Welcome to the
Community Learning Center
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Where College, Workforce Development
and Lifelong Learning
Come to You !
The Community Learning Center is a host site for classes from many of Indiana's postsecondary institutions. Vincennes University, Ivy Tech Community College and Indiana Wesleyan University offer classes on-site. In addition, they along with Ball, ISU, IU, Purdue & USI, offer many courses, certificates and degrees using distance technology which can include internet and video-conferencing courses. Equipment at the learning center allows you to access classes through these methods. The learning center is also a site for the SAT in January and June of each year, placements exams for VU and Ivy Tech can be taken by appointment, and the learning center can serve as a test proctor should your course require that. Many short term and non credit classes are also available in computer skills, professional development for business owners, non-profit management, and general interest courses such as photography and swing dance. If you don't see what you need....please ask!
HomeTown Competitiveness Community Survey
Click Here: Part 1
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=69Ohsu8U48GN4v3gfTRkaQ_3d_3d
Part 2
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=LFpTkwknhbShYrPRbEywZg_3d_3d
Why a survey?
Greene County has been selected by the Lt. Governor’s office as one of nine communities in the state to participate in the Home Town Competitiveness program which focuses on 4 areas critical to the growth and prosperity of rural communities. We are gathering community opinion and we need to hear from you. This information will be used in creating activities across Greene County that:
Ø Encourage our young people and young families to live in Greene County.
Ø Encourage and support small business start-ups and entrepreneurship
Ø Encourage Greene County citizens to become more active in leadership roles
Ø Encourage charitable giving to support local activities and family businesses to continue in our communities.
Thank you for your help
A. Schedule for VU on site classes at the learning center Click here
B. Schedule for IVTCC on site classes at the learning center
C. Schedule of Short Term Non-credit classes and workshops
D. Links to Ball State, ISU, IU, Indiana Wesleyan, Purdue, Ivy Tech and VU distance programs Click here
E. VU & Ivy Tech Placement Exam info – Click here
F. Financial Aid & Scholarship Info - Click here
G. Career Information & Hot Jobs – Click here
H. Goose Pond Fish And Wildife Area Photo Contest
I. Citizen’s Academy Information & Application – Click here
J. Senior Scholars Program –Click here
K.Statewide Database of Distance Courses and Programs –
Classes Available from any of these institutions
BALL STATE UNIVERSITY
http://www.bsu.edu/distance
http://www.bsu.edu/distance/degrees
http://www.bsu.edu/distance/article/0,,51434--,00.html
course transfer grid
INDIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
http://www.indstate.edu/distance/getstarted.html
http://www.indstate.edu/distance/student_serv.html course transfer info
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
www.continue.indiana.edu
http://scs.indiana.edu/index.html
http://cts.admissions.indiana.edu -course transfer info
IVY TECH COMMUNITY COLLEGE
http://ivytech.edu
http://ivytech.edu/distanceed/
http://www.ivytech.edu/cgi-bin/allcourses.cgi
http://bookstore.ivytech.edu
INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY
http://caps.indwes.edu/leap
Indiana Wesleyan University would like to offer the following degree programs through the learning center site. If you are interested in Associate of Bachelor Degree programs please call the contact personnel directly.
Business call: Mark Montefiori, 800-886-5327 - New Cohort forming now!
Nursing contact: Kurtis Lewis 866-498-4968
Education contact:: 1-866-498-4968 Masters in Education starts June 30, 2007
PURDUE
http://www.continuinged.purdue.edu/
http://www.continuinged.purdue.edu/distance
http://www.continuinged.purdue.edu/distance/students- course transfer info
Purdue classes by video-conference
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN INDIANA
http://www.usi.edu/distance/index.asp
http://www.usi.edu/distance/sresources.asp- course transfer info
VINCENNES UNIVERSITY
http://www.vinu.edu/cms/opencms/future_students/distance_education/
http://www.vinu.edu/cms/opencms/future_students/baccalaureate_degrees/
http://www.vinu.edu/cms/opencms/student_services/book_store/
Complete certificate programs offered at the learning center in:
Management Training
Office Administration/Software Specialist or Information Processing
Logistics & Distribution--Interested???? Let us know!!!
Placement and Assessment Exams:
Both VU and Ivy Tech require placement tests prior to registration. These placement tests cover reading comprehension, grammar, basic math and pre-algebra. Placement exams can only be taken once so preparation is suggested. These exams can be taken at the learning center.
The VU placement exam is the Accuplacer
The Ivy Tech placement exam is the COMPASS
You will find practice exams for SAT, GRE, PRAXIS and VU’s Accuplacer and Ivy Tech Compass placement exams at:
http://www.testprepreview.com
Jobs in Demand
http://www.learnmoreindiana.org/careers/Pages/HoosierHotJobs.aspx
http://www.learnmoreindiana.org/pages/default.aspx
http://driveofyourlife.org/launch.html
The learning center can help with Career Exploration!
From Joe Sheets, CEO of Critical Skills Network:
“Right now, if you’re an Information Technology (IT) professional with some solid experience, there are literally hundreds of companies in Indiana and the Midwest who want to know your name and availability. Once tarnished by inflated expectations and over-demand after the millennial dot-com bust, the IT has roared back with more jobs than people projected for at least the next couple of years.
According to CIO Insight magazine, the demand for IT managers of all types – making anywhere from $60,000 to nearly $200,000 a year – will exceed available employee prospects well into 2008. The magazine also reports that the hottest IT job in the country right now is director of business technology. The median pay rate? A little less than $160,000 annually, roughly three and half times the current median household income for Indiana. Close behind is the VP or director of business application development, clocking in with
national average salary of $136,000.
Once one gets into the high-end IT positions requiring high security clearances and very specialized skills sets (like database programming for satellite trajectories), the compensation numbers go even higher. As a specialty executive recruiter and IT consultant, I’ve seen this personally in the Critical Skills Network (www.criticalskills.com) where job descriptions that sound like a casting position for the Bourne Ultimatum movie appear frequently.
In short, in terms of job salary and growth opportunities, IT jobs currently offer a quick means to ramp up on the compensation ladder.
What’s really needed in Indiana right now are not necessarily an emphasis on the creation of more IT jobs, but rather the movement of Indiana’s college students and young professionals into IT training programs. To meet growing demand, Indiana needs an educational pipeline full of bright and talented young Hoosiers who can and will make a difference in the Indiana IT workforce. If you know a teen who’s considering entering an IT collegiate program, encourage them with facts about the challenging and rewarding career that awaits them. If you’re already in the workforce and are considering a career change, make sure that IT gets a full and satisfactory consideration.
To effect real transformation, Indiana needs more qualified IT professionals in its workforce, and it needs them today.”
Financial Aid Resources
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/index.htm
Each semester a scholarship a $250 scholarship is awarded
to a working parent who is pursuing further education to better their life for themselves and their children
Greene County Learning Center Scholarship –Click here
GOOSE POND FISH AND WILDLIFE AREA PHOTO CONTEST
Sponsored by Friends of Goose Pond
- A challenge in creativity and photo skill for amateur photographers of all ages
- An opportunity for recognition in a calendar that will broaden awareness of the natural delights and diversity of GPFWA
Contest Rules
Eligibility
1. Entrants may be of any age.
- Entrants may not be judges for this contest.
- Entrants may not be professional photographers (i.e. photographers who have tax ID specifically for income from photography).
Entry Requirements & Rules
- All entries must be the original work of the entrant.
- Entries must be photos taken at Goose Pond FWA during the past two years.
- Each contestant may enter a maximum of three photos.
4. Dates for electronic submission are: November 1, 2007 – July 15, 2008.
- Send e-mail entries with attached photos to: goosepond@yahoo.com.
- Include the following information in your e-mail: your name, mailing address, phone number, e-mail address, and number of photos attached.
7. Each photo must be accompanied by a caption with the photographer’s name and a number identification (i.e. 1.3 indicates that this is photo #1 of 3 photos submitted).
- Receipt of your electronic entry with attached photo(s) is considered release and consent for Friends of Goose Pond to publish your photo(s) for calendar, public display or any other promotional purposes.
- Entries can be in color or black and white and must be at least 350 dpi; all photos must be submitted in jpeg format. Maximum file size per photo attachment is 5.5 megs.
- Only limited image modifications are permitted. Manipulation should only be used to sharpen or produce a more natural looking photograph. Cropping is allowed but any other color modifications or the addition of any elements not existing in the original scene will not be allowed.
- Finalists will be notified and required to submit their photos in an approximate 8”X10” matted format (longest side of photo not to exceed 12”) so that judges can see what the photos will actually look like in a paper printed format. Matted photos may be used in a public display event.
It is understood that by virtue of making a submission, entrants agree to abide by the contest rules and provisions.
Judging
1. In choosing photo subjects, entrants are encouraged to explore the diversity of Goose Pond FWA: landscapes, seasons, activities, flora and fauna.
2. A panel of Friends of Goose Pond members and photographers from surrounding areas will judge photo entries and select winners.
3. Judging criteria will include: technical expertise, originality/creativity, interest and ability to be reproduced for publication.
4. No compensation is given for entry or selection, however the photographer of any photo(s) used in the calendar will be recognized in the calendar.
5. Winners will be notified by phone or e-mail in or before August 2008.
Greene County Citizen’s Academy Program Information click here
Participant Comments click here
Citizen’s Academy Application click here
Greene County Citizen’s Academy
Connecting Citizens to their Community
Greene County Community Learning Center
Have you. . .
Wanted more information about an issue but didn’t know where to find it?
Wanted to get more involved but didn’t know where to start?
Have you been searching for a low-cost professional development activity that would help your staff better connect with Greene County?
Have you considered a leadership position or running for an elected office?
The Greene County Citizen’s Academy will address these questions as well as provide you the opportunity to meet other citizens from across the county who are seeking these same answers.
The Academy provides a behind the scenes and behind the headlines look at how decisions are made. You’ll learn about the duties of a variety of office holders, county leaders and community professionals.
You will come away with a greater appreciation of Greene County, a network of contacts throughout the county and the knowledge and skills you need to become involved and contribute to Greene County’s future.
How it works. . .
The Citizen’s Academy provides a diverse group of emerging and existing leaders the opportunity to enhance their community knowledge, civic network and leadership skills.
The “classroom” is the community itself and instructors are community leaders, officials and experts. Participants will actively interact with experts and each other during the program’s biweekly morning sessions which run from September through April. During sessions a local panel of experts will discuss their perspective on a specific topic while other sessions will build your confidence and skill in leading meetings, making presentations, and building consensus.
A small group project focusing on a local need is also a part of the program. Each small group project meets outside the regularly scheduled sessions to explore a current issue in greater depth and identify and present a plan of action. Building collaboration is a significant by-product of the group exercise.
The program will culminate with a graduation dinner, certificate and presentations of the small group projects.
How to get involved. . .
Participation in the Citizen’s Academy will be limited to ensure that everyone has ample opportunity to network and share in discussions. A class of selected participants will be chosen each year from a cross section of the community. Participants are responsible for their own transportation and must have a desire to be more involved in their community.
An application for admittance can be obtained through your local Chamber of Commerce, the Greene County Foundation or the Community Learning Center. Please call 659-3862 to have an application mailed to you. Applications should be returned to the Community Learning Center, PO Box 1470, Switz City, IN 47465.
Tuition for the Citizen’s Academy is $250. Contact the Greene County Foundation (659-3142) to apply for tuition subsidy.
The Commitment. . .
Participants are expected to make a commitment to attend the opening and closing sessions, participate in a small group project and attend at least ten of the twelve other sessions. The time commitment will range from 45-60 hours over the seven month period.
College Credits and CEUS. . .
College credit and continuing education credit will be awarded through Indiana State University. Participants need to check with their professional organizations to determine if the CEUs will meet your organization’s professional development requirements.
SESSIONS MEET BI-WEEKLY ON THURSDAY MORNINGS.
MEETING DATES FOR THE 2008-2009 SESSION WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN JULY, 2008.
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Participant Comments
Linda Ault: “The Academy is an excellent tool to educate and inform Greene County’s Citizens on what is happening now and what is planned for the future of our county as well as some past historical happenings that have impacted the county.”
Melissa Blake: “As parents we tend to steer our children to seek a life outside the county in order to live comfortably. After attending the Citizen’s Academy it has become apparent that they can achieve comfort in Greene County.”
Shirley Byer: “The Citizen’s Academy has taught me a great deal about Greene County and what it has to offer including its people, its businesses, and its natural beauty! It truly is a great place to be.”
Rev. Peggy Casteel: “I am a new resident who was called by God and the voice of a congregation to minister and live here. I consider the Citizen’s Academy essential to my service and I now know so much more about Greene Co and I feel that I can serve it better.”
Brad Crites: “The Citizens Academy has shown me that Greene County has many small communities that each have a lot to offer, and if we unify our efforts, we can make Greene County an even greater place to be. The Academy is a great way to build a network of concerned citizens that care about making a difference. I'm honored that the Greene County Foundation supported my participation.”
Grace Chapman: “A river runs through Greene County. It neither separates the land nor is it separate from the land. Unifying the plains of the west with the wooded hills of the east, it mingles the soils of each and nourishes all the land. It is a model for the people of the county, an expression of unity within diversity, of flow and growth that refuses isolation and stagnation.”
Paul Cullison: “I have a knowledge that has helped me understand how Greene County could be developed. I realize many more people must be educated for this to happen. I had lots of fun meeting and working with all the others.”
Nancy Cummings: “This has been a wonderful experience I’ve broadened my networking contacts and learned a lot of new information about our county. What has been most rewarding is to realize there are a lot of people committed to Greene County who have a very positive outlook on our future. There are, indeed, a lot of hidden treasurers in Greene County—it’s nice to see those treasurers unveiled.”
Julie Decker: “I have enjoyed my experience with the Citizens Academy. I have learned more about what Greene County has to offer, and have benefited from working with others in our small group.”
Amy Fehrenbacker: “This is one of the most educational, inspiring experiences I’ve ever had; I think every resident should take this. I learned so much about all the communities, and wonderful things in Greene County, which I would never have known. The contacts I gained are going to be invaluable.”
Pete Halstead: “I already knew quite a bit about Greene County but during the course of the Academy I was able to expand my personal & professional networks and was exposed to a lot of new ideas. It was also very interesting and gratifying to see all the things that are going on and the amount of talent here in Greene County.”
Cheryl Hamilton: “This has been one of the best things I’ve done for myself and my community. The knowledge I’ve come away with has helped me better understand the dynamics involved in growing our communities. The networking with my fellow classmates was unbelievable. I’d recommend this class to everyone in Greene Co.”
Sophia Haywood: “The Citizen’s Academy has helped me realize the abundance of untapped resources Greene County has. By uniting together we can all make a difference.”
Portia Hockman: “I learned that you can make more friends in a few months by becoming genuinely interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you."
Kip L. Hoffer: “ I've lived here for over 20 years and thought I had a pretty good idea of the different sights and businesses that are here - Wrong! The sessions on County History and Tourism/Arts/Culture re-opened my eyes to many of the interesting things we have right in our own backyard. Likewise, the sessions on Education, Social Services (Substance Abuse), and the Justice System opened my eyes to a surprising number of progressive programs that have been put into service within our county - and which are also helping lead the way for other counties/communities as well. Finally, I think the Citizen's Academy is doing a wonderful job of bringing together diverse people from across the County to learn, and to discuss current issues and events - all of which helps us realize that we need to work together to continue to improve and innovate for the betterment of everyone in the County.”
Beth Johnson: “The Citizen’s Academy is an incredible learning experience, providing an in-depth look at Greene County's current and potential offerings. The opportunity to meet and network with other would-be-leaders from around the county was invaluable!"
Pamela McKee: “I believe I am talking for the entire group when I say, these classes have been very educational and valuable, not only for our work sites but as individuals.”
Deb Mishler: “As a transplant to Greene County, I came to the community with many misperceptions. The opportunity to meet members of the Citizen’s Academy and learn about government, business, and other systems has given me community pride and a passion to serve this community. There are many kind and talented people in our county working to expand opportunities for the citizens and the growth our community. I loved the experience and am grateful for all that I have learned. I will share with others about our experiences and learning for many years to come. The spirit of this program is powerful and our group project helps me feel hopeful for Greene County and gives me a small sense of giving back.”
Quincy Murphy: “The large amount of knowledge I gained from the sessions would have taken months or even years to acquire. The networking was great, I would highly recommend this program to everyone.”
Andrea Pierce: “This experience has opened my eyes to the wonderful county we live in and what it has to offer"
Randy Padgett: “The Academy opened my eyes to the assets and people in the county. I highly recommend to any individual who wants to become involved within this county to enroll in the academy.”
Nick Schneider: “"The Citizen's Academy was a great learning experience for me personally and professionally. I've been around Greene County for a lot of years, but found myself amazed each session as I became aware of things I never knew were right here in our own backyard. I would recommend the class for anyone who wants to broaden their horizons and develop a new appreciate for this wonderful place where we live and work. Greene County truly does have a treasure chest of hidden nuggets just waiting to be discovered. As leaders, it is our job to get the word out about all the good things this county has to offer.”
Melody Sowders: “Greene County Citizen’s Academy has opened my eyes to the opportunities that Greene County can give to individuals living in or out of Greene County. “
Erika Sullivan: “I had a wonderful time learning about Greene County; I met a great group of people who have the same goal in mind - selling Greene County and what it has to offer. I will forever value the experience I was given by Generations to participate in such a wonderful class. I learned a great deal of the many well kept or unexplored areas; I learned that Greene | 
