30 October ICC receives I2S grant from Families First for Mississippi. October 30, 2018 By Thomas, Donna S. General 0 Itawamba Community College has received a $746,100 grant for its Incentives to Success Career Navigation project from Families First for Mississippi. The three-year grant will be utilized to help participants succeed in today’s middle-skill job market, according to Josh Gammill, career navigator. The I2S program will collaborate with partners, including community colleges (non-credit/degree pathways), community service organizations, local Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act/WIN Job Centers, business and industry. The primary funder is Families First of North Mississippi. ICC’s WIN Job Centers will link participants to career exploration, job search, on-the-job training or internships and job placement services. Gammill said that ICC will collaborate with existing workforce and career and technical education pathways that lead to middle-skill job opportunities. The project’s goal is to encourage and motivate at-risk participants to succeed in completing a career pathway and finding gainful employment. Among the services are education and certification for in-demand careers, support services, career interest and exploration links to education pathways, soft skills development (resume´ development, personal branding and mock interviews), career navigation, coaching to employment (workforce and credit students) and employment assistance and development. “ICC will deliver education and emphasize navigation and coaching toward the goal of a career,” Gammill pointed out. The goal of the I2S program, Gammill said, is to attempt to eliminate barriers so that participants can complete the courses, be successful and land a job to earn a family-sustaining wage. Although Mississippi’s unemployment rate of 4.7 is the lowest in years, 45.4 percent of work-eligible Mississippians remain disconnected from the workforce, Gammill said. “Today’s career opportunities have changed from lower-skill to middle-skill jobs, and existing companies locating to Mississippi are desperate for middle-skill workers.” ICC’s I2S staff, which includes Gammill and a job developer, will guide participants to assess strengths and talents, create effective education and employment plans, set goals and ambitions, overcome personal barriers, develop motivation and skills and plan for future educational goals. “The I2S staff will consider an individual’s education level, work history, abilities, interests and goals to suggest career pathway training for jobs that are a good fit,” Gammill said. Tuition/supplies, fuel cards and completion incentives are among the assistance that can be provided to participants. “The I2S program is designed to reinforce positive achievement for the participants who need motivation and support,” Gammill said. “We believe that those who complete the program have a better chance to get and keep a middle-skill job.” Related Articles ICC's ADN, PN programs to benefit from $40,000 Women's Foundation of Mississippi Grant Students in Itawamba Community College’s Associate Degree Nursing and Practical Nursing programs again will have an opportunity to benefit from a significant grant from the Women’s Foundation of Mississippi. For the second consecutive year, the $40,000 Access to Opportunity – Training and Graduating a Healthcare Workforce for Mississippi grant will be divided between the ADN and PN programs based on relative program enrollments, said Tonya Vaughn, dean of Health Science Instruction. Last year, 31 ADN and 19 PN students received funds. During 2021-22, recipients of the grant money expressed their appreciation for their selection. Among the uses for the funds included purchase of a new computer that was compatible with technology used in the nursing program, payment for the NCLEX review and application, vehicle tires for less hazardous travel to and from school and clinicals and childcare to enable continued enrollment. Students in their final year/semester of their nursing program will be informed of this grant during the beginning of the fall semester, Vaughn said. Those who would like to be considered for the grant will complete an ... ICC's Nursing students have opportunity to benefit from Women's Foundation of Mississippi grant Students in Itawamba Community College’s Associate Degree Nursing and Practical Nursing programs will have an opportunity to benefit from a significant grant from the Women’s Foundation of Mississippi. The $40,000 Access to Opportunity – Training and Graduating a Healthcare Workforce for Mississippi grant will be divided between the ADN and PN programs based on relative program enrollments, said Rilla Jones, dean of Health Science Instruction. This year, 31 ADN and 19 PN students will receive funds. Students in their final year/semester of their nursing program will be informed of this grant during the beginning of the fall semester, Jones said. Those who would like to be considered for the grant will complete an application and sign a consent form for FAFSA data to be accessed. Selection will be based on lowest estimated financial contribution and income level and the most number of dependents. Students who are selected will be awarded $800. “This targeted, need-based funding will allow students near graduation to be able to pay for expenses, such as NCLEX review courses, licensing exams ... ICC's Lancaster receives University of Mississippi grant for Open Educational Resources Dr. Ashley Craig Lancaster of Tupelo has received a grant from the William-Flora Hewlett Foundation from the University of Mississippi to fund the integration of Open Educational Resources into her American Literature I course at Itawamba Community College. The award will enable Lancaster to replace her copyrighted course material with that which is openly-licensed, which means that the teaching, learning and research resources can be accessed easily and for free. The openly-licensed material allows for full use, reuse, adaptation and resharing by learners and educators. The free materials that are openly-licensed that Lancaster finds valuable and useful will be acceptable, according to guidelines of the grant. According to Lancaster’s notification letter, the OER projects often save students money and increase engagement and learning. “The committee sees great promise in your proposal, and we look forward to supporting your development efforts.” “ICC is dedicated to helping its students succeed in class, so I’m trying to do my part by making classes more affordable while still maintaining high-quality instruction,” Lancaster said. Lancaster has published academic ... ICC receives $30,000 Women's Foundation of Mississippi grant Itawamba Community College has received a $30,000 grant from the Women’s Foundation of Mississippi for implementation of its Women Advancing Generational Employment and Success program. The grant, which will continue through Sept. 30, 2019, will provide supplementary resources to help disadvantaged women with children to advance their education and attain sustainable wage jobs through barrier mitigation, according to Lee Oswalt, director of the SNAP/E&T pilot grant, who will administer W.A.G.E.S. ICC will leverage resources through braiding funding streams, enabling the College to provide maximum assistance through the provision of customized and individualized training services. Many of the target population may not have completed high school. “The program will cover such barriers as tuition, drivers’ licenses, transportation and childcare,” Oswalt said. “We want to be part of the solution by providing another option to leverage resources for students.” Among the additional funds that will be used are Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Incentive2Success, Mississippi Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training Program and adult education private funds. ICC’s program will target Lee County low-income women, ages ... ICC, one of two in Mississippi, receives Metallica's All Within My Hands grant All Within My Hands, the nonprofit, philanthropic organization created by the members and management of Metallica, has announced the largest expansion of its Metallica Scholars Initiative and its largest grant to date. With the launch of year six, 18 new colleges join the roster of existing MSI community colleges. The Metallica Scholars Initiative now has a presence in 60 colleges across all 50 United States and the territory of Guam. Itawamba Community College, which is in year two, and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College represent Mississippi. ICC’s $50,000 grant will focus on recruiting underserved populations to enable individuals to attain job skills and opportunities to equip them for employment to better position them for success and a better future. “It is a tremendous honor for Itawamba Community College to be selected as one of the continuing recipients of the prestigious All Within My Hands grant, which will significantly impact our career education programs and the lives of those who will receive scholarships to pursue a pathway and their best start,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “It is another indication of ... ICC's CR staff receives record number of CPRAM awards Several Itawamba Community College staff members received awards from the College Public Relations Association of Mississippi, which were presented during a recent virtual conference. The 21 awards were the most in the Community Relations Department’s history. They include C.J. Adams of Fulton, first place in View Book for “2020 ICC Recruiting Lookbook;” first place in Admissions and Recruitment Piece for “ICC Recruiting Trifold;” first place in Television Spots for “ICC SkillUp Commercial;” third place in Television Spots for “ICC Tomorrow Commercial;” first place in Radio Spot for “SkillUP Radio Commercial;” third place in Radio Spot for “Start on Time, Finish Early:” first place in Public Relations Campaign for “A New Look for a New Decade: A New Identity for ICC;” second place in Public Relations Campaign for “Navigating the Pandemic: The First Six Months;” grand award in the junior division in Electronic Media for “ICC SkillUP commercial;” second place in Advertisements for “ICC Veterans Day Ad;” Lee Adams of Fulton, first place in Single Piece artwork – Sports for “2020 ICC Football Poster;” second place in Single Piece Artwork – Sports ... Comments are closed.