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News and Events - Parkland College

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News and Events

Parkland's Phi Theta Kappa chapter wins more awards at regional

At the Illinois Regional Convention at Kaskaskia College June 6-7, The Alpha Psi Eta Chapter of Parkland College received honors for their work with Phi Theta Kappa. The following awards were given to our chapter:

Most Distinguished Officer of the Illinois Region: Patrick McGinness

Outstanding President Award for the Illinois Region: Dayna Long

A Chapter Service Award for our chapters work with Better World Books, The Lost Boys of the Sudan Project, Relay for Life, The Garden Hills Homework Club and various campus and area environmental clean-ups.

A Chapter Scholarship Award for our chapters work with the LIT with Honors Discussion Series, the Satellite Seminar Series, the Parkland Presidential Debates Forum for the 2008 Elections, and the Garden Hills Homework Club.

Co-advisor Thom Schnarre was given a medal for the Illinois Distinguished Advisor Award.

Parkland Part-time Faculty Job Fair

Learn about part-time teaching positions available at Parkland College for fall semester during the 2009 Part-time Faculty Job Fair on Wednesday, June 24 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in Room D244. Community residents are encouraged to attend; however, reservations are requested.

Use your education and work experience to help others reach their goals. Positions may be available starting in August in nine academic departments: Business and Agri-Industries, Computer Science and Information Technology, Engineering Science and Technologies, Fine and Applied Arts, Health Professions, Humanities, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences and Human Services. Online instructors are also needed. Most faculty positions require a master's degree, although some fields require a bachelor's degree and technical expertise.

To make reservations to attend the fair or for questions on teaching opportunities at Parkland, contact Human Resources at 217/373-3870 or email HRsearch@parkland.edu. For more information about the job fair, click here.

Listen to 88.7 the Wave to win pass to Pitchfork

88.7 the Wave, the station that's reinventing alternative, has your free three-day pass to the 2009 Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago's Union Park from July 17-19th.

Featured artists include Built to Spill, Yo La Tengo, Matt & Kim, the Flaming Lips and more...

Listen to 88.7 the Wave, every Saturday from noon to 2pm. Every half hour we'll play a Pitchfork artist, and if you're the first caller you'll be entered into our drawing. The winner will be announced on Friday, July 3rd from noon to 2pm and receive a free three-day pass to the Pitchfork Music Festival.

For more information about the Pitchfork Music Festival please visit: www.pitchforkmusicfestival.com

 

Mentor Families Needed for International Students

Parkland will host 14-16 Community College Initiative Scholarship Program students for the 2009-2010 academic year. Four will arrive in June and participate in pre-academic English courses (along with 16 others who will relocate to other Midwest community colleges in August), and the rest will arrive in August. Students will be from Brazil, Cuba, Egypt, Ghana, Indonesia, and Pakistan. They will study in the areas of Business, Information Technology, and Media.

In addition to coursework, students participate in a variety of community and cultural activities, and are matched with mentor families to increase the students’ exposure to American lifestyles. Students volunteer in the community and also complete internships within their academic field. They also study topics related to freedom, democracy, and personal responsibility to gain a better understanding of American life.

The overall goal of the program is to provide scholarship recipients with unique skills and experiences that they will use after returning home to contribute to the growth and development of their countries’ economies and societies.

Parkland served as a pilot college for this new program and hosted 15 students for the 2007/2008 academic year. Counties represented included: Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, South Africa, and Turkey. These students studied within the fields of Business, Information Technology, and Media. The second cohort of 16 students arrived in the summer of 2008, and represented the same five countries. They all are studying specialties within the Information Technology field, and will return to their home countries in July.

Anyone interested in applying to be a mentor family for the 2009-2010 students can contact Susan Short at 217/353-3303, or sshort@parkland.edu by July 15.

High School Quiz Bowl Championship airs on PCTV, online

Watch as 17 area high schools battle it out to see who will be the Parkland Challenge 2009 champion. The fast-paced academic quiz bowl, which has been taped annually since the 1980s, is available for viewing online or weekdays and Sundays on the Parkland Channel (check PCTV listings for times). The 2009 edition brings a new look and a new host, Lauren O'Connor. This year's contest features Armstrong-Potomac, Blue Ridge, Champaign Central, Danville, Fisher, Judah Christian, LeRoy, Mahomet-Seymour, Monticello, Oakwood, Paxton-Buckley-Loda, Prairie Central, Rantoul, St. Thomas More, St. Joseph-Ogden, Tuscola, and Unity high schools.

PCTV is on Channel 9 for Insight Communications subscribers and on Channel 10 of Mediacom Cable.

Nike Cobra baseball world series gear available until July 1

Celebrate the Parkland World Series title by ordering a NIKE short and long sleeve t's or a hooded sweatshirt!

Merchandise will be available from June 10 to July 1. Please read and follow the directions here if you would like to support the National Champion Cobra Baseball Team!

Cobra Athletic Teams are now part of the NIKE clothing wear program and we will be selling general and sport specific Cobra wear during the 2009-2010 school year using this method. This will allow you to see the design you are ordering and get the size you need without us having to keep merchandise in stock at the Athletic Department offices.

Baseball camp for area youth starts June 22

Come out and learn baseball from the NJCAA D-II World Series Champions Parkland College baseball team!!!

HITTING CAMP
Monday June 22 and Tuesday, June 23

Grades 9th - 12th
9 am - 11 am

Grades 5th - 8th
1 pm - 3 pm

YOUTH SKILLS CAMP
Monday, July 20 - Wednesday, July 22
Grades K - 6th
9 am - 12 pm

To register, please visit www.parkland.edu/athletics/baseball/camp.htm or call Coach Kennedy at 217/351-2297.

Student veterans get new counseling service on campus

A special counseling service is now available at no cost to Parkland students who serve (or have served) in the U.S. military. Illinois Veteran Services Officers will be on hand to meet with student veterans in Room X150 on the first and third Wednesdays of each month, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., to answer questions and to discuss veterans' non-education benefits, such as VA home loans, burial benefits, hunting and fishing licenses and more. The Office of Financial Aid and Veteran Services is still handling veterans' education benefits questions.

Students may call 217/353-2309 to schedule an appointment or just drop by X150; they should present their military discharge papers as proof of service.

Read more about this service to student veterans at the News-Gazette's web page.

New Sprinkler System Technology Program

New for fall 2009 semester, the Sprinkler System Technology program prepares students to work in the engineering field developing blueprints for sprinkler systems and advising project architects, engineers, and contractors. This associate degree will offer national and global employment. Selective admission; offered in conjunction with the Academy of Fire Sprinkler Technology. For more information, call Laura DeOrnellas at 217/373-3838 or email est@parkland.edu.

Upcoming college visits

Ready for a bachelor’s degree? Use your Parkland credits! The following colleges will have representatives on hand in the college center this summer to discuss their four-year degrees and transfer options.

University of Illinois at Springfield
Wednesday, July 22
10 am - 1 pm
Representative: Amanda Bly, Admissions Counselor

Think Green, Win Green contest winners

Three area students recently took home top prizes in Parkland College's "Think Green, Win Green" contest, part of its first-ever Earth Day celebration.

The contest was sponsored by Parkland's Sustainable Campus Committee, and invited students to submit innovative sustainability ideas that Parkland could implement. A $500 scholarship and two $250 scholarships were awarded for the top three ideas on Earth Day, April 22.

Valerie Blomgren of Champaign, a freshman studying Surveying Technology, won the top scholarship with her submission entitled "Four Ideas for a Better Parkland." Her suggestions included creating an 'extended public library' for used college textbooks; installing a 'smart meter' feedback system on college outlets to monitor energy waste; establishing a college-run bike rental program for students; and installing motion-detecting lighting in halls and study areas. Blomgren plans to become a professional land surveyor.

Second-place awards, each $250 scholarships, went to Parkland students Laura Wagner and Amanda Roy of Champaign for their sustainability suggestions. Wagner, a Rockford native, proposed eliminating the use of Styrofoam and plastics in the campus's cafeteria, replacing them with biodegradable plates, silverware, and other products. Roy's concept for a greener Parkland involved installing cell phone recycling bins, combined with an "e-waste" education/awareness effort. She is a native of Windsor, Illinois.

All three Parkland students also hold bachelor's degrees from the University of Illinois: Blomgren earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Modern Dance; Roy earned a degree in molecular and integrative physiology; and Wagner earned a degree in psychology.

The winning "Think Green" proposals are available for review at the links above. For more information on the winners, contact Jody Littleton at 217/353-2683.

Health Professions Application Overview: Free information sessions

What does it take to apply for one of Parkland College's popular Health Professions programs? Find out at a free information session. "Parkland College Health Professions Application Overview" sessions will be held in Room L141 on June 16 and August 4 from 12 noon to 1 p.m. and on July 1, 15, 29, and August 5 from 5 to 6 p.m. Each session will review the health career associate's degree and certificate programs available as well as the application process, deadlines, and minimum requirements for entry. For more information, please contact Program Manager Rita M. Myles, R.N., M.S. at 217/353-2681.

Afternoon sessions (12 noon - 1 p.m.): June 16, August 4
Evening sessions (5 - 6 p.m.): July 1, 15, 29, August 5

 

Parkland Online Writing Lab now open

Need help with your writing project but can't stop by the Writing Lab? Get it online! Parkland's Online Writing Lab lets you speak with an English instructor about your work and get verbal and written feedback.You can hear and even see him/her if you have a webcam!

POWL's hours are:

Mondays: 7 - 9 p.m.
Tuesdays: 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Wednesdays: 3 - 5 p.m.
Thursdays: 4 - 6 p.m.

You CAN get help with academic, personal, and/or professional writing. For more information, visit www.parkland.edu/cas/writing-lab, where you'll also find handouts and links to an array of writing websites.

PCTV: your college-to-community connection

Where do you go to find cultural, educational, and entertainment television that showcases your community? Visit the Parkland channel!

PCTV, a 24-hour cable channel, seeks to improve your economic, personal, and cultural well-being by bringing you educational and community interest programs, Parkland College workshop and event announcements, and “regular” college classroom instruction through our telecourse system. From early childhood issues to NASA research to advice on managing your business, you can learn a lot on PCTV. Learn more about Parkland by watching Threads, Parkland Voice, and Cobra Corner, featured among the channel’s lineup of 15+ different satellite and local productions.

 

Nelnet monthly tuition payment plan

Budget your tuition for up to 5 months per semester with Nelnet online payment plan. See www.parkland.edu/facts or contact the Business Office in A108, 217/351-2233.