Hileman said. “If a community college is created that addresses all or part of those needs, the university will respond to the specific set of new circumstances in a way that best serves its mission, the region and students.”
Hileman added that a new community college could prompt Edinboro to develop programs that serve students who begin their postsecondary education at a two-year school “and then choose to pursue a bachelor’s degree.”
Local for-profit trade schools such as Fortis Institute and the Great Lakes Institute of Technology also offer a variety of two-year degree programs. In addition, Mercyhurst has offered freshman-level courses at Erie’s Booker T. Washington Center at low or no cost to inner-city students, and the school’s North East campus has provided a curriculum similar to community college offerings since 1991.
DiNicola said that as the community college study progresses, Empower Erie hopes to bring all local postsecondary schools into the discussion.
Horton added that supporters of the plan have discussed community college issues with officials in Harrisburg and they are confident that the state Board of Education – which must sign off on a new community college – supports Empower Erie’s efforts.
“We believe they’re sympathetic to our plight,” Horton said.
Leone, County Council’s longest-tenured member, voted against county sponsorship of a community college in 2010, concerned that the county could be held financially responsible for millions of dollars each year in community college operating costs.
He has a different take now.
Leone said he will support the community college study because “I’ve always thought it was a necessary thing. Will it bring economic development and jobs here right away? I don’t know. But we need it and I support it.”
Kevin Flowers can be reached at 870-1693 or by email. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNflowers.
http://www.goerie.com/news/20161206/new-community-college-study-eyed
Kevin Singer, John Kurelja, and Keri Albright discuss the advantages of a regional community college on WKOK. Their topics and explanations are clear and compelling. PLEASE listen to the outstanding interview with host Mark Lawrence at this link:
http://wkok.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Kevin-Singer-Keri-Albright-and-John-Kurelja-10-5-16.mp3
http://wkok.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Kevin-Singer-Keri-Albright-and-John-Kurelja-10-5-16.mp3
Here is a link to the interview by Mark Lawrence with Kathy Specht and Lenaire Ahlum promoting the fall 2016 courses and discussing the topic of community college expansion:
http://wkok.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Lenaire-Ahlum-and-Kathy-Specht-9-26-16.mp3
SPECIAL VISIT
Exploring options in higher education
Jennifer Wakeman
| September 26, 2016
SUNBURY – The state Department of Education met with local leaders about bringing a community college to The Valley. Dr. Wil Del Pilar, deputy secretary of post-secondary and higher education met with members of the Susquehanna Valley Community Education Project (SVCEP) Monday.
Dr. Del Pilar says the committee has a number of options to consider, “Well, I think that it’s really wide open at this point, because there is an established relationship. We can explore a number of different options. If it’s a community college, and we’re starting from scratch and going through that process, I think it’s a little bit longer term. If it’s a private license school, then I think there’s definitely a process for that. Or if it’s through partnership, we really discuss what all the possibilities are.”
Dave Zartman, president of SVCEP says the ideas from Dr. Del Pilar will help them tailor a plan that works for the region, “What he imparted with us was the fact that there is not one model to base the community college off of. So we can put together, the package that will work for the Susquehanna Valley.”
Having access to postsecondary education means more people are likely to further their studies, “Most of the research shows that students go to college within 40 to 50 miles of their home. So if there is not an option for them to go, they’re not going to go to college. And so I think an access institution provides that first step to get people a taste of what post secondary education is. Then you can decide, do you want to go onto a two-year, do you want to get a credential, do you want to get the associate’s degree? But if you don’t have the institution, you’re really cutting students off in even exploring what the opportunities are.”
Community education classes are already being offered at the Shikellamy High School. You can find more information at www.newcommunitycollege.org.
Vision, Mission, & Values
For a
Susquehanna Valley Community College
July/2016
Vision
–
Providing hope and direction to our community through education.
Mission Statement
–
The Susquehanna Valley community college promotes student success and lifelong learning through accessible, empowering, and innovative programs and partnerships.
Core Values
Accessible
Empowering
Innovative
SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROJECT
ON THE BIG SCREEN
AUGUST 2016
We had two wonderful weather days at the Sunbury River Festival that were fantastic! We shared 30 community education courses handouts and conducted two interviews. We networked with many who were excited about the prospect of having a regional community college. A picture of our booth is attached – thanks to Sunbury Revitalization we had a prime spot under a shady tree.
A special shout of thanks to Tom Rall, Kevin Singer, Dave Zartman, Rick Shoch, Scott Myers, Barb Spaventa, and Rodger Babnew for staffing the SVCEP booth and to Carole Mazzeo for scheduling.
Give to New Community College Campaign
Highlights from The New Community College Campaign Kick-Off
Members of the SVCEP Board of Directors and the public gathered at Zartman Construction in Pointe Township to commence the public campaign to raise funds to advance the mission of the SVCEP – Mission Statement:. “To establish a state-approved community college with a culture of transparency and accountability to the community. Our college will be collaborative and innovative, providing high-quality post-secondary education to students in middle Pennsylvania”. (SVCEP Minutes, June 2015).
Community colleges prepare workers for new jobs
By Justin Strawser
The Daily Item
SUNBURY — Northumberland County could be the place for new jobs and initiatives of the upcoming spike in rural job growth expected in the United States — but only if they’re ready.
Northumberland County Commissioner Kymberley Best, who attended the Rural Community College Association conference at the White House Wednesday to bring back information for the Susquehanna Valley Community Education Project, wants to be prepared for the future.
“We want to be ready for the companies returning to the country,” she said.
The local community college initiative, set to offer three non-credit courses in the spring, could be the catalyst to train these workers who need these jobs.
According to information provided at the conference, Best said it is now more profitable for companies to return to the United States, partly because of cultural differences and instability of certain countries.
Salary.com recently reported that 37 percent of manufacturing executives are planning or giving serious consideration to returning from overseas — often called “reshoring” or “insourcing” — including General Electric and Master Lock.
“Labor costs in China are rising quickly — up to 10 percent in the last year alone, by some accounts,” according to Salary.com.
As many as 3 million jobs could be added to the U.S. job market by the end of the decade, according to Salary. com.
Best also said that studies, according to information from the conference, show that people from rural areas are wired to think differently that those who sit behind computers. They are expected to the backbone of this job reshoring.
Furthermore, Best also described a tax incentive program for private businesses who want to partner with local community colleges to develop specific courses to train students for company specific jobs. She said it’s likely that Weis Markets or Furmano’ s could benefit from this.
Northumberland County Commissioner Sam Schiccatano, a retired educator, supports such an initiative.
“It’s not about extra education, it’s about picking and bringing the right education into the community,” he said.
Best said the conference was beneficial for the local project.
“I learned a great deal about the need, design and fit for rural counties,” Best said.
“It was an eye-opener and renewed my confidence that we need it (community college).”
The Susquehanna Valley Community Education Project Board is will begin offering mini courses at the Shikellamy High School in March, including Navigating the Route to College, Job Hunting & Getting Hired and Statistics for Dummies.
The goal is to have 25 students enrolled; as of now, there are 17.
The next step is to raise $80,000 to hire the first president and to apply to be a licensed school, which will allow the purchase of licensed curriculum.
The road to accreditation is likely to take five years, Best said.
For more information on the community college initiative, the January fundraising launch, or the upcoming courses, call 570.898.4334 or go online to: newcommunitycollege.org.
¦ Email comments to jstrawser@dailyitem.com. Follow Justin on Twitter @ JustinLStrawser
Copyright (c)2016 The Daily Item, Edition 02/12/2016
Copyright (c)2016 The Daily Item, Edition 02/12/2016
Associate Professor of Education at Bucknell University, Dr. Joe Murray, a member of the SVCEP board, was among the crowd of about thirty. “I think one of the things that a community college can do is, in addition to creating opportunities for students to get a two year degree, it creates opportunities for them to go on to a four year institution.”
Go to the link below to read the article by Ali Stevens.
http://wkok.com/community-college-launches-fundraising-effort/
SVCEP Board of Directors at New Community College Campaign Kick – Off
Front row left to right: Susan Nunan, David Zartman, Tim Bowers, Kymberley Best, Rodger Babnew, Joseph Murray, Meghan Beck, Barbara Spaventa, Mary Blankenship
Back row left to right: Bill Geise, Robert Garrett, John Kurelja, Richard Shoch, Lenaire Ahlum, Jim Blankenship
Grateful Appreciation to Weis Markets for the generous contribution of delicious food trays provided for the Kick-Off event!
The Daily Item
Fund Raising Launch
COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Public invited to fundraising launch
NORTHUMBERLAND — The Susquehanna Valley Community Education Project will launch its fundraising efforts on Thursday, January 28, at a 5:30 p.m. reception at Zartman Construction, 3000 Point Township Drive.
The public is invited to attend this inaugural event kicking off efforts to raise
$80,000 to cover expenses as the board and volunteers move forward on bringing a community college to the Susquehanna Valley.
Richard Shoch, Community Education Project board chairman and a Northumberland County commissioner, will emcee the event and provide an update on the progress
of establishing the community college. Bob Garrett, president and CEO of the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce, will talk about the positive economic impact when educational opportunities are enhanced.
Shoch encouraged people to learn more about the community
college efforts by attending this event.
“This project receives no public funding currently because it’s just getting off the ground. However, there are expenses associated with getting the college going. Our board of directors has already raised over $10,000 by each making a contribution
which was matched by an anonymous donor.” Shoch said. “We believe in this college and what it can do for our region. We hope that others will see the value too.”
The Susquehanna Valley Community Education Project Board is will begin offering mini courses in March, including Navigating the
Route to College, Job Hunting & Getting Hired and Statistics for Dummies.
For more information on the community college initiative, the January fundraising launch, or the upcoming courses, call 570.898.4334 or go to www.newcommunitycollege. org.
Community Colleges are The Key Opening Doors of Opportunity
LISTEN TO THE UPDATE OF THE
SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE INITIATIVE ON
WPGM – WBGM
Interview with SVCEP Board Chairman Richard Shoch and Lenaire Ahlum
Listen ONLINE at this link and choose SVCEP 11-15-2015:
Why Students Should Consider Community College
1. Money
2. Academic Flexibility
3. Financial Aid
4. School-Life Balance
5. STEM Education Opportunities
(Ariel Skelley/Getty)
6. Transfer Agreements
7. Elements of Traditional Colleges
(iStockPhoto)
8. Personalized Attention
(Hill Street Studios/Getty)
9. Professional Certificates
(Dave and Les Jacobs/Getty)
10. Online Class Options
Posted 1/20/2015
Dr. James Blankenship was interviewed by Mark Lawrence on WKOK about efforts to start a new community college in our valley. He talks about the new classes–vocational and credit– beginning next fall in Sunbury. Dr. Blankenship discusses the dynamic, new board that is launching the complex process of becoming a state-approved community college, as well as how people can get involved to help. Dr. Blankenship is Director of Cardiology at Geisinger Medical Center and is one of the driving forces behind this project.
Posted 1/20/2015
Watch the segment of the STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE PROPOSAL
Posted 1/27/2011
Obama Supports Community Colleges in State of the Union Address In his State of the Union Address on January 27th, President Obama called for the investment in jobs, skills, and education by urging the Senate to pass a bill that supports Community Colleges, stating Community Colleges are a “career pathway” to many.
President Obama also expressed his wishes to renew the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to focus on college access and affordability through the increase of Pell grants and tax credits.
“… I urge the Senate to follow the House and pass a bill that will revitalize our community colleges, which are a career pathway to the children of so many working families.
View his quotes regarding Community Colleges and to read more click here.
YOU
are an important voice in this ambitious and exciting project. YOUR participation in this pioneering endeavor is urgent so please browse this site, contribute your comments, questions, concerns through Video Forum
and SVCC Talk
and send the Petition Letter
to your county commissioners. OUR cumulative efforts as the residents and voters of Montour, Northumberland, Snyder and Union counties will build the bridge to our regional emergence and prosperity through the creation of our Susquehanna Valley Community College.
John Shipman and Lenaire Ahlum
Feedback
“I am presently an LPN working in the Emergency Department at Geisinger Medical Center with hopes and dreams of someday becoming an RN, but unfortunately for me, I fall within all the categories mentioned above. My family and I live in Selinsgrove, and the most convenient program available to me is…. In order to attend … I would have to pay almost forty thousand dollars for tuition, and quit my job, which would then cause my family to be without health insurance. My other option requires a minimum of a one hour commute to Harrisburg, Williamsport, or Luzerne Community College. I am certain that an affordable and convenient program geared towards the working healthcare professional would be widely valued by both prospective nursing students and the vast amount of employers within our community.” -Bridget F. Selinsgrove, PA
“First generation college students, adult students returning to school, high school drop outs searching for a better future. It’s not easy, you need assistance from your family, and friends, and sometimes, that help is just not around. A Community College is exactly what we need in the Susquehanna Valley, it is a COLLEGE that involves and includes the COMMUNITY, making brighter futures and helping those who want to help themselves, but are just to afraid to look for help, or just don’t know where to turn. Let’s create these futures, lets make Susquehanna Valley Community College more than just a topic of conversation…Let’s make it happen. Accessible and affordable education, SVCC, doesn’t it sound good?” -Marie L. Selinsgrove, PA
“You’re very welcome. I believe a community college in Sunbury will be the beginning of a positive economic turnaround in our community. Good paying jobs follow good education. Please, keep me informed of the status of the community college. Good luck with your efforts and if there is anything else I can do please let me know.” -Mike
November 10, 2022
Community College Alumna has “Helped Hundreds” as a Nurse