6 May ICC team selected as finalist for 2021 Community College Innovation Challenge May 6, 2021 By Thomas, Donna S. General 0 A team from Itawamba Community College has been selected as a finalist for the 2021 Community College Innovation challenge, which is sponsored by the American Association of Community Colleges and the National Science Foundation. Members include Diana Salinas of Golden, Haley Dean, Abby Rinehart, both of Saltillo; and Emma Atkinson of Tupelo. The team mentor is Bradley Howard of Saltillo, Computer Science instructor and division chair. Howard said that this is the first time that ICC has reached finalist status. “These students have done an outstanding job on this project. They are all great examples of the high quality of students that we have at ICC.” As a finalist, the ICC team is required to attend the CCIC Boot Camp to be held virtually June 14-17. The camp is designed to provide a hands-on learning opportunity for the finalist teams to further develop their ideas with a focus on building innovation, entrepreneurship and strategic communication skills. Congressional members, community college leaders, STEM stakeholders, key congressional staff and other guests are invited to engage with the finalist teams to learn about their ideas and proposed solutions. The Student Innovation Showcase, which is June 16, provides an opportunity for the CCIC judges to interact with each team and to view their poster and 90-second video as part of the judging criteria for selecting the competition winners. Each team will also be assigned to a facilitated breakout session room for 20 minutes to engage with visitors about their project. The other segment of the Boot Camp is the Team Pitch Presentation, which will be June 17. Judges will assess the finalist teams’ abilities in convincingly conveying the merits, value and potential of their ideas during the presentation. Related Articles Itawamba Community College receives $100,000 and joins 41 other schools across the US as All Within My Hands' Metallica Scholars Initiative expands in year five Metallica’s foundation, All Within My Hands, continues its multimillion-dollar investment in critical workforce programs at community colleges nationwide. Among the schools, Itawamba Community College was selected from a competitive pool of applicants to receive $100,000 to transform the futures of students in the community. “It is a tremendous honor for Itawamba Community College to be selected as one of the recipients of the prestigious All Within My Hands grant, which will significantly impact our career education programs, providing funding for students to pursue a pathway and their best start,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “It is another indication of the success of the College and reinforcement of the mission that students and their success are our top priority.” The Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI) was launched in 2019 by Metallica’s foundation, All Within My Hands (AWMH), in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). The workforce initiative marks its fifth year with an ambitious expansion into new curricula. MSI now directly supports 42 community colleges across 33 states, and by the end of this year, it will have helped ... ICC team, only one from Mississippi, to compete in final round of Community College Innovation Challenge Itawamba Community College is among the 12 teams and the only one from Mississippi that will participate in the final round of the Community College Innovation Challenge set for June in Washington, D.C. Sponsors are the American Association of Community Colleges in partnership with the National Science Foundation. “ICC’s project is ViruShield: Next-Generation Care for HIV Patients. ViruShield is a subcutaneous pump that tests for HIV viral loads and administers doses of medication to an HIV-positive patient to help with the prevention of AIDS and to increase treatment compliance within this minority community,” according to Heather McCormick of Fulton, ICC mathematics division chair and team mentor. “Normally, a multitude of drug combinations are used along with a treatment schedule of daily pills and then monthly injections to keep HIV at an undetectable level.” The team includes Cortney McCord, Shaan Nagra, both of Saltillo; Jillian Babb and Matthew Butler of Tupelo. “I’m so proud of these students, their innovation and their hard work,” McCormick said. “Despite the busyness of the semester, they worked together ... ICC selected among 25 semifinalists nationwide for prestigious Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence Today, Itawamba Community College was selected among the 25 semifinalists for the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, a milestone in the award selection process. ICC and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College were the only public two-year institutions in the state to be selected for this prestigious honor. The $1 million Aspen Prize is the nation’s signature recognition of community colleges that are achieving high, improving and equitable outcomes for students. In years past, only 10 finalists have been named, and this change is designed to highlight the increased number of colleges across the country doing excellent work, according to the announcement from the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. “Being selected as a semifinalist from among eligible community colleges across the nation is not only an honor, but it is monumental for ICC to be chosen among the top two-year institutions across America to continue to compete for the significant Aspen Prize,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “It is another indication of the success of the ... Aspen Institute names ICC as a Top 150 U.S. Community College Aspen Institute Names Itawamba Community College as a Top 150 U.S. Community College Eligible for 2021 Aspen Prize $1 Million Prize Recognizes Excellence in Equitable Outcomes for Students in and After College The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program today named Itawamba Community College as one of 150 community colleges eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America's community colleges. Based on strong and improving in student outcomes—including in learning, completion rates, employment rates and earnings and equity—15 percent of community colleges nationwide have been invited to apply for the Aspen Prize. “It is a tremendous honor for Itawamba Community College to be selected as one of the top 150 community colleges in the nation and the opportunity to compete for the significant Aspen Prize,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “It is another indication of the success of the College, its status as a premier community college and a testament to our exceptional faculty and staff.” The 150 community colleges named today as eligible to compete for the ... Aspen Institute names ICC as one of nation's top 150 and eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence Today, the Aspen Institute named Itawamba Community College as one of the 150 institutions eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among two-year colleges. The institutions selected for this honor stand out among more than 1,000 community colleges nationwide as having high improving levels of student success as well as equitable outcomes for Black and Hispanic students and those from lower-income backgrounds. “It is a tremendous honor for Itawamba Community College to be selected as one of the top 150 community colleges in the nation and to afforded the opportunity to compete for the significant Aspen Prize,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “It is another indication of the success of the College, its continuing status as a premier community college and a testament to our exceptional faculty and staff, without whom it would not be possible.” ICC was selected as a top community college in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021 and as a semifinalist in 2023. The Aspen Prize spotlights exemplary community ... ICC named one of nation's top 150 community colleges Today, the Aspen Institute named Itawamba Community College one of the 150 institutions eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America’s community colleges. Those selected for this honor stand out among more than 1,000 community colleges nationwide as having high and improving levels of student success as well as equitable outcomes for Black and Hispanic students and those from lower-income backgrounds. The 150 eligible colleges have been invited to submit data and narratives as the next steps in an intensive data and practice review process, culminating in the announcement of the Prize winner in spring 2023. “It is a tremendous honor for Itawamba Community College to be selected as one of the top 150 community colleges in the nation and to be afforded the opportunity to compete for the significant Aspen Prize,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “It is another indication of the success of the College, its continuing status as a premier community college and a testament to our exceptional faculty ... Comments are closed.