Apr 23, 2024 | Curry Campus, News
COOS BAY, OR – The Oregon TRIO Association (OTA) is proud to announce the receipt of a $6,000 grant from the Coquille Tribal Fund. This generous award will support OTA’s mission to provide resources and support for low-income students in the Southwestern Oregon area who are pursuing postsecondary education.
In today’s educational landscape, access to technology is paramount for academic success. Many students from disadvantaged communities face barriers to accessing essential resources like computers, laptops, tablets, and high-speed internet connectivity. The grant from the Coquille Tribal Fund will enable OTA to bridge this digital divide and ensure that these students have the necessary tools to thrive in their academic pursuits.
“We are grateful to the Coquille Tribe for their generosity and support of our pre-college TRIO students. As potential first generation college students, our high school TRIO scholars have overcome many obstacles and worked very hard. They are grateful for the community support and are so thankful to the Coquille Tribe for enabling them to enter college next fall with a laptop.” – DeAnne Varitek, Southwestern Oregon Community College’s Director of TRIO, Upward Bound, and Educational Talent Search.
“Our project aims to address the critical need for technology access among low-income students in Southwestern Oregon,” said Matt Bisek, Executive Director of the Oregon TRIO Association. “This generous grant from the Coquille Tribal Fund will allow us to provide computers, laptops, tablets, and internet connectivity to students in need, empowering them to access online learning platforms, research materials, and educational software.”
The project targets households in the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) community, where access to affordable broadband and essential resources like computers is often limited. According to the 2020 Census, a significant number of households in Oregon lack access to computers or internet connectivity, further exacerbating educational disparities.
“There are 140+ AI/AN TRIO students in the Coquille Tribal Fund target area that OTA can reach,” added Bisek. “This grant will make a tangible difference in the lives of these students, providing them with the resources and support they need to succeed academically.”
OTA’s project addresses the immediate need for technology access and contributes to long-term economic development and educational equity in the Southwestern Oregon area. By providing students with the tools they need to excel in their studies, OTA is helping to create a more inclusive and equitable educational landscape for all students.
For more information about the TRIO Talent Search program at Southwestern Oregon Community College, please visit our webpage. (www.socc.edu/resources/trio-programs). If you or your organization is interested in supporting our TRIO programs with a donation you can do so at: https://www.socc.edu/give. Please label your donation “TRIO Pre-College”.
Apr 9, 2024 | Community, News
COOS BAY, OR – “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go.”— Dr. Seuss
Reading is fundamental. It develops the brains of young children, provides a window into the world around them and helps them do better in all school subjects.
Yet, 800 million people around the world cannot read or write. And many families (and some schools) have no books for children to read.
With the idea of encouraging a love of reading, the Rotary Clubs and school districts of North Bend, Coos Bay, Reedsport, Bandon, Coquille, Myrtle Point and Powers, along with South Coast Education Service District (ESD), and Southwestern Oregon Community College are partnering to help children on the south coast get excited about books with the Gift of Literacy Program.
Modeled after the Springfield Gift of Literacy, this well-established, time-tested, award-winning program fosters a love of reading among young children. Through a multi-club Rotary District Grant matched by local clubs, every first-grader (over 600) in each of the club’s coastal communities are participating in this enriching six-month literacy program.
The Gift of Literacy Program will culminate in a festive celebration on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, at Southwestern Oregon Community College, when first-graders from the south coast will be transported by bus to the College to attend an assembly and receive a cinch bag filled with fun swag … and two brand-new books!
The five selected books, chosen by Coos County librarians and educators, are a wonderful and diverse mix. Each first-grade classroom received a set of the books in November. Teachers or guest readers read the books in the classroom. And on April 30th, each first-grade student will come to campus for a literacy program that includes receiving two books for them to take home.
The importance and enjoyment of reading will be reinforced with the acquisition of a library card. First-graders will also be introduced to a college campus, where they can get a glimpse of college life.
“All Rotarians are committed to promoting literacy, both in the United States and abroad,” said Southwestern President and local Rotarian Dr. Patty M. Scott, who helped organize the event. “We are proud to celebrate and promote literacy for our local first-grade students!”
The Rotary Clubs, ESD and the College would like to give special thanks to Yellow Cab, First Community Credit Union, McDonald’s, and Northwest Community Credit Union for their generous support of the Gift of Literacy Program.
NOTE TO PRESS: Representatives of the press are welcome and encouraged to cover this event. We will have one group of students in the morning from 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. The morning session includes first-graders from Bandon, Coquille, Powers, Reedsport, and Winter Lakes schools. The afternoon session runs from 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. and includes first-graders from Coos Bay, Lighthouse, Myrtle Point, and North Bend schools. Both sessions will be held at the Recreation Center on the Southwestern Oregon Community College campus, 1988 Newmark Ave. For further details, please contact Southwestern President Dr. Patty M. Scott at pscott@socc.edu or phone at 541-888-7401.
Apr 9, 2024 | Community, News
COOS BAY, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College’s Psychology Department and Associated Student Government are offering students and the community an opportunity to hear international guest speaker Dr. Debbie Joffe Ellis (via Zoom) discuss the work of her late husband Dr. Albert Ellis. Join us Tuesday, May 7, 2024 from 5:00 to 6:00 pm in Eden Hall room 1 on the Coos Campus (1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay).
Dr. Ellis has dedicated herself to sharing the life enhancing and inspiring approach of Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT) with as many people as possible. A clear and easy-to-understand approach, its application brings striking and beneficial results. Its efficiency is fueled by its pragmatic tools and along with it a philosophical backbone encouraging kindness and compassion.
At the core of the presentations and writings of Dr. Ellis is the groundbreaking philosophy and psychological approach of her husband, a pioneer in the field of psychology, Dr. Albert Ellis, the creator of Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy.
Albert Ellis PhD (1913-2007) dedicated himself to fighting injustices and changing restrictive social norms. He was a major figure in changing general attitudes held by many in the twentieth century, and first decade of the twenty-first century, on women’s rights, racial equality, inter-racial marriage, gay rights, freedom of speech, and literature – to name a few.
Ellis’ approach is holistic and ethical, attending to the interplay of a person’s beliefs, emotions and actions, and seeing people as capable of choosing their emotional destiny according to their capacity and willingness to choose rational thinking over irrational thinking. He asserted that we humans are fallible creatures who can unnecessarily disturb ourselves and prescribed the use of his REBT approach for un-disturbing ourselves.
Dr. Debbie Joffe Ellis
Dr. Ellis was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia. New York City has been her home base for the past two decades. She is a licensed psychologist (Australia), licensed mental health counselor (New York), presenter, writer, and adjunct professor at Columbia University in New York City where she teaches Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy and Comparative Psychotherapies. For years she worked with her husband, Dr Albert Ellis, giving public presentations and professional trainings in his approach of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, as well as collaborating with him on writing and research projects until his death in 2007.
Before his passing he stated and wrote that he entrusted her to continue his work. She is recognized as a world-renowned expert on REBT, and regularly presents, throughout the USA and around the world, to students, academics, practitioners in the helping professions, and to members of the general public.
More information can be found at her website: www.debbiejoffeellis.com.
The lecture will be presented via Zoom and recorded for later viewing via the College’s YouTube channel. This is a free event. For more information, please contact Cheryl Davies, Professor of Psychology at Southwestern at 541-888-7291 or cdavies@socc.edu.
Apr 3, 2024 | Community, News
COOS BAY, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College invites 3rd to 6th grade students to join us for “STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) for KIDS: Star Wars!” on Saturday, May 4, 2024. This science-immersion event will be from 9:00 am to 1:30 pm in the College’s health and science building, Umpqua Hall, on the Coos Campus, 1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay.
Grab your lightsaber and join us! Students will engage with professors in hands-on activities in Physics & Engineering, Chemistry, Geology, Biology, Art, and more. This includes working alongside the College’s SPEAR Student Researchers, who are involved in various STEAM projects.
Participants are asked to bring a sack lunch, as there will be a break to eat. Star Wars themed costumes are encouraged, but not required. There will also be an opportunity to experience a show in the new Discovery Dome Planetarium. This digital theater space immerses students in a show that takes them on an adventure.
STEAM education projects help students visualize career pathways in science, technology, engineering and math. The “A” adds in the arts, such as humanities, dance, drama, visual arts and design. When people learn in all these areas together, they gain soft skills that can help grow ability in out-of-the-box thinking and collaboration.
Cost is $25. Spots are limited to 15. Scholarships are available. For more information and to register contact Krystal Hopper Meyers, STEAM Pathways Assistant, at 541-888-7416, or krystal.hopper@socc.edu.
For more information regarding science programs at Southwestern visit the STEM Pathways & Degrees page of our website. (https://www.socc.edu/programs-classes/stem/).
Apr 1, 2024 | Community, Curry Campus, News
COOS BAY, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College will be hosting a financial aid workshop on the Coos Campus (1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay) on Monday, April 15, 2024. This event is free and open to all. It will take place on the third floor of Tioga Hall in the Tutoring Center from 8:00am to 5:00pm. The first 40 people to arrive will receive a $10 Gas/Grocery card.
CURRY COUNTY RESIDENTS: Join us via zoom from the Curry Campus, Room 232 (906082 Lone Ranch Parkway, Brookings). The first 10 people to arrive will receive a $10 Gas/Grocery card.
Financial aid advisors will be available to assist people with submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is the first step in securing funding to pay for the costs associated with going to college. Applying for federal and state aid can be time consuming and difficult. The Financial Aid staff at Southwestern would like to provide current students, prospective students, and the community assistance with navigating this process.
The workshop offers hands-on assistance from trained professionals who will be available to help you navigate the FAFSA from beginning to end. Our staff will also be able to access any successfully submitted FAFSAs that we have received to review them for errors and assist you with making corrections to the form.
It is important to submit your FAFSA as soon as possible as Southwestern has a Priority Deadline of August 1, 2024 for the submission of all additional required paperwork.
For more information contact Stevie Jennings, Director of Financial Aid at Southwestern via email at stevie.jennings@socc.edu or by calling 541-888-1615.
General information regarding financial aid can be found on our website: HERE.
Mar 31, 2024 | Curry News, Foundation, News, OCCI News
COOS BAY, OR — Experience an evening of culinary excellence and exquisite wines as the Oregon Coast Culinary Institute and Southwestern Oregon Community College Foundation present the 2024 Winemakers’ Dinner on Saturday, May 4.
OCCI chefs present at the winemakers dinner.
The Winemakers’ Dinner immerses guests in an evening of conversation and storytelling with premier Oregon winery Willamette Valley Vineyards. Scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m., at OCCI, 1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay, the menu will pair six wines with the fine cuisine of award-winning OCCI Executive Chef Randy Torres and his student chefs. This multi-course meal will feature carefully crafted food and wine pairings that highlight the unique and complimentary attributes of spectacular Northwest cuisine.
Sit down among friends and listen as the storytelling starts relating the tale of Willamette Vineyards’ creator Jim Bernau’s dream to develop an old orchard overcome with blackberry vines into a world class winery known for producing the finest Pinot Noirs. The conversation will touch on propagation, terroir and the art of fermentation. Today, Willamette Valley Vineyards grows grapes in five regions and has assembled a team of winemakers who bring experiences from throughout the West Coast wine industry to create a wide array of award-winning wines.
The event is a collaborative fundraiser to showcase the skills of the college’s Culinary Competition Team and assist the college’s culinary program with investing in equipment. Having participated in the World Culinary Olympics this year, Chef Torres and his student chefs will talk about their experiences and their creative thoughts in creating the menu.
OCCI executive chef Randy Torres demonstrates plating to student chefs.
“It’s important to know that we invest 100% of the funds raised from tickets to this event directly into top-quality equipment for our kitchens,” said Chef Torres. “Likewise, being able to hire the finest chef instructors and inspire excellence in our students is a direct result of the college and community’s commitment to our students.”
Tickets for this fundraising event are $190 per person. Seating is limited. “We are grateful for this support and ultimately being able to support the local economy and provide excellent chefs for the tourism and culinary industries,” Torres said.
For more information or to purchase seats, please contact the Southwestern Foundation at (541) 888-7209, email foundation@socc.edu. or go to www.socc.edu/give.
