Sub-categories in this issue

Types of Service  

• Short-term - Some of our students assist our elementary school and family resource center with parenting programs, festivals, book fairs, etc.
• Ongoing School Year  - Many of our students assist in the 'Camp Casey' afterschool program with Colonel William Casey Elementary School. This program is currently funded through the 21st Century Program. Our bonners are a great asset to this program. As their funding expires, they will be looking at the bonners to help sustain the program.
• Summer-  This summer, Camp Casey will be working with the KY Shakespeare Festival. They will be working with 40 students working on educational core content trhought the theater and the arts. We will have two bonner students teaching and assisting with this program.  The link to view this program is http://www.kyshakes.org/.

When asked specific questions about the Bonner Program, Principal Patty Jones answered like this: 

Ø       What types of service our students are doing with your programs. How are they helping or benefiting the program?  In short, our afterschool program would not be what it is today without Lindsey Wilson College’s support and the participation of the Bonner Leaders in particular.  Their enthusiasm and fresh outlook add so much to the program.  Students are thrilled to have these “big kids” as their leaders and look up to and admire them so much.

Ø       If you could choose one issue area to work on at your school, what would it be? How, as Bonners, can we help in resolving this issue?

Integrating more technology into our intervention programs.  Bonner leaders who could perhaps work with students and utilize our computer lab during our reading blocks would be a great thing.  We have a large block of time each morning when the lab is empty, but we have no free personnel to assist students in it use.

Ø       Is there an issue area we could do research on for you?

We are currently researching and looking into the best approach for students who are struggling at the end of the school year.  Questions such as; Should they be retained?  Would placing them in a “transition room” rather than a regular 1^st or 2^nd grade room be best?  Should you target instruction just at areas of concern and put less time on other content areas (ie, focus on only reading and math and less on social studies, science, etc.)

Also, I am curious about the benefits and concerns regarding using computer-generated intervention and curriculum programs.

Academic Work   courses  |  service-learning  |  CBR and policy research   |  departments and institutes

• Departmental Outreach - The Department of Academic Affairs developed this program as community educational outreach - another effort to help strengthen our local educational system.

• Energy Technology Career Academy

  Information Sheet

   

  History

  In Fall 2007, Siemens and AIKCU issued an RFP for the development of a career academy with a focus on energy technology/facilities management.  Lindsey Wilson’s proposal to develop an Energy Technology Career Academy in partnership with Adair County High School, Russell County High School, and Lake Cumberland Center for Technology was accepted.    This will be the first-ever career academy located in a rural area in the United States!  Lindsey Wilson also obtained support agreements for the career academy from the Adair Chamber of Commerce, Green Mechanical, and WindEnergy.  We are still actively seeking sponsorship from local businesses. 

  Planning for the Energy Technology Career Academy took place from September 2007 through September 2008.   Planning for the academy has involved visits to model career academies in Tennessee, participation in a Siemens –sponsored sustainability conference and a Ford PAS conference, hosting multiple meetings with career academy partners, and conducting faculty development sessions with high school teachers.

  What is a career academy?

  Career academies are simply a group of 20 – 30 students that follow a curriculum map  throughout high school, attending classes that focus on a specific subject area that will prepare them for a future in that area after high school.  Our specific academy will focus on energy conservation, creation, and sustainability, which is the hottest job market in the world today!  The students will attend classes that are specific to the academy as well as the core content classes that are required for graduation in a Kentucky High School.  Their English and Math classes will also have energy integrated into the curriculum.  As stated previously, the curriculum will be delivered in a project-based atmosphere.  There will be several guest speakers to come talk to the ETCA students.  Students will go on field trips and visit potential employers. 

  Why did Siemens choose LWC?

  Lindsey Wilson has record enrollment numbers, and along with growth comes new construction.  Siemens Building Technology is one of the building contractors and has an interest in strengthening public high schools and preparing students for careers in the fields of energy sustainability and efficiency.  Research has shown that career academies can improve high school retention and graduation rates. The field of energy will continue to offer jobs even in a dismal market simply due to the cost saving potential to businesses and homeowners.  Helping steer students in the direction of careers in energy efficiency and sustainability can be very beneficial to them as well as the community. 

  What about funding?

  The original planning grant for the career academy was for $10,000.  An additional $5,000 was provided for planning after the initial phase. At this point, Siemens has committed $40,000 to support the salary of the Director of the Career Academy and additional funds to develop a lab on the Lindsey Wilson College campus for working on topics of energy efficiency and sustainability.  It is estimated that the value of the lab will be approximately $75,000.  Unfortunately, both school districts experienced teacher cuts for this school year.  Therefore, the director of the academy is also going to teach the introductory class at both high schools.  Siemens has agreed to pay a portion of the salaries for teachers who would be teaching any classes specifically for the academy; but, there were no teachers at either school with time available to help with these classes.  Needless to say, funding will be critical in the future to be able to continue to offer this amazing opportunity for our students. 

  Where are we now?

  Recruitment for students to be in the career academy occurred in December, 2008.   Twenty-five students at Adair County High School  and twenty-two students at the Russell County High School enrolled in the Introduction to Energy career academy course.  Next fall, ETCA will offer Introduction to Engineering, Business and the Environment and Markets without Borders at the two high schools.   

  Curriculum  for the Introduction to Energy course is based primarily on the Ford PAS program. Information and materials from the NEED Project will also be used.  Students will not only learn about alternative energy sources and how to implement them, but how to conserve energy and hopefully make an impact on our school districts and community.

   

   

  ETCA’s Mission

  The Energy Technology Career Academy’s mission is to prepare students for work, college and citizenship by engaging them in project-based education enhanced by community partnerships and focused on energy sustainability and efficiency.  When ETCA students graduate, they will have a knowledge base that will prepare them for multiple career paths: immediate entry to the work force, a degree at a technical college, a four-year degree in engineering or other energy-related field.  There will be several dual-credit classes offered via Lindsey Wilson.  ETCA students will be offered classes that will count as college credit.  We believe that this will encourage students to continue on with higher education after high school and provide a good quality of life for years to come!  Students who complete all the ETCA requirements will be eligible for an ETCA scholarship from Lindsey Wilson College.  Also, participation in the academy will prepare students for obtaining a Kentucky Employability Certificate. 

  Last but not least, one of ETCA’s goals is to become a resource for our communities.  We want to develop relationships with local businesses, where the businesses may offer co-operative education opportunities to our students, and in turn, the students will provide the businesses a more experienced and educated workforce. 

   

   

   

Education & Training   forums  |  workshops  |  reflection activities

Forward in the Fifth - Educational Summit

 (article obtained fromThe Center for Rural Development website)  

With numerous large-scale education grabbing headlines across Kentucky, educators joined community and business leaders in Somerset to speak about these issues, voice concerns, and discuss solutions at an Education Summit hosted by Forward in the Fifth.

Secondary and post-secondary educators and others participated in a candid roundtable discussion last week at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset focused on four specific areas of concern: the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System (CATS), drop-out prevention/intervention, home schooling, and remediation rates.

“The summit provided the opportunity for important dialogue and discussion of critical educational issues to be examined,” Jim Tackett, executive director of Forward in the Fifth, said following the three-hour meeting. “As a result, educators, parents, and community leaders are better able to support student achievement when each truly understands the whole picture. The conversations were rich and insightful.”

Terri Reynolds, a participant and Somerset coordinator of Eastern Kentucky University’s Continuing Education and Outreach program, said the summit provided an opportunity for anyone interested in education to come together, talk about issues, and share resources.

Reynolds said she was able to get a better understanding of the needs of the region and how Eastern Kentucky University, a four-year college based in Richmond, Ky., may be able to help address some of those needs in the future.

“A highlight of the Educational Summit was the desire of our participants to keep the best interest of the region’s youth at the center of the equation,” Tackett said. “While numerous questions were posed throughout the session, the conversations always circled back to what is best for the student.”

Other Forward in the Fifth summits were held during the month of March at regional sites in Paintsville, Hazard, and Columbia.

A final report on the summits will be distributed to attendees, educators, community leaders, elected officials, and key decision-makers from which programs and policies may emerge.

Tackett said additional meetings will be held in the coming months as Forward in the Fifth continues to serve as a catalyst for discussions on educational issues.

“We are hopeful that these discussions are just beginning and will continue to improve education within the commonwealth,” Tackett said.

Formed in 1986, Forward in the Fifth—an affiliate of The Center housed at its headquarters in Somerset—was the result of efforts by U.S. Rep. Harold “Hal” Rogers, (KY-05), and other regional business and community leaders to raise the educational levels of residents in Kentucky’s Fifth Congressional District, which Rogers represents in Congress.

Participants at the Somerset Educational Summit included representatives from the Pulaski County School District and board of education, Science Hill Independent School District, Somerset Independent School District, Russell County schools, Harlan County schools, Somerset Community College, University of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University, Midway College, Lindsey Wilson College, University of the Cumberlands, Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College, City of Somerset, Mountain Missions, ARC of the Cumberlands, Lake Cumberland Retired Teachers, University of Kentucky Appalachian Center, and the Lake Cumberland Area Development District.

Campus and Organizational Capacity-Building   training  |  fundraising  |  resource development

Research, Policy Analysis, Deliberative Democracy   evaluations  |  policy research  | issue forums  |  advocacy

Edcuational Summit -  Amy attended an educational summit at Center for Rural Devlopement on March 17, 2009. Agenda items consisted of:  Discussion of the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System (CATS), Home Schooling, Drop-out Prevention and Remediation.

Since the initiation of the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990, the state of KY has invested in many outside resources to assist with student achievement. One of the resources we, the members of the summit, agreed has helped propell student success are Family Resource Centers. One of our community partners is the Adair County Family Resource Center for John Adair Intermediate School and Colonel William Casey Elementary, it won the state wide award for being the best resource center in the state of KY. We feel there also needs to be more funding to help the school systems and teachers with teaching more in depth in the areas of science and technology.

Contacts   staff  |  faculty  |  students  |  community partners (local, regional, national)

•   Amy Thompson-Wells = Co- Director of the Bonner Leader Program          
•   Elise Luckey = Co- Director of the Bonner Leader Program      
•   Dana Harmon = Camp Casey, Bonner Leader Community Partner 
•   Tony Rose = 4-H Youth Development, Bonner Leader Community Partner
•  Jim Tackett = Forward in the Fifth, The Center for Rural Develoment