Students Boost Wellness By Tracey Estes and Tamra Bayens

“Good morning boys and girls. I am so excited about being here today. During the next few minutes you are going to learn about germs and why it is so important to wash your hands,” says the nursing student. This is how Jefferson Community and Technical College’s (JCTC) nursing students begin their community service learning presentation. Each semester JCTC’s nursing program’s community service learning project conducts health classes for students at the John Paul Academy elementary school (JPA) in Louisville.

Mary (Mickie) Watts is an advisor for the nursing program and is responsible for developing the project. “We were attending a workshop down in Elizabethtown, Ky. It was part of the Kentucky Patient KCTCS system and they were building a community. We thought that was so wonderful because it helps them to have a new experience, it also helps them interact with students in a different place other than a hospital, like a school. So I started filling out topics then I asked the faculty at the school if they would like to have our students there and they said yes,” explains Watts. Students at the John Paul Academy are brought over to the Community Center for a wellness check. A wellness check is one that is done at a location other than a hospital. “The community service learning experience exposes the JCTC students to situations and health issues in other ‘well’ environments. The community is able to observe our JCTC students critically thinking and acting,” says Watts.

JPA students are led from their classrooms over to the Community Center. The children are weighed, given an eye exam, a scoliosis screening and have their height recorded. The students are separated according to their age group. The JCTC students are given scripts of questions to ask the children. The faculty provides support and encouragement for the students. Watts says that JCTC nursing students are expected to carry flash cards and visual aids to help them.

Watts believes that it is important for JCTC nursing students to see what being a professional is about. “I think that it is good for the community to see what JCTC nursing students look like as they come out into the community. It is also good for the students to learn to be comfortable in speaking professionally to other populations and for them to give back to the community” says Watts. They also take away “what it means to prepare a nursing plan and to cover significant points in 30 minute presentations” Watts continues.

For the classes, JCTC students are divided into groups and given scripts as teaching guides. They write the children’s evaluations on individual cards and this information is confidential. It will not be shared with JPA or JCTC students except for the teachers. After this, the students are escorted back to their classrooms.

The JPA students will be taught about nutrition and the importance of exercise, burn prevention, smoke detectors, scald prevention, and basic fire safety. They will also be taught about poisons. The JCTC students conduct these classes. Part of the classes is in a question answer format where JCTC students ask the children questions and then the college students will answer them. “Can you tell me a way poison can get in your body? It can be something you swallow, get on your skin, breathe in, get in your eye, or you get from a sting or bite. So remember if you ever do not know what something is (The JCTC student holds up the sign ‘ALWAYS ASK FIRST’).” Watts also says, “In some ways, it could be similar to a health fair but we limit the topics.”

“This is at the end of the semester but it could be at any time. Every one of them will have a community service learning experience while attending JCTC” says Watts. “I have had some wonderful comments from the schools. A principal at Audubon Elementary called me and said that he and the faculty were very pleased.”

Watts also speaks about the importance of positive reinforcement. “Usually our students will also do things like give them treats such as a pencil or bring a small candy bar and they like that.” She also says the students at JPA could receive help if they needed it and they know that the JCTC students will be friendly.

Making a Difference By Tracey Estes and Fallon Tinney

The Change Makers Grant Program gives students of Jefferson Community and Technical College (JCTC) living in the four most challenged neighborhoods in Louisville the opportunity to receive a four-year college education by helping the students overcome obstacles that prevent them from continuing their education. These students struggle to get and stay in school due to transportation, childcare, work, and family issues.

The program began in January 2009 with 24 students who live in the neighborhoods: Smoketown, California, Phoenix Hill, and Shelby Park. In these four neighborhoods, about 50 percent of the students attending Jefferson drop out in the first semester. Dr. Amelia (Amy) Stewart, associate professor at JCTC teamed with Jill Adams, assistant professor at JCTC, in developing the proposal for the grant program.
“One of the things we want to do is to keep the students from disappearing. A couple of things that we have discovered are that many students in Louisville start college at Jefferson. So in a way, we are the gateway to higher education. In these four neighborhoods, about 50 percent drop out in the first semester. We are trying to bridge the gap for these high risk students,” says Stewart. “The students in these neighborhoods often can’t get to class because of transportation, no job to pay for day care, no health care for them or their family” Stewart explains.

“The people in the neighborhood see the college as a way to change their economic status,” says Stewart. The research shows that even with a two- year degree an individual can earn $140,000-$360,000 more over a lifetime. Stewart adds, “We will help these students to have as many resources as possible to help find them a job.”

Sharon Bass, a student in the program, says “this grant is helping me to excel and achieve success. Growth and communication lead to empowerment.” Tiffany Beeler, another student in the program says, “This grant is opening doors and opportunities for me.”

The Change Makers Grant is a collaborative effort between the Community Foundation of Louisville (CFL), UPS Foundation, and the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF) to provide assistance with the human, social, and economic issues students face. For 2009, the partnership between the Change Makers Grant Program and CFL, AECF, and the UPS Foundation, has awarded $750,000 in grants to fund the programs and projects involved with Change Makers. JCTC’s project provides each student a mentor to work with to help solve these issues. The program also works with ULTRA (the U of L Transfer Program) to ensure that students continue their higher education after graduating from JCTC. “We have arrangements with U of L so students don’t just get dumped there; they actually get the support they need there,” says Stewart.

For the past decade, CFL awarded 220 grants totaling 3.8 million dollars to programs and projects designed to help children’s school success. The UPS Foundation is dedicated to enriching lives by creating healthy communities through education, economic development and new opportunities. AECF also focuses on helping children coming from tough neighborhoods. Alex Spoelker, the Director of Community Philanthropy for the CFL, encourages “all students to get involved to make positive changes in their neighborhood.”

“The great thing about the program is the people in the neighborhood try to help each other with these different issues,” says Stewart. “Nonprofit work is my favorite kind of work because nonprofit agencies help people when they need it,” says Adams. There is now a waiting list for the program.

Art Students Sculpt Their Future By Abby Reed

Jefferson Community and Technical College has recently paired with Spalding University to create a degree completion program specializing in arts administration. Dr. Amy Stewart, head of JCTC’s art administration program, is credited with establishing this program.

Art Administration teaches students how “art can function as business,” Stewart explains. “It covers everything from hosting a fundraising event to hosting an art exhibition.” The first semester Stewart gets to know her students and their interests takes them on outings at museums and venues around the city, and then the second semester Stewart uses her resources and connections to place the student in an internship at the venues they visited around Louisville. “I love getting to know every student personally and connect them to an individual who can further their ambitions,” Stewart says, “It’s my favorite part of my job.”

Stewart thrives in this position. “Amy Stewart’s background at the Speed and other professional venues enhance her credibility and helps students not only in the area of education but in career placement,” says associate professor Charlotte Hubrich. Stewart communicates with different galleries and exhibits in Louisville getting site visits, and recommending students for internships, “it requires a lot of hard work and dedication,” Stewart says.

And its not just dedication that makes Stewart the perfect person for this position, she also cares not just for her students, but for all the JCTC students who put forth an effort. “I mentioned to Dr. Stewart that I was an art major once in passing, and a few days later I received an e-mail from her inviting me to an outing to the Speed, “says JCTC student Torey Rasmussen.

It’s not just Amy Stewart who puts forth an effort in this program though, “our (JCTC) students are not afraid of hard work. Most of our students are on financial aid, so they don’t expect to be a curator on the first day (of an internship). They are willing to Xerox or run errands and on several occasions students have been asked to continue working after the internship is over.” The students get involved in other programs and often “bring a lot of creativity and insight to the table,” Stewart says.

This program not only enhances student’s abilities, but also helps our community. The students in this program are very diverse, coming from all types of ethnic and financial backgrounds. This impacts the stereotypical view of an art student, because the majority of these students are not Caucasian. It shows that not only people from wealthy backgrounds are interested in the arts.

The degree completion program through Spalding University allows students to transfer and carry over credits earned through internships. It allows students to “continue to find work in local art institutions” Stewart says. The program can really help disadvantaged students pursue a career they would not otherwise have pursued.

Amy Stewart always knew she loved the arts. She grew up in New York and led a very conservative life. Her parents required her to have a chaperone on dates, and after high school she was shipped to South Carolina to attend a private college. She majored in clarinet performance and minored in art, but after graduation she realized that her true passion was teaching the arts. “Finally as an adult I went back to school, by myself, against my father’s wishes,” Stewart says.

After completing her education, Stewart landed a job in art education at the J.B. Speed Art Museum. As her seminar grew in size she realized her passion for helping disadvantaged art students. Eventually a spot at JCTC opened in the fine art program and she jumped at the chance to merge her two passions into one job.

Amy Stewart’s dedication and passion for students and the arts has helped many excel in the art industry around the city. The art administration program is “open to anyone who has an interest in art,” Stewart says. As a first step, students should enroll in Art Administration 100. Stewart also invites anyone to come and visit her office located in the VTI building room 107. She is willing to help any student become involved in the arts, and encourages all interested students.