18 July ICC's King, Craig receive MHC grant July 18, 2022 By Thomas, Donna S. General 0 Itawamba Community College English instructors Amber King and Dr. Ashley Craig have received a $4,500 grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council for “Reflecting Mississippi: Finding Yourself in Mississippi’s Reflection.” “When Amber and I decided to apply for the Mississippi Humanities Council grant, we really thought about what the theme ‘Reflecting Mississippi’ meant to us,” Craig said. “I grew up in Mississippi, and I know the stereotype of Mississippi. I also know I don’t fit that stereotype, but I was unaware until later in my life that I wasn’t actually the lone non-stereotype. What Amber and I hope to do with our lecture series is show all the voices Mississippi has to offer. I hope that our students and the surrounding communities can see what it took me so long to see: Mississippi is diverse and complex, and that’s exciting and hopeful.” Public events, which will include hosting several speakers and writing competitions and activities, will showcase the diverse culture that is often overlooked in Mississippi, according to Craig. Speakers will include author Mary Miller, who teaches in the M.F.A. program at The W; Beverly Fatherree, emerita professor of English at Hinds Community College and Welty House docent; Siyha Smith, assistant curator at the Oren Dunn City Museum; L. Sydney Fisher, author; Danny McArthur, reporter for the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal; and Dr. Bridget Smith Pieschel, emerita professor of English and women’s studies at The W. Additional activities will include a Book Club event, creative writing competition and a two-hour celebration in ICC’s Fulton Campus Library in April 2023 during which Mississippi-based music will be performed by students interspersed with presentations by the winners of various competitions throughout the year. “In my 13 years as an instructor, I’ve seen so many people who couldn’t wait to get their education and get out of Mississippi,” King said. “They felt different and alone and couldn’t see a future for themselves here. But the truth is that Mississippi is a lot more diverse than it seems on the surface. In our series, we want to highlight some of the lesser-known aspects of Mississippi’s past and present to show that everyone has a place here. We also want to provide students and community members the tools and the space to tell their own stories, and we are so thankful that the Mississippi Humanities Council and ICC have given us this opportunity.” A list of upcoming events will be announced soon. Related Articles ICC's Fleming-Parker receives bicycle helmet grant to benefit child care centers Children in Itawamba Community College’s Child Care centers will benefit from the care and concern of Associate Degree Nursing instructor Dr. Mary Ann Fleming-Parker of Tupelo. This summer, Fleming-Parker applied for and received a Prevention and Education grant through the Traumatic Brain Injury/Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund, through which 75 bicycle helmets were provided for the child care participants at the college. ICC Associate Degree Nursing program director Dr. Dana Walker said that as part of their coursework, sophomore students in the Family Centered Nursing Care course develop and present health promotion teaching projects to children at the Child Development Centers at both the Fulton and Tupelo campuses. The students have been at the CDCs on both campuses most Tuesdays and Thursdays since Sept. 1 to assist with temperature checks and hand washing as students arrive and then present a variety of health promotion projects, Fleming-Parker said. They will continue through Nov. 3. Fleming-Parker’s students presented the helmets Tuesday to ... ICC's Beta Tau Sigma chapter of Phi Theta Kappa receives Honors in Action grant Itawamba Community College’s Beta Tau Sigma Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa has received a $1,000 Honors in Action grant to enhance its 2024 Honors in Action project, according to a recent announcement by the honor society. Adviser Jenny Bowers said that the chapter is researching Native American stories, specifically the Chickasaw story of Itawamba, and a tentative title is ‘Native American Folklore.’ The multilevel endeavor includes a presentation at ICC on Nov. 6, which the chapter hopes to repeat at the Natchez Trace Visitor’s Center, and construction of a story tree for the events that they plan to donate to the Lee County Library at the project’s conclusion. Other components include a children’s book about Itawamba for ICC’s Early Learning Center students. The grant will cover materials for the tree, honoraria for speakers and additional supplies needed for the presentation or book. “We are excited to be among the select few Mississippi/Louisiana PTK chapters that received the grant,” Bowers said. “We so appreciate your willingness to go above and beyond with your Phi Theta Kappa engagement to apply ... 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's PTK Upsilon Sigma Chapter receives grant for Honors in Action project Itawamba Community College’s Upsilon Sigma Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa has received a grant to enhance its 2021 Honors in Action project. Phi Theta Kappa and the Mellon Foundation teamed up to fund the grants. According to Susan Edwards, associate vice president of honors programming and undergraduate research for PTK, the award was based on the chapter’s “strong application. “We are proud of the work you do at your college and in your community with your participation in a robust Honors in Action project.” The project focuses on the fluctuation of natural constructed environments and how an intentional interaction can affect our legacy, according to Robin Lowe of Amory, contact adviser for the Upsilon Sigma Chapter. The research question is “How can we promote ecotourism both locally and globally to leave a legacy for future generations?” Lowe said that the project will focus specifically on discovery of the effects of ecotourism both on campus and in the college community. “Our intended goals are to promote our natural resource areas on (the Fulton) ... ICC's PMMT program receives Gene Haas Foundation grant Itawamba Community College’s Precision Manufacturing and Machining Technology program has received a $14,000 grant from the Gene Haas Foundation. According to Dylan Baldwin, ICC’s director of Career Education, the funds will be used for student aid and certifications. “We appreciate very much the investment by the Haas Foundation in ICC’s Precision Manufacturing and Machining Technology program,” Baldwin said. “Not only is it an investment in the program, but it is an investment in the futures of our students.” In 1999, Gene Haas formed the foundation which bears his name because he grew up with a strong social conscience instilled by his family. It was initially designed to fund the needs of the local community. Haas Automation is now a billion-dollar company. The focus of the foundation has shifted to the current outreach and methodology. Its purpose is to introduce students to careers in machine technology and manufacturing, to build skills in the machining industry and to help military veterans enroll in programs that train them to become skilled machinists. ICC’s Precision Manufacturing and Machining Technology program is designed to ... ICC's PMMT program receives $20,000 Gene Haas Foundation grant Itawamba Community College’s Precision Manufacturing and Machining Technology program has received a $20,000 grant from the Gene Haas Foundation. According to Dylan Baldwin, ICC’s director of Career Education, the funds are being used for financial aid for several students. “We appreciate very much the investment by the Haas Foundation in ICC’s Precision Manufacturing and Machining Technology program,” Baldwin said. “Not only is it an investment in the program, but it is an investment in the futures of our students.” In 1999, Gene Haas formed the foundation, which bears his name because he grew up with a strong social conscience instilled by his family. It was initially designed to fund the needs of the local community. Haas Automation is now a billion-dollar company. The focus of the foundation has shifted to the current outreach and methodology. Its purpose is to introduce students to careers in machine technology and manufacturing, to build skills in the machining industry and to help military veterans enroll in programs that train them to become skilled machinists. ICC’s Precision Manufacturing ... Comments are closed.