Tuesday, July 29, 2008
* Teens Energized by Urban Solar Camp
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SEATTLE, July 29, 2008 – While most teenagers may spend their summer lying in the sun, a Seattle program is showing dozens of youth  how to harness the sun’s power as a solution for global climate change.
A local non-profit has brought together world-class scientists from the University of Washington, a unique energy program at Shoreline Community College and 100 urban youth from Seattle Parks & Recreation to give an intensive hands-on experience in the environment and careers in solar energy.
On Friday, Aug. 8, up to 40 teens will attend a session of Urban Solar Camp at SCC’s Zero Energy House, a functioning home completely off the electrical grid. Media representatives are invited to attend all or part of the session to interview participants.
The Urban Solar Camp starts with a sobering overview of global climate change from UW experts. The teens, age 16-18, then learn about the potential solutions in solar energy and the growing technology field. They then trek to Shoreline to see solar technology at work, assemble mock solar panels and learn how to conduct an energy efficiency audit.
“I am on a quest to identify, train, certify and then employ 500 solar system installers and designers in the next 36 months,” said Stace Noland, executive director of Moontown Foundation, which coordinates  the camp as part of the foundation’s Summer Sustainability imitative. “Of all the forms of renewable energy we hear about, solar energy is clearly the way to go. And at the end of the day, the kids understand that you can earn a good income and help improve the planet. They find that cool.”
The Urban Solar Camp is a component of the Student-Teen Employment Preparation (STEP) program administered by Seattle Parks & Recreation. STEP is a job readiness program designed to provide youth with education, job skills and career development training. The program focuses on addressing community needs through team projects such as forest enhancement, trail construction and habitat restoration.
Shoreline Community College has been actively developing a leadership role as an educator in renewable energy. The school is a national training center for alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technology and offers certification in solar - energy system design.
 "For Shoreline Community College, hosting the Urban Solar Camp is an extension of our commitment to lead in programs aimed at sustainability," said Berta Lloyd, SCC's Dean of Workforce Development. "Sustainability has gone beyond being a buzzword. Students and industry are demanding education and training in this area and SCC is ready to provide it."
SCC already has a groundbreaking solar-voltaic design class that this spring and summer produced 72 graduates with state certification in this growing field. The program is helping meet Gov. Chris Gregoire's call for 25,000 new green-industry workers in the coming years. Additional classes in solar energy and sustainable building practices are available fall quarter at SCC, Lloyd said.
SCC's Zero Energy Technology program is under the guidance of Mike Nelson, director of Washington State University's Northwest Solar Center. "Solar power is viable right now," Nelson said. "Washington state, through production incentives, has already moved a (U.S. and European) goal of price parity for solar with other energy sources from 2015 to 2008."
Industry partners include Larry Owens, vice president of NW Mechanical and Solar Washington. "Shoreline Community College continues to show leadership by bringing together key partners in the development of the renewable energy program at the college," Owens said. "Opportunities abound, and by preparing students for entry into this field, SCC will provide an excellent way to move forward."
Resources online
www.moontownfoundation.org
www.seattle.gov/parks/teens/steps.htm
http://elmo.shoreline.edu/zeh/
www.shoreline.edu/programsofstudyproftech.html
www.solarwashington.org/index.html
http://northwestsolarcenter.org/
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Tuesday, July 22, 2008
*SCC takes steps to improve community service learning opportunities for students
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SERVICE LEARNING AT SCC
“We will be a world-class leader in student success and community engagement,” says Shoreline CC President Lee Lambert. From the SCC Strategic Plan
SHORELINE — Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Julia Roberts and Gregory Peck have helped others in need on the big screen. Men and women in the armed forces, policemen and firemen do all they can to protect us every day. Teachers provide an education for our children. We all try to help each other when we can.
Providing service to our communities is critical as is service learning--a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. Currently, Shoreline Community College is taking steps to better coordinate and manage service learning opportunities for students and our community.
The American Association of Community Colleges states that nearly 60 percent of all community colleges offer service learning in their curricular programs and another 30 percent of colleges are interested in starting them. After helping people for nearly 45 years, Shoreline Community College is currently taking steps to better coordinate and manage service learning opportunities for students.
According to Ken Lawson, political science instructor and dean of Business, Intra-American Studies and Social Sciences, students learn and perform better when involved in some kind of community help that applies to their studies. “When students experience some form of community service it supports learning, particularly if there is a relationship between course content and the community service.”
Last October, the college joined Washington Campus Compact, a statewide coalition of colleges and universities to promote service learning. Washington Campus Compact has a grant from AmeriCorps*VISTA to help serve people in poverty through service learning. Through its relationship with Campus Compact, Shoreline was assigned an AmeriCorps*VISTA member to begin work to build the campus’ service learning program.
The college has started the partnership phase of the program. Instructors and administrators are working with local schools, community service programs, government agencies and non-profit organizations to develop the new service learning program.
Lawson says the experience promotes students becoming more politically and civically engaged. “It’s powerful stuff. When students get involved in their community, they learn that they are the ones that are often the biggest beneficiaries.”
Current partners include the YMCA, Hopelink, Center for Human Services, City of Shoreline, EarthCorps, Teen Hope, Shoreline-LFP Arts Council, Shoreline-LFP Senior Center, Four Freedoms House, Kruckeberg Botanic Garden and MsK Rare Plant Nursery, Wonderland Development Center, Briarcrest Elementary, Meridian Park School, Brookside Elementary and the Power of One Senior Volunteer Program.
“Partnerships provide students the opportunity to address local needs while developing their academic skills, sense of civic responsibility and commitment to the community,” says Lawson.
A kick-off event was held at the college at the end of May. Program Coordinator Neal Vasishth organized the event at which Instructors and community representatives (and others interested in partnering) had the opportunity to talk to each other and learn about each other’s goals and how they can help each other. Sharon Stultz, the Service Learning Program Manager at Everett Community College gave a general introduction to service learning. Visiting instructors from Edmonds, Everett and Seattle Central community colleges along with faculty from Seattle University talked about their service learning experiences and shared how they integrated the service into their curricula and how they assess learning. More than 70 people attended.
Several faculty members are working over the summer to integrate a service learning component for introduction into their classes next fall. Lawson and political science instructor, Terry Taylor, are teaching a new class that supports conversation between students and the elderly about the upcoming presidential campaign and election. Race to the White House is a 10-credit class that incorporates an overview of the history of presidential campaigns and current American politics. Lawson is working on partnering with the local retirement home, Four Freedoms, so that students and older Americans can engage in political conversations and learn from each other. He also sees the class as a way to encourage those students who have not registered to vote to do so.
Kaelyn Caldwell, who joined the team in mid-July as an AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteer, will work closely with Vasishth to promote the program and help coordinate the relationship between students, faculty and community partners. She will also help provide professional development activities and workshops for faculty. Caldwell will also work with Washington Campus Compact to ensure that the goals of the AmeriCorps *VISTA program are being met.
“I will make sure that faculty members have community partners who have the same goals…the same needs,” she says. “And vice versa.” Caldwell will also work with students to see that they are aware of service learning opportunities and will coordinate student enrollment.
The new program provides a win-win situation for students and community partners.
For more information about the program, please contact Ken Lawson at klawson@shoreline.edu or 206-546-4691. To set up a partnership, please contact Kaelyn Caldwell at 206.533.6690.
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Monday, July 14, 2008
* Shoreline Chamber brings North King County Green Business Conference to SCC
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SHORELINE — The word “green” used to mean a color. Today, “green” has pretty much become an icon. Now it means reclaimed timber, energy efficient homes and cars, using the same bag for grocery shopping instead of a paper or plastic one — anything that supports conservation of resources, energy efficiency and healthy environments – green just keeps getting greener.
Shoreline Community College is all about “green.” The college has developed programs and classes that not only provide useful tips and tools, but certificates that offer careers in “green.”
On June 10, 2008, Shoreline Community College worked with the Shoreline Chamber of Commerce and Green Business Shoreline to host the North King County Green Business Conference. Business owners and managers, entrepreneurs, educators, students, government agency representatives and citizens headed over to the PUB (the student union building) for the informational conference.
With Shoreline Mayor Cindy Ryu serving as emcee, participants heard keynote speaker Egil Milbergs, director of the state Economic Development Commission, talk about the cooperative approach to marketing all that Washington has to offer.
SCC President Lee Lambert also spoke, talking about the work that is being done at the state level, at the city and at the college to support a “greener” Shoreline. State Rep. Maralyn Chase, D-Edmonds, and King County Councilman Bob Ferguson participated on a panel to talk about policymaking.
Participating in a panel discussion about connecting environmental policy to education was Berta Lloyd, dean of Workforce Education at SCC. The panel was facilitated by Jim DiPeso, policy director of Republicans for Environmental Protection and a board member of the Shoreline Solar Project.
Shoreline Community College has a number of green-related programs, including a groundbreaking solar-energy system design class, one of the first in the country.
“The event was a wonderful partnership between the college and the chamber of commerce,” President Lambert said. “Being green has always meant being a good steward of the environment and it is becoming a symbol of good business and needed education.”
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Thursday, July 10, 2008
* SCC President Lee Lambert represents community colleges in U.S. delegation to Southeast Asia
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July, 2008 — Last month a number of U.S. college and university presidents made an inaugural trip to Southeast Asia together as ambassadors of higher education.
The U.S. College and University Presidents’ Delegation, the first of its kind to go to Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia, met with senior officials at universities, educational organizations, government agencies, and U.S. embassies to talk about the missions and systems of higher education and educational exchange opportunities. 
One of the themes of the college’s strategic plan states that we will offer innovative approaches to promoting global citizenship through service learning, international programs and partnerships.
“It’s so important to support global competencies as much as we can,” says Shoreline Community College President Lee Lambert. “The more we do this, the better we will cultivate global understanding.” Lambert was one of a group of eight presidents to receive a personal invitation to join the delegation.
In recent years, recruitment of students from places such as Southeast Asia has become highly competitive. Many U.S. colleges are finding it very difficult to provide the same kind of services and opportunities that European and Australian schools provide. (Both the European and Australian governments provide significant funding for study abroad programs.)
Indonesia, the largest country in the region and with a significant Muslim population, has historically sent a large number of students to study in the U.S., this trend, however, reversed in recent years.
Additionally, Thailand has long been among the top 10 sending students to the U.S. but its students are now heavily recruited by Australia, the U.K. and regional host countries such as Singapore and China.
“Foreign students generally experience success in their studies here and many of them have gone on to stellar four-year universities in the states and abroad,” says Thalia Saplad, executive director of International Programs at the college.
“However, it is getting harder and harder to recruit them. We need to be more strategic in our recruiting efforts to ensure that we continue to draw students from different parts of the world.”
With recruitment of international students becoming so competitive, it has become more necessary for colleges to enlist help. International Education (IIE), a non-profit organization that promotes closer educational relations between the U.S. and other countries has proven very helpful to Shoreline. They planned and organized the SE Asia trip.
“Hooking up with educational leaders around the world is made much easier with the help of IIE,’ says Saplad. “Their help is invaluable.”
Saplad says the organization set up meetings not only with higher education officials, but coordinated conversations with government personnel such as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education in Vietnam and the Educational and Cultural Attaché of Indonesia. IIE is one of the largest international educational and training organizations in the world that promotes relationships between colleges and universities in the U.S. and other countries.
“The trip was really about relationship building,” says Lambert. “It was crucial to be able to sit together and talk to each other. They are very relationship-oriented and we wanted to instill in them a trust in us and what we can provide as well hear firsthand how we can help them.”
The U.S. delegation enjoyed many special treats by their hosts while in Asia. They were invited to the Governor's Mansion for dinner in Jakarta. When they learned that they were to wear the attire of their country, IIE staff purchased batik shirts and beautiful scarves for the delegates. This kind gesture spared the governor from dining with Americans in jeans and t-shirts. They were treated to many cultural sites, including the Grand Palace in Thailand.
Lambert says there are opportunities for us to develop a working relationship with educators in Vietnam. “A comprehensive community college system has not been established there and they are highly interested in Americans helping them develop one as well as a four-year system.” Additionally, Vietnam’s economy is booming, and the number of Vietnamese students in the U.S. has increased over 30 percent in the past year alone, placing our country in the top 20 places foreign students choose to study.
The college continues to look at innovative ways to bring more international students to Shoreline for their study abroad experience. In the last couple of years, the college has partnered with colleges in Korea and Denmark. These partnerships have proven to be successful and the college looks forward to more partnership opportunities.
Shoreline Community College operates a comprehensive International Students Program that focuses on the educational needs of students coming from other countries and on those students who wish to obtain college education with a global emphasis. Shoreline Community College is a regional leader in providing study-abroad programs for two-year college students.
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Wednesday, July 09, 2008
* Commencement 2008 at Shoreline CC
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Shoreline, WA — June is the time of year that brings an opportunity to celebrate children, parents, friends and neighbors as they prepare for next steps in education and life with graduations from grade school through college.
At Shoreline Community College, about 300 of approximately
1,000 graduates participated
in the 44th Commencement on Sunday, June 8, 2008, at 2 p.m. in the college gymnasium.
This year, 50 students were recognized as President’s Scholars, having earned a cumulative GPA of 3.9 or higher.
Student Body President Andrew Ivanhoe received the 2008 Student Service Award for his exemplary service to Shoreline Community College. Mela Erickson, Giao Tran, Grace Ekaputri, Jonathan Lavigne, Lucas Meserve and Jessica Puckett all received Certificates of Appreciation. President Lee Lambert presented the student awards.
Peter Schmidt, Ph.D., gave this year’s guest commencement address.
Schmidt, who has an extensive background in community college student services and instruction, has advocated for community college students and returning veterans since he graduated from Shoreline Community College in 1980 and transferred to Seattle University. He is currently the Senior Associate Dean of Student Success and Retention at Edmonds Community College.
Richard Stucky, Chair of the college’s Board of Trustees welcomed the graduates and their families and friends.
American Sign Language Professor Richard Jacobs will give this year’s faculty address. Vice President for Academic Affairs John Backes will present Professor Emeritus awards to Professors Andrea Rye and Kathleen Lynch.
The Shoreline Concert Band conducted by Ken Noreen, will perform the processional, national anthem and recessional. Attendance is by ticket only.
For more information about SCC's commencement, please contact Lynda Knight at 206.546.4641 or lknight@shoreline.edu.
Erin Kvande give this year’s student address. Kvande will attend Mount Holyoke next fall and plans to go on to law school and practice immigration or refugee law.
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Tuesday, July 08, 2008
* Register today for SummerCollege 2008 - SCC's educatioinal sampler
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SHORELINE — Shoreline Community College holds SummerCollege for Those Over 50 from August 18-22, 2008. The educational sampler for adults, in its 22nd year, offers instruction by enthusiastic teachers who share their passion and expertise in unique classes such as International Relations, African Literature, Archeology, Celtic History, Islam in a Contemporary World, Shorelines of the World and Tai Chi. Additionally, a different topic is covered daily in the Daily Sampler.
Classes will meet from 8::30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the main campus located at 16101 Greenwood Avenue North, just west of Aurora Avenue and north of Seattle city limits. Attend three classes daily for $65 or four classes for $75. Complimentary morning refreshments will be provided.
Special thanks to The Jackson School of International Studies, The Wing Luke Asian Museum, and the Lifetime Learning Center for their support of SummerCollege 2008.
To register of for more information, please call the Center for Business & Continuing Education at 206.533.6700 or visit www.shoreline.edu/ce online.
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Tuesday, July 01, 2008
* Off to a Flying Start! Auto Dealerships Provide Funding for expansion of Auto Training Center
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President Bill Clinton was impressed with the sparkling new Professional Automotive Training Center at Shoreline Community College when he visited in 1992. The facility garnered national acclaim and today is still considered one of the premiere teaching facilities of its kind in the country.
The former president was equally intrigued by the partnerships that had been developed between industry and higher education to provide training while supporting local industry. The college’s factory-sponsored training programs – Daimler-Chrysler, General Motors, Honda PACT and Toyota T-TEN, which had been recognized among the best programs in the nation, were sending highly qualified automotive technicians into our local dealerships and boosting local economy.
Now, after more than 15 years, the Professional Automotive Training Center is growing to support the number of students who study and train there - about 30 students graduate every year with an associate degree from one of these programs. If Clinton visited today, he would most likely be impressed once again with the support provided by local industry. Private and corporate donors have donated $2.3 million and the state another $2 million for a $5.5 million, 26,000 square foot expansion.
“We are looking forward to the additional space as we are ‘elbow-to-elbow’ currently and need the room badly to allow additional students into our programs,” said Pete Calkins, director of automotive programs at the College.
Over the years, the college has added more training opportunities. Short-term certification classes are offered to auto technicians already working in industry with between 6,000 and 10,000 technicians taking classes at the center annually. Dealership training in service advising, title clerking, finance and insurance, legal seminars, environmental issues are also offered.
Dealerships also use the center for technician upgrade training. Currently, General Motors, Toyota, Chrysler, Volvo, Hyundai and Kia provide upgrade training at Shoreline.
The additional space will also provide more training opportunities for manufacturers. Equipment, internet services and other services are available at the center for both instructors and students. Once the addition is complete, plans include reaching out to more manufacturers.
“We welcome the opportunity to continue to work with the automotive industry to provide trained entry level technicians through our certificate and degree programs and to also provide space for the manufacturers to conduct update training for current technicians,” adds Calkins. “By partnering with the manufacturers to provide needed update training for the dealership technicians, the dealerships are better able to properly and accurately diagnose and repair customer’s vehicles.”
Calkins says that the college hopes to leverage the new space to build on the program’s reputation as a leader in training on alternative fuel vehicles.
Design work for the expansion is underway by Group Mackenzie. Ground-breaking is slated for March of next year with construction estimated to be complete by November, 2009.
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