The Clark County Community Education Program Advisory Council held its regular bi-monthly meeting Jan. 18 at Central Bank.
Community Education director Cora Heffner welcomed guest Donna Melton with the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE). Melton recently was named program consultant for Community Education in Kentucky.
A survey is available online and in paper form to assess educational and enrichment needs of Clark County citizens. A collaboration with the Winchester campus of the Bluegrass Community & Technical College, it can be accessed at clarkschools.net, click on Departments, then Community Education, or find it on Community Education’s or BCTC’s Facebook pages, or call 745-3946 to receive a copy by mail. It is available until Feb. 29.
The Activity Coalition will sponsor Winchester’s Weigh-Down beginning in March.
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Community Education, through the 100 Best Communities grant, participated in a luncheon for sanitation workers. The luncheon was organized by Caroline Browning, a George Rogers Clark High School student who is using this project for her Girl Scout Gold Award, and several members of First Baptist Church, North Highland Street. The luncheon was open to all sanitation workers in the county and was held at Central Baptist Church. Twenty-five youth and 30 adults participated in the event.
The spring schedule of Community Education opportunities will be mailed Feb. 15 to all households in Clark County.
Barbara Disney with the Clark County Board of Education discussed Operation Preparation. This statewide initiative led by KDE and Workforce Development is to assist eighth and 10th grade students in planning their career paths to be sure they are college and career ready when they graduate. Volunteers will meet individually with students and discuss their interests, strengths, grades and courses they should be taking to be successful. Training will be available online for volunteers. Operation Preparation will take place March 12–15 at GRC. Those interested in volunteering should contact Disney at Barbara.disney@clark.kyschools.us or 744-4545 for more information about training.
Clark County Area Technology Center principal Mike Kindred announced that CCATC will be offering a one-week, half-day summer camp for 50 middle school students. Students will rotate through the vocational areas offered at the ATC. Their parents will be invited to attend a closing celebration to see projects completed during the week. The ATC will host the Chamber breakfast on Feb. 9, with breakfast served 8-8:30 a.m., and tours of the facility provided by students following breakfast. Work Keys Testing will be Feb. 28 and more than 140 students expected to participate. Kindred also reported that a group of ATC students toured Catalent recently.
Clark County Board of Education vice-chairwoman Debbie Fatkin announced that construction of the new high school is going well and scheduled to be completed in February 2013. She noted the district received the college feedback report for students who graduated in 2010. According to the report, 60 percent of white students and 80 percent of African-American students enrolled in college. Overall, 49 percent of these students were considered college and career ready. Eighty-eight were enrolled at BCTC. KDE is developing longitudinal tracking to see if they maintain their college enrollment and graduate. The district is also working on the corrective action plan.
BCTC Winchester campus director Bruce Manley reported that enrollment is up slightly for the spring semester over last spring. Plans are underway for the Glitz fundraiser, which will again have a Derby theme. This year the focus will be on Derby jockeys, with several expected to participate, including Hall of Fame Jockey Chris McCarron. Proceeds from this fundraiser will be used for the amphitheater project.
A group of students from political science classes will be traveling to Frankfort to meet with legislators to discuss funding and the importance of the community and technical college system in Kentucky.
Beth Willett with the Clark County Health Department reported that Cooper/Clayton smoking cessation classes for the new year are well attended. Diabetes classes will be offered monthly. Life skills classes are ongoing in the schools. More information can be found on the Health Department website. MAPP (Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnership) met Jan. 19 at the Extension Office. The purpose of the meeting is visioning to discern the areas of concern for health and wellness in our community. This project is being coordinated by the Clark Regional Foundation for the Promotion of Health and the Health Department.
Diane Travis with the Office of Employment and Training noted that at the recent Chamber of Commerce business enhancement committee meeting, members had agreed to support and promote Operation Preparation and talk to eighth- through 12th graders prior to the college and career fair to help students understand the importance of workplace behavior skills and early preparation for careers.
Faye Wiseman, new director of the Adult Education Center, announced that 11 students recently received their GEDs, bringing the total to 39 since June. New enrollment for this semester is 33, for a total of 134. There is an immediate need for a female instructor to teach classes at the jail for two hours one night a week. Ms. Wiseman also expressed her desire to take the classes to where the learners are in the community, especially English as a second language classes.
Youth member Brent Stephens announced the formation of the GRC Sports Show, a weekly talk show that focuses on GRC athletes. The show can be found on the GRC website, www.grchs.com/grc-sports-show.php, on YouTube and on IHigh.com. Stephens is one of the co-founders and co-hosts the show with Hunter Osborne and Austin Curtis. It was noted that youth member Adam Fatkin and the GRC boys basketball team are seeing a lot of success this season. Fatkin was named MVP of the MLK Classic Tournament at GRC over the MLK holiday weekend.
In addition to Heffner, Melton, Willett, Disney, Travis, Wiseman, Willet, Fatkin, Manley and Stephens, in attendance were Cindy Banks from the Winchester/Clark County Chamber of Commerce, Rhonda Cromer from the City of Winchester, Steve Havel from Catalent, community volunteers Jutta Kausch, Len Midden and Carl Hensley, youth member Adam Fatkin and Community Education administrative assistant Lisa Stephens.
The next meeting of the Community Education Advisory Council will be at noon March 21 at Central Bank. All meetings are open to the public.
