A feeling of hope

STAR Community Justice Center, a communitybased correctional facility intended to promote public safety and reduce prison commitments, opened its doors in Franklin Furnace, Ohio, in 2001. What began as a 150-bed facility is now a 250-bed, American Correctional Association (ACA) facility; one of 19 such facilities in the state of Ohio.

The primary purpose of those facilities is the rehabilitation of non-violent, felony offenders in the 19-county region that they serve. Offenders participate in intensive cognitive-behavioral treatment that addresses barriers that may prohibit individuals from living a crime-free, pro-social lifestyle once released.

Vocational training

Vocational training was introduced to the STAR Center in the early 2000s working with then-director Dan Hieronimus. Collins Career Technical Center (CCTC) in Chesapeake, Ohio began training programs in food service and building and grounds maintenance, but with changes in administration and personnel, those programs were soon discontinued.

Starting in 2013, CCTC began providing 120-hour training in food service. Program participants receive a national industry-recognized credential from Safe Serve. The building and grounds

WINTER 2020 maintenance program is also a 120-hour certificate program.

In 2016, STAR Director Eddie Philabaun made a decision to raise the bar with more vocational training, and CCTC set up shop for a residential electricity training program. The resulting program covers 300 hours, with students earning an industry-recognized Core and Level One National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) Certification.

In 2017, CCTC began a 300- hour administrative assistant program earning an Office Proficiency Assessment & Certification (OPAC) certificate. The next step was to begin offering the Adult Diploma Program in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Education; providing the opportunity for those in either program to earn a high school diploma by achieving the state-mandated scores on the ACT WorkKeys assessment while earning an industry recognized credential.

According to CCTC administration and staff, the common thread running through this history is that hope is being provided to all who come through these programs.

To date, Collins Career Technical Center has served 1,240 STAR residents since 2013 and issued 49 adult diplomas.

A special thank you to all of those who contributed stories and articles:

Knowledge-hungry students get a taste of the STEM fields during ‘Women in STEM Day’ events Amy Murfello Marketing & Community Engagement, Manager Kent State University Geauga Campus

Stark State College employer partnerships surge Lori Williams Staff Writer, Marketing & Communications Stark State College

Wright State University to build $8M workforce center Jacob Fisher Staff Reporter Dayton Business Journal

Clark State partners with State Auto to offer certificate, guaranteed hire positions Laurie Means Executive Director, Marketing Clark State Community College

Huntington launches Exact Track dual degree program with Columbus State, Franklin University Brent Wilder David Wayne Marketing & Communications Communications Coordinator Columbus State Community College Columbus State Community College

A feeling of hope Michael Staton Michael Leighann Gleichauf Associate Director of Business & Industry Outreach PR Coordinator Collins Career Technical Center Collins Career Technical Center

Thanks for reading ConnectED. If you have any story suggestions, links to articles of interest, or news releases to share, feel free to send them to Jeff Robinson at jrobinson@highered.ohio.gov.