FEBRUARY 2018
The elementary education program via Longwood University at NCI has been the perfect opportunity for Taylor Morris. Taylor started her college journey by earning an associate’s degree at Patrick Henry Community College. Then she transferred to Longwood University, choosing to live on campus in Farmville. After a semester, she realized the traditional college experience on campus was not the right fit for her. While Taylor loved the academic experience at Longwood, she missed home. “Living at home while earning my Longwood degree was a perfect solution for my academic and career goals. While I was a student, I was able to maintain part-time jobs and work as a substitute teacher, which helped me establish career connections in the community I desire to live and work long-term,” Taylor said. The location of her classrooms was not the only thing that set her non-traditional experience apart. Longwood students at NCI also receive highly personalized training with multiple levels of hands-on experiences so they are skilled in leading a class-
room and educating the next generation. During the practicum (student teaching) semester, students develop and teach a two-week integrated unit in a local classroom. Integrated units require the student teacher incorporate two Standards of Learning concepts in each content area, such as English, science, and math. Taylor did a fabulous job! She incorporated all subjects in her integrated unit. The students were completely engaged and made connections between subject matter that they may not have made if not integrated. Sandy Gary, Collinsville Primary School teacher
Taylor’s unit, Predictable Patterns, brought the concept of patterns to life through analysis and integration of weather, calendars, verb tenses, and more. After extensive planning, the unit was delivered to second grade students of Sandy Gary’s classroom at Collinsville Primary.
Longwood at NCI graduate Taylor Morris presented her integrated unit, Predictable Patterns, recently at NCI to the public.
“My students were very intrigued and began to notice and report on patterns in all sorts of areas. I feel this ability to recognize patterns helped them learn the material presented and will also help them identify patterns in future learning experiences,” said Taylor. Taylor plans to apply for local elementary education positions. “I really liked doing my student teaching in Martinsville-Henry County instead of Farmville because this is where I want to build my career and build professional connections for the future.”
New College and SOVAH Health-Martinsville will recognize American Heart Month at a luncheon featuring Kerielea Byrd as she shares her near death experience after surviving a heart attack known as a widow maker. The luncheon (at NCI) is free to attend, but donations will be accepted to support the Martinsville Henry County Coalition for Health and Wellness. "New College Institute is proud to partner with SOVAH Health and Kerielea Byrd to share a survivor’s story on the warning signs of a heart attack. We hope to bring more awareness to prevent heart disease,” said Steve Keyser, Coordinator of Educational & Community Engagement. For more information, contact Ruby Jones at (276) 403-5605 or rjones@newcollegeinstitute.org.
Mountain Valley Organics learns how they can fully utilize the Incumbent Worker Training with assistance from the MHC Chamber of Commerce using NCI's Center for Advanced Manufacturing.
Not have a felony drug conviction at the Written by Sammy Redd, NCI Student Services Coordinator
Did you know that you could be eligible for up to $2,500 per year to help pay for college? No essay required. All you have to do is file a tax return. Sounds too good to be true, right? The American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) is a credit of up to $2,500 per year for qualified education expenses paid for an eligible student for the first four years of higher education.
end of the tax year. To be eligible for the AOTC, a student must: Be pursuing a degree or other recognized
education credential; Be enrolled at least half time for at least
one academic period beginning in the tax year; Not have finished the first four years of
higher education at the beginning of the tax year; Not have claimed the AOTC or the for-
mer Hope credit for more than four tax years; and
The AOTC is an often-overlooked way to reduce educational costs. Along with federal and state grants, aid from colleges, and private scholarships, it can be a key component of an overall plan to make college affordable for your family. For more information about using the AOTC and other financial aid resources to help pay for college, contact Sammy Redd, NCI’s Coordinator of Student Services, by emailing sredd@newcollegeinstitute.org or calling (276) 403–5610.
NCI Partners with Chamber & West Piedmont Works for 2018 Summer Internship Program Two new partners have joined New College Institute for this year’s college-level summer internship program. The Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce and West Piedmont Works are partnering with NCI to create added benefits for employers, including opportunities for paid internships. Stipends will be available through grants administered by West Piedmont Works for certain sectors. The internship opportunity provides students with hands-on work experiences and demonstrates potential career opportunities available in Martinsville-Henry County upon graduation. For local employers, this program provides an opportunity to recruit and test-drive talent. For more than ten years, NCI has provided quality experiential learning opportunities for regional students. During that time, NCI has facilitated more than 400 internship placements among local employers. “With the goal of advancing the summer internship program to a new level, this year’s summer internship program will include
professional development, career readiness training, and hands-on experiences,” shared Autumn Morris, NCI’s Coordinator of Business Partnerships. “We are extremely excited to partner with NCI on this initiative to assist local employers 2017 Summer Intern, Kanan Patel, spent her summer working within the with identifying talent and marketing department at Hooker Furniture’s office in Martinsville, VA. providing opportunities for stulearning project to benefit the community. dents to develop successful career path“These activities will help college students ways,” Lisa Fultz, President of the Martinsbuild their resumes and gain exposure to ville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce. professional contacts and opportunities in NCI’s college internship program offers our region,” added Morris. employers and students a one-stop shop Employers and students interested in to list and apply for internship opportunilearning more should create a profile on ties. Employers can create a profile and list NCI’s website. The deadline to apply for internship descriptions of available posiinternships is March 30, 2018. Students tion. Then, students may create a profile are encouraged to check back periodically to view openings and easily submit applifor updated internship opportunities. cations for positions that fit their interests. Any student who creates a profile on NCI’s website will also be invited to participate in professional development activities, social networking events, and a service-
For more information, please contact Autumn Morris at (276) 403–5615 or amorris@newcollegeinstitute.org.
We can't say enough good things about the Advanced Manufacturing Center at NCI. We are thrilled to have the NCI Center for Advanced Manufacturing in our backyard. It is an awesome resource, a huge competitive advantage. Peter Basica, JP Superior Solutions
Peter Basica, JP Superior Solutions
There are two big savings for us - compressing the R&D cycle and giving us an inexpensive ability to test the market. Another benefit is the skill level our employees gain. Eric Hruza, A2Speed
Did you know NCI has an onsite CLEP testing center? (And we waive NCI students' registration fees.) Nisamar Sechrist Barrera is a student in the Longwood University at New College Institute elementary education degree program. Nisamar was able to save time and money by taking the Spanish Language CLEP exam at NCI in lieu of taking a 200 level Spanish course for an entire semester. Located in King Hall, NCI’s Testing Center provides proctoring for standardized tests that may result in college credit and/or industry credentials. The center has been approved to offer CLEP testing. CLEP exams help students get college credit for what they already know, for a fraction of the cost of a college course.
CLEP offers 33 exams that cover what’s taught in introductory college courses. Most colleges award credit for qualifying scores, saving students time and money toward their degrees.
I am so glad this became available and perfect timing too! It saved me money for the course, the registration fee, and a trip to Roanoke. Take advantage of this opportunity if you can. Nisamir Sechrist Barrera, Longwood at NCI student
Beginning in April, NCI will offer the Pearson VUE suite of tests. Pearson VUE offers more than 450 certification and licensure tests, including the Virginia Communica-
New College Institute’s Four Focus Areas
Engineering & Advanced Manufacturing Technology & Cyber Security Health & Human Services Education & Community Leadership
Read more about NCI’s strategies for transforming rural Virginia via higher education at: www.goo.gl/ QKYCkU
Nisamar Sechrist Barrera saved money and time by meeting her Spanish language degree credit requirement via a CLEP test at NCI. She earned a perfect score!
tion and Literacy Assessment (VCLA) which is required for teacher licensure in Virginia. NCI is working with other testing partners to bring other testing programs later this year.