Scott County Community Foundation Awards Another Adult Student Scholarship!

On December 17, 2015, Scott County Community Foundation awarded another scholarship to an adult student who is working to complete her college degree.

Shown are Scott County Community Foundation Executive Director Jaime Toppe and scholarship recipient Erica Bary.

Erica Bary, an Austin resident, was announced as a recipient of a scholarship worth $1,000 from the Scott County Community Foundation. Bary is attending Galen College of Nursing, where she is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in nursing. The scholarship was made available to adult students and is made possible through the Education Matters Southern Indiana (EMSI) initiative. EMSI is a program of the community foundations in Scott, Clark, Floyd, Harrison and Washington counties and seeks to increase the educational attainment of adults with some form of post-secondary education but no degree or certification.

“Trying to balance career and school as an adult can be difficult, and even more so when a student has a family to care for as well,” said Scott County Community Foundation Executive Director Jaime Toppe. “It is important for our community to help adult learners overcome obstacles that may prevent them from completing their educational goals. We are pleased that we are able to provide financial assistance to Erica as she pursues her goals of becoming a Registered Nurse.”

Erica is currently employed at Hampton Oaks as a Certified Nursing Assistant. She is attending college to better herself and set a good example for her daughters.

“Receiving this scholarship means that I will not have to spend as much time away from my daughters as much this year,” said Bary. “I know that I have worked very hard for a very long time; and to receive this scholarship is a much needed blessing.  It will benefit my family tremendously and I cannot thank the Scott County Community Foundation and Education Matters Southern Indiana enough.”

If you are an adult hoping to return to school to complete your education, you may find resources with the Education Matters Southern Indiana initiative. Please visit www.EducationMattersSI.org or call (812) 625-7501.

 

What I’ve Learned About Life And Learning

Caren Whitehouse received her Associate’s Degree from the University of Evansville in 1977 and returned to Oakland City University for her Bachelor of Science in Organization Management degree in 2001. 

She is currently the Executive Director of the Vanderburgh County Medical Society in Evansville, Indiana and active in the Rotary Club of Evansville, the Indiana Cancer Coalition, the Community Advisory Board for the Indiana University School of Medicine – Evansville and her church.  Ms. Whitehouse completed the Richard G. Lugar Series for Excellence in Public Service in 2008 and is currently a Commissioner on the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. 

I believe the saying is true that “nothing you do is ever wasted”.  Every lesson you learn, whether in an educational setting or in life, is valuable.

When I was contemplating going back to school and finishing my Bachelors’ Degree, several questions came to mind:

1. I wondered if I could get credit for the experience that I had in my career, my volunteer work, my reading – and what I had learned in life (both good and bad!)

2. How could I possibly “retrain” myself to learn again, take tests, write papers?

This is what I learned about life and learning and what I now know for sure:

• If you finish your education, you will more than likely be more marketable – which will translate into more income (as it did for me).
• Busy people get more done and you will find the time to do things that are important to you.
• Visualize where you will be when you have your degree and keep your focus on that goal.
• Find a friend or supporter who will not allow you to quit. There will be times when you are overwhelmed and you will want to quit.  Tell your supporter not to let you do that.  Tell them that you will beg and cry and plead with them, but they still should ask you to wait “just a little bit longer” before you can quit.  And then you will be past the crises and will finish.
• Give yourself a countdown to completion. Put it on your smartphone or your calendar.  Cross off each day that you are one step closer to your goal.
• Get to know a financial aid counselor and apply for every bit of financial aid that is available to you.
• Find a mentor who will encourage you every step of the way.

Now this is where the “relearning how to learn” and life experience comes in:  try to test out of or receive credit for the things you already know.  I tested out of 6 hours of Humanities (through CLEP testing) by taking the practice test to see what areas I needed to brush up on.  I knew most of the answers from years of watching Sesame Street with my children, reading the Arts and Entertainment Section of Time and Newsweek magazine, and watching Bugs Bunny Cartoons.  Yes, Bugs Bunny did a lot of spoofs of famous operas – and he nailed it.  That is how I knew the plots for the opera questions.  You know more than you think you do!

Do not fear getting back into learning – you are learning something new everyday already!  Think about it.  Got a new smartphone?  You’ve got to learn how to use it.  Driving a rented car?  You have to relearn where everything is.  Is there some new music you like?  You’ve got to learn the lyrics if you are going to sing along!  J

All kidding aside, you can do this!  You can do this now!  Truly time is ticking away and this is your real life, it is not the “dress rehearsal”.  This is your time and everything that you need is already available to you.

Go for it!  You will be so glad you did!!

 

Building a Stronger Community through Education and Workforce Development

By: Linda Speed, President and CEO, Community Foundation of Southern Indiana

Linda Speed, President & CEO, Community Foundation of Southern Indiana

Background

Over the last year, the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana has worked with the Indiana University Southeast Applied Research and Education Center to survey Clark and Floyd county residents, nonprofit community service organizations, business and community leaders, and our own fund holders to develop a community-wide needs assessment. Having this comprehensive report will allow the Community Foundation to develop strategic community goals based on our region’s needs and priorities and will be used to guide the Community Foundation in its grant making to support the community’s greatest needs. Basic human needs, education and workforce development, healthful living, economy, arts and culture, and community building were the areas highlighted in the report.

What Was Shared?

While respondents shared that they are proud of this community, its history and culture and they feel safe and enjoy opportunities to engage in the community, they also recognize that more needs to be done to better meet the needs of local residents and build an educated workforce and a strong economy.

Importance of Education and Workforce Development

The importance of education and workforce development were constant themes throughout the report because they play a role in many aspects of quality of life and community well-being. More specifically, we know that increasing our region’s educational attainment can help us build a stronger economy, meet our basic needs, address health and wellness, support a vibrant arts and cultural enrichment, and build a strong and engaged community.

Priorities for Education and Workforce Development in Southern Indiana

1. High school completion
2. Early childhood education and care (birth to age five)
3. Post high school certificates and associate’s degree programs
4. Educational opportunities targeting working adult learners
5. College scholarships and financial assistance

Public data on both economy and education suggest that, in fact, all of these areas should be priorities for the region because they all play a critical role building a stronger economy and better quality of life for the region.

What’s Next?

Southern Indiana is fortunate because we are a strong and connected community with a range of resources. Clark and Floyd counties are home to four public school districts, a community college, a regional public university, and the area has a number of private and charter school options for primary and secondary education. Additionally, programs like Education Matters Southern Indiana and 55,000 Degrees provide a range of opportunities to help people re-engage to complete a degree or quality certification program.

Knowing who we are and where we stand as a community is an important step in the process to improving our economy and workforce development. Now, it’s time to come together – individuals, community leaders, businesses and nonprofits – to address these highest needs and priorities that our own community identified so that we can begin to build an economy and community that will continue to grow and prosper for generations to come.

Both the complete 2015 Assessment of Needs and Priorities in Clark and Floyd Counties and the Education and Workforce Fact Sheet can be found on the Ambassador Resources page of this blog.

 

An Educational Journey

Michael Kiebler is an Education Matters Ambassador and advocate for adult degree completion.

He recently completed a Master’s in Human Resources & Organizational Development  with a graduate Certificate in Health Professions Education from University of Louisville.This spring he is starting a second master’s degree in Higher Education Administration. His blog is truly an inspiration for anyone who is considering returning to complete their degree.

What is Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)?

Guest blogger, Joel Simon, Vice President of Workforce and Economic Development at the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), talks about Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) and what you need to know.  If you are an adult student thinking about returning to college, or if you are an adult student already enrolled, be sure to ask your institution about PLA.

Graduating may be closer than you think with Prior Learning Assessment.

Earn College Credit for What You Already Know

There are probably a few reasons why you didn’t finish college. Now, you consider going back and wonder if you’ll fit in. But, college has changed. It isn’t how you remember it. There are online courses that allow you the flexibility to do homework when it is right for you. There are advisors who specialize in working with working adults, like you. And there are ways that you can turn your knowledge into college credit.

Since you were in college, you’ve grown in ways you can’t even fathom — gained expertise, created a life, excelled at your career. Why not take that experience and turn it into college credit through a method called Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)?

PLA is the process of earning college credit for college-level learning acquired from other sources such as work experience, professional training, military training, or open source learning from the web. When students leverage PLA, they earn their degrees and credentials faster, saving time and money on tuition. This will help you learn the value of your experiences, giving you added confidence to complete your degree.

There Are Multiple Approaches to PLA

Prior Learning Assessment is not just one method or tool. PLA includes options such as:

• Portfolio-based Assessments—Evaluations of student portfolios such as those done through the Council of Experiential Learning’s service, LearningCounts.org
• American Council on Education (ACE) Guides—Published credit recommendations for formal instructional programs offered by non-collegiate agencies, both civilian employers and the military
• Advanced Placement (AP) Exams—A series of tests developed by the College Board, it includes 34 exams in 19 subject areas
• College Level Examination Program (CLEP) Exams—Tests of college material offered by the College Board
• DSST Credit by Exam Program— Tests knowledge of both lower-level and upper-level college material through 38 exams
• UExcel Credit by Exam Program—Tests knowledge of lower-level college material; awarded Excelsior College credit can be transferred to other colleges and universities
• National College Credit Recommendation Service— Evaluates learning experiences for non-collegiate organizations
• Evaluation of Local Training—Program evaluations done by individual colleges of non-collegiate instructional programs
• Challenge Exams—Local tests developed by a college to verify learning achievement

For more information about CAEL, please visit their website at http://www.cael.org/.

Make 2016 the year you make the decision to go back to school. Degree completion is closer than you think when you take advantage of prior learning assessment.