Basic Skills Welcomes New Employee
The College welcomes Kathy G. Hipps, who has accepted a position as secretary for Basic Skills. She earned her bachelor's degree from Western Carolina University. She was previously a coordinator for Precept Medical Products and worked as a customer service representative for Maxxim Medical. She also has eight years experience as a receptionist/executive assistant for Stroup Sheet Metal Works, Inc.
College Receives Grant To Enhance Service-Learning
A-B Tech has received a $50,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Henderson County's Perry N. Rudnick Fund to expand its Service-Learning program, establish a Service-Learning center, and hire a director on the Asheville campus.
Service-Learning engages students in activities that lead to personal and academic development while meeting community needs that may otherwise go unmet.
The A-B Tech Service-Learning community pilot project started in August 2005 with 19 instructors offering Service-Learning projects in 40 classes. During the spring semester, 36 classes incorporated Service-Learning.
"Some examples of students using Service-Learning include a nutrition class giving presentations about healthy snacks to local elementary school students," said Gigi Derballa, chair of the Service-Learning committee. "A Spanish class tutored local English as Second Language folks of all ages, a drama class gave performances at schools and homeless shelters and this summer a social services class is volunteering at various social service agencies."
The goals of the program are to have 260 students in Service-Learning activities in the first year and 320 by the second year, while supporting 20-25 instructors to use Service-Learning as a teaching strategy. By the end of the second year, the College wants to connect with 56 schools, nonprofit agencies and organizations that use volunteers.
"We are a going to hire a director who will work with teachers who want to use Service-Learning as a teaching tool," said Derballa.
"We would like to make Service-Learning a part of A-B Tech forever," said Lloyd Weinberg, First-Year Seminar instructor. "We want to expand, involve more classes, more students and serve more members of the community. I've been involved in Service-Learning for seven years, and I've had the privilege of countless rewarding experiences, witnessing the benefits to both the students and the community."
Curriculum Expo
Biotechnology student Sarah Schober transfers Lysis Buffer to lyse the cells teachers have collected from their mouths to isolate their own DNA in the biotechnology incubation lab on the Enka campus during Curriculum Expo 2006.
Fifty-three teachers, counselors, and administrators from the Asheville, Buncombe and Madison school systems were on the A-B Tech campus June 12-14. Designed to familiarize educators with the College's offerings, the three-day event includes hands-on tours of programs and a panel discussion featuring A-B Tech students and graduates.