15 Oct 2013

QUAD CITY ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE COUNCIL SCHOLARSHIPS OPEN FOR APPLICATION

By Christine Cournoyer

Scholarship application available for high school seniors interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) degree



The Quad-City Engineering and Science Council, or QCESC, has released its 2014 scholarship application at www.qcesc.org Applications must be mailed by January 18, 2014. The scholarships will be awarded at its 52nd annual National Engineers Week banquet on February 20th. This will the 20th year of awarding scholarships to encourage students majoring in science, technology, engineering and math or STEM. by awarding scholarships. Last year 11 scholarships were awarded worth $18,000.

 

The scholarships are awarded based  on academics, extracurricular activities including work and community service, and. leadership experience. The applicants essays on career goals and why they are interested in the STEM field rounded out how these applications are evaluated. High school seniors from Henry, Mercer, Rock Island, and Whiteside counties in Illinois; and Clinton Louisa, Muscatine, and Scott counties in Iowa are eligible to apply.

 

The Quad City Engineering and Science Council (QCESC) is an umbrella organization representing 36 technical societies in the Quad City region with approximately 5,000 associated members. The QCESC is non-profit organized in 1963. Its mission is to Promote and support engineering, science, and technical professionals and associated societies in the Quad City Region and to also support and encourage students in the Quad City Region to study in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) related fields.

11 Oct 2013

Spirit Award for 2013 presented by Zimmerman Honda to Davenport North High School

By Susan Shrader

(Moline) - Mark Zimmerman of Zimmerman Honda presented a check for $2,500 to the Davenport North High School Athletic Department as this year's winner of the Zimmerman Honda Spirit Award.  Because area schools are excited about football and their local teams, the Spirit Award lets students show school spirit!

A contest where students and friends were encouraged to vote for their school was held online through Facebook in conjunction with WQAD TV.com.  The school with the most votes becomes the winner.

Dave Shovlain, athletic director at Davenport North High School, was on location at Zimmerman Honda to receive the check along with several senior students.  "We're so proud of our kids and they really deserve this for all their efforts."

Zimmerman is currently celebrating their first year at their new location 70th Street and John Deere Road in Moline.  Plus this year is a celebration for Zimmerman Honda being a Honda dealer for 40 years.

11 Oct 2013

Governor Quinn Congratulates Illinois' 2013 National Blue Ribbon Schools

By Rick Martin

21 Public and Private Illinois Schools Awarded Top Educational Honor

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today congratulated all of Illinois' 21 nationally recognized 2013 Blue Ribbon Schools while at Queen of Angels Catholic Elementary School in Chicago. Today's event is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to give every child the opportunity for a high-quality education.

"It is my distinct privilege to congratulate our state's Blue Ribbon Schools and to celebrate with the students at Queen of Angels," Governor Quinn said. "This award is a top honor for our high performing schools and is a direct reflection of our hard-working teachers and principals. We are proud of every Blue Ribbon School across Illinois."

Every year the United States Department of Education selects public and private elementary, middle and high schools where students perform at very high levels or where significant improvements are being made in students' academic achievement. This year, 12 public and nine private Illinois schools were chosen for the educational honor.

"The students and staff at these schools work hard to show high performance and improvement and should be proud of this honor," State Superintendent of Education Christopher A. Koch said. "They are among a select few that have been singled out for the award and their communities should be proud of what they are achieving."

Illinois' 21 National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2013 include :

•           Frazier International Magnet School, Chicago

•           Greenbriar Elementary School, Northbrook

•           Lincoln Elementary School, Morton

•           Mark T. Skinner West Elementary School, Chicago

•           Northside Catholic Academy, Chicago

•           Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy, Chicago

•           Prairie Crossing Charter School, Grayslake

•           Queen of Angels School, Chicago

•           Roslyn Road Elementary School, Barrington

•           Saint Joan of Arc School, Chicago

•           Saint Andrew School, Chicago

•           Saint Francis Xavier School, Chicago

•           Saint Michael School, Chicago

•           Saint Norbert School, Chicago

•           Saint Peter Lutheran School, Arlington Heights

•           Sandburg Middle School, Elmhurst

•           Scott Elementary School, Mascoutah

•           The Skokie School, Winnetka

•           Twin Groves Middle School, Kildeer Countryside

•           United North Elementary School, Alexis

•           Wescott Elementary School, Northbrook

Queen of Angels is one of only 50 private schools in the nation to earn a National Blue Ribbon for 2013. To earn the award, Queen of Angels students placed in the top 15% in the nation in both math and reading standardized tests in 2013.

On September 24, United States Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced the 286 award-winning schools will be honored at a recognition ceremony on Nov. 18-19 in Washington, D.C. In its 31-year history, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has recognized nearly 7,500 of America's schools.

Governor Quinn has been leading a strong education agenda to build a brighter future for all Illinois students. In 2011 the Governor signed landmark education reform laws that gained national attention. These reforms have improved school report cards, so that parents are empowered with more information about the schools that educate their kids and also set clear benchmarks for teacher evaluation and put performance above tenure. In August, he enacted a new law that lowers the compulsory school age for students in Illinois in order to ensure all children have the opportunity to build a solid foundation for academic achievement and to help combat truancy.

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10 Oct 2013

Revamped Financial Aid section launched in Career Cruising Quad Cities

By Kirk Marske

[Moline, Illinois] - Families and mentors of college-bound students using Career Cruising Quad Cities (CCQC) can now access a full range of Federal Student Aid information within the Career Cruising program.  The updated Financial Aid section of CCQC contains information to help individuals navigate the financial assistance options available to them for their post-secondary education.

In the section dedicated to financial aid, CCQC users can access resources, guides, and tutorials for the application process.  Information in the Financial Aid section includes:

·         Links to Federal Financial Aid websites

·         Videos detailing the financial aid process

·         Downloadable guides

·         Tips for every stage of the financial aid process

·         A glossary of important terms

Students can access Career Cruising Quad Cities' Financial Aid section by logging in to www.CareerCruising.com using their school or individual user name and password.

The Career Cruising program also features a Financial Aid Selector tool.  Users input information about their personal background, academic history, career and college interests, along with details such as work and volunteer experience to produce a list of financial aid options matching their profile.  The results identify the highest probability resources for the student based on the information provided during the survey.

Career Cruising Quad Cities serves more than 20,000 students (grades 6-12) in 50 schools throughout the Quad City area.  To see which schools are enrolled in Career Cruising Quad Cities, click on the CCQC Schools link on the Students page of www.CareerCruisingQuadCities.org.

CCQC is administered by Junior Achievement of the Heartland in partnership with The Moline Foundation.

About Junior Achievement (JA)

Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches four million students per year in more than 120 markets across the United States, with an additional six million students served by operations in 119 other countries worldwide. Visit www.ja.org for more information.

Locally, Junior Achievement of the Heartland serves 24 counties in eastern Iowa, western Illinois and Grant County in Wisconsin. Approximately 55,000 kindergarten through high school students benefit from JA programs each year.   Visit www.jaheartland.org for local information.

About the Moline Foundation

The Moline Foundation, founded in 1953, is a community foundation which provides grants to health, human services, education, workforce development, the arts and other charitable organizations which benefit the citizens of Moline and the surrounding area, including the Quad Cities region in both Iowa and Illinois.  The Moline Foundation receives and administers charitable gifts and works with citizens to achieve their dreams to improve the community.

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09 Oct 2013

BHC East Campus cuts ribbon for new science lab addition

By Holly Smith

GALVA, Ill. - Black Hawk College celebrated the grand opening of the new $3 million science lab addition at the college's East Campus with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday, Oct. 7.

Science faculty members and students lit a flash paper ribbon in the design of a DNA chain before dignitaries cut the official ribbon. Science-themed refreshments included dirt cake, cookies shaped like beakers and chocolate-covered crickets.

"Immersing students in their education drove the design of this new space," said Chanda Dowell, vice president for East Campus.

"The science lab addition gives us three updated labs that allow instructors to facilitate new, immersive ways of learning for students in chemistry, microbiology and biology," she said.

The lab equipment includes research-level microscopes, a rotating incubator, large hands-on models of cells, a gas chromatograph and a Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometer.

The 8,450-square-foot, one-story addition is connected to Building B. It also includes faculty offices, a resource room, student commons space, preparatory and storage space, outdoor seating and a bioswale behind the building to catch rainwater from the roof.

"With enrollment that has grown steadily over the past several years, the vacated lab space also gives us much needed additional classroom space," Dowell said.

"We also anticipate our science enrollments to grow when we open our new Veterinary Technician program in Fall 2015," she said.

More than 1,000 students attend classes at the East Campus, located five miles south of Kewanee at 26230 Black Hawk Road, Galva.
07 Oct 2013

Anne Frank - Iowa - Postcard Project

By M. McNeil

• The students in Danville have learned that Anne Frank had a pen pal in their small town in Iowa before she went into hiding.

• Today they are trying to collect 1.5 million postcards in remembrance of the 1.5 million Jewish children who perished.

• YouTube video link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFxiL3nvRh8
• Flyer attached.
• Please help get the word out so that postcards come from across the nation and around the world. This will help the Danville students meet their goal of 1.5 million.

Anne Frank's Iowa Connection - Few know it but the most famous face in the Holocaust had a pen pal in Danville, Iowa named Juanita Wagner. Anne sent a letter and a postcard from her vast collection to young
Juanita. This has inspired the students of Danville schools to launch a postcard campaign.

Their goal is to collect 1.5 million postcards in remembrance of the 1.5 million Jewish children who died in the Holocaust.

It's a great project for classrooms across America to experience. They also hope to get postcards from abroad. Please tell another teacher about this amazing project today and help the kids in Danville reach their goal!

Send postcards to:

Danville Schools - 419 S Main Street - Danville, Iowa - 52623

For more information contact Janet Hesler (319) 392-4221

04 Oct 2013

Local 3rd Grade Student Takes Flight

By Brittany Marietta

What a Day!

3rd Grader To Enjoy Private Flight Over QC, Secret Tour of Historic Bettendorf Mansion

What: Rivermont 3rd Grader to take private flight over QC as part of "Headmaster for a Day"

When: Wednesday, 10/9 - 10:00 a.m.

Where: QC International Airport (Moline) & Rivermont Collegiate campus (1821 Sunset Drive, Bettendorf)

Aidan Sears, 3rd Grade student at Rivermont Collegiate, will take to the skies next Wednesday with Rivermont Headmaster Todd Zachary! Aidan will be taking a ride in a private plane above the Quad Cities and, if weather permits, will even have the opportunity to help steer the plane.

This special day was purchased last spring by Aidan's parents, Melissa and Jim Sears, at Rivermont Collegiate's annual Auction and Dinner fundraiser. This "Headmaster for a Day" item is always popular at the event! A retired Air Force Colonel, Rivermont's new Headmaster Todd Zachary will take Aidan on an unforgettable ride. After the flight, the two will return to Rivermont, where Aidan will enjoy lunch with teachers and sit in on an Upper School class or two. Aidan will also tour hidden rooms, tunnels, and passageways of the historic Bettendorf Mansion on the Rivermont campus.

The plane will take off at approximately 10:00 a.m. from Quad City International Airport. Aidan, Mr. Zachary, and the pilot will be in the air for about an hour.
02 Oct 2013

Culver-Stockton's Class of 2018

By Heidi Lanier

CANTON, MO (10/02/2013)(readMedia)-- The following students who have been accepted into Culver-Stockton's incoming class of fall 2014:

Margaret Murphy of Alleman High School in Rock Island, Ill., has been accepted and awarded the Hilltop Scholarship. Murphy's anticipated major is communication.

Andrea Schanfish of United Township H S in East Moline, Ill., has been accepted and awarded the Hilltop Scholarship. Schanfish's anticipated major is crimnal justice.

Culver-Stockton College, located in Canton, Mo., is a four-year residential institution in affiliation with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). C-SC specializes in experiential education and is one of only two colleges in the nation to offer the 12/3 semester calendar, where the typical 15 week semester is divided into two terms, a 12-week term and a 3-week term.

25 Sep 2013

USDA Grant to Develop Youth Farm Safety Curriculum

By USDA Office of Communications

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 25, 2013 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced funding to provide safety training for the more than 2 million youth working in agricultural production.

"Working on the farm or ranch is hard work, and it can also be dangerous," said USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. "By working together, we can be sure that young people in rural America have the opportunity to reap the many benefits of helping out on the farm, while also staying safe. Today's grant announcement expands our ongoing farm safety partnership and will help further educate and protect young workers who represent the future of American agriculture."

USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics Ann Bartuska made the announcement at the North American Agricultural Safety Summit in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dr. Bartuska noted "Agriculture is one of the most dangerous industries in the nation, as such, thousands of youth are injured and hundreds are killed every year by hazards found on the farm." She continued, "As these youth play a vital role in the productivity of American agriculture, USDA has a responsibility to the education and resources needed to train youth in safe farming practices."

USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded $600,000 to Pennsylvania State University to develop a national training curriculum that lessens agricultural hazards to young workers. The training will align with Career Cluster Standards (CCS) of the National Council for Agricultural Education for a unified approach to a national farm safety education and curricula-certification program for youth. The project will establish a national steering committee to engage the Department of Education, Department of Labor, FFA, Farm Bureau, Farmers Union, Ag Safety and Health Council of America, National Council for Ag Education and other relevant partners. The committee will work to identify curriculum and testing gaps, certification needs and industry-recognized credentials.

Curriculum materials will be placed on the eXtension website in the new Ag Safety and Health Community of Practice to be used in both formal and non-formal settings. A national outreach strategy will promote use of the curriculum from youth and farm safety instructors to parents and 4-H youth programs. Additionally, the project will determine the resources required to sustain a clearinghouse for national youth farm safety and education curriculum, state certification requirements and testing.

NIFA made the award through the Youth Farm Safety Education and Certification (YFSEC) Program, which was established in 2001. Agricultural education is an important part of an individual's career and technical education. As such, it needs to provide instruction that leads to industry-recognized credentials. In addition, vocational agricultural program curricula need to be aligned with current career standards and curricula that integrate agricultural safety and health.

Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people's daily lives and the nation's future. More information is available at: www.nifa.usda.gov.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Stop 9410, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call toll-free at (866) 632-9992 (English) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (English Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish Federal-relay).

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23 Sep 2013

WIU-QC Founders' Day Set for September 24

By Tami Seitz
MOLINE, IL - Faculty, staff and community members are invited to celebrate the history of Western Illinois University at the WIU-QC Founders' Day event beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24 in rooms 103/104 at the WIU-QC Riverfront Campus.

A light breakfast will be served prior to the ceremony. Individuals may register for the event by contacting Chris Brown at (309) 762-9481 or at MC-Brown2@wiu.edu. 

The program, including President Jack Thomas's State of the University address, will begin at 9 a.m. and the ceremonial bell will be rung to signal the start of classes at Western Illinois State Normal School.
Provost and Academic Vice President Ken Hawkinson and Vice President for Quad Cities and Planning Joe Rives will serve as host and emcee.

The Macomb campus Founders' Day celebration will be held Monday, Sept. 23 in the University Union Grand Ballroom.

Established in 1994, Founders' Day is celebrated to honor the beginnings of the University that evolved from the Western Illinois Normal and Training School with 229 students on Sept. 23, 1902 to today's University, which offers a comprehensive curriculum to more than 11,000 students.

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