2001

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East Central receives grant for national learning program

East Central Commumt) C ·:e;e in Decatur was recently awardee :1.~ $11 ,000 grant to participate m L'le American Association of Comm:I:'ut: Colleges national serv1ce e.'!IT-~; program. Communtt) Cone~ Broadening Horizons through Ser ::e Learning. Only I0 community/jumor ::ol-_ leges in the nation were selected b~ a1 AACC review panel to recel\e ~'le funds. which will be used to ame£:21e ervice learning into the college-c-w-- riculum. The designated colle~es \"1.'111 focus their service learmng acU\mes in a variety of areas, pec1fk to ~'le needs of their commumue Service learning combanes c as~­ room instruction with communm ser– vice. emphasizing critical. rei1~m e thinking as well as personal and et\JC responsibility. Lynn Barnett, Horizon project coordinator and AACC's d1rector of

&:adem ;: srudent and community Qe\e ~-nenL said East Central and l&')e cxne:-- rune Honzons colleges will ~elop multidisciplina!) models of ·..-.~ lel.-•mg programs. Sbe -..-.ner S:ud...Communiry col- • • ~ :oml"'~e to lead the field of ser– '~ Je_-;-.. ;;g b~ creaung acaderrti~(t: ~ -~~-=~ p!ugrams that meet com– w~mt~ ·Jdenu fied needs. Service e.l.ut.'l; OOl onl)' help to improve cl~'l)().'"'l perfonnance, it also helps st~~:-· pt'IJsh ·soft skills' demanded 1:- t.'>e \l.'Cio.place... E:m Central Community Col– ege -.en. ace learning program will 'ocu~ on lneracy, GED preparation and rutonng children whose parents do not ha'e the skills to help with scnool\l.ork. according to grants facil– nato:- ~1ru: Hanson who serves as darector of the College's Learning Sllll Center. In addition. Hanson See GRANT, page 66

Grant Continued from page 58

to build on established foundati on to integrate service learning into the institutional climate of community colleges and to increase the number. qualiry and sustainabiliry of cunicu– lum-based ervice learning programs through model grant projects. training and technical assistance.

aid East Central plans to organize ser– vice learning workshops for faculty and communiry agency partners. AACC's Horizons project is fund– ed through the Learn and Serve Amer– ica program of the Corporation for National Service. The overall goals of the project are