News From Your Community College

Individuals Attend Childhood Conference in Grand Island (Grand Island, Neb.) - Jaline Hafer of Blue Hill joined more than 300 individuals who attended an early childhood education conference on Feb. 6 at College Park in Grand Island. Sessions focused on brain development, child abuse, communication problems, early literacy skills, innovative approaches to teaching science, make-and-take crafts,, partnerships with parents, preschool curriculum, promoting positive body image and food attitudes, special needs children, using puppetry and storytelling to teach, using transitions as learning opportunities, and other topics. Sponsors were Little Ducklings Day Care; Grow Learn and Play Child Care Inc.; Grand Island Child Care Association; University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in Hall, Hamilton and Merrick Counties; Nebraska Family Child Care Association; South Central Early Childhood Coalition, North Central Early Childhood Coalition; Central Community College-Grand Island; Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services; Child Care Solutions-Grand Island Public Schools; and the Family Service Child Care Food Program of Lincoln. CCC to Offer Computer Classes in Hastings (Hastings, Neb.) - The Computer Training Center at Central Community College-Hastings will offer the following classes in March: – "Advanced Word 2007," from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on March 25. The cost is $89. – "Basic Publisher 2007," from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on March 4. The cost is $89. – "Intermediate Word 2007," from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on March 11. The cost is $89. Preregistration is required at least a week in advance. For more information or to preregister, contact the Computer Training Center at (402) 461-2429; toll-free at 1-877-222-0780, ext. 2429; or by e-mail at rlurk@cccneb.edu. Class descriptions can be found at the college’s Web site at www.cccneb.edu/commed. Writing, Art, Photo Entries Being Accepted for Earth Day Contest (Hastings, Neb.) - Writers, artists and photographers are invited to submit their work for the Fourth Annual Earth Day Competition at Central Community College-Hastings. The two competitions – the Earth Day Writing Competition and the Earth Day Art and Photography Competition and Exhibition – are open to anyone living in Nebraska. All entries must be based on this year’s theme of "Wild Things - I Think I Love You." Submissions for the writing competition must be previously unpublished, original fiction, nonfiction or poetry. Only one entry in each category may be submitted. Submissions for the art and photography competition must be original work that hasn’t been shown in a previous Earth Day Exhibition. A maximum of three works may be entered by one person. Judging will be done by independent panels of judges. The prizes for each competition are $200 for first place, $100 for second place and a gift certificate for third place. The 2010 Earth Day Exhibition will be open to the public from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and from 8 a.m. to noon on Fridays April 12-23 in the Phelps Gallery at CCC-Hastings. Writing entries must be submitted as to Robin Buckallew by April 2 by e-mail at rbuckallew@cccneb.edu. Art and photography entries must be delivered to Carole Meyer in the Phelps Building between April 5 and April 9. Works will be accepted from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and from 8 a.m. to noon on Fridays. For more information about the competitions or to request entry forms, contact Robin Buckallew at (402) 461-2492; toll-free at 1-877-222-0780, ext. 2492; or by e-mail at rbuckallew@cccneb.edu. Entry forms and detailed information about the competitions also may be downloaded at www.cccneb.edu/events. CCC-Hastings to Offer Pet First Aid, CPR Class (Hastings, Neb.) - A class, "First Aid & CPR for Pet Owners," will be offered from 7 to 9 p.m. on March 9 and March 11 in the Campus Center at Central Community College-Hastings. The class is designed for people who want to know what to do if their pet comes in with a bleeding gash on his leg, suffers a bite or sting, ingests a poisonous substance, chokes on a chew toy or stops breathing. Certified Pet Tech instructor Alison Martin will teach students life-saving skills through lecture and demonstration and then give them hands-on practice. Preregistration is required at least a week in advance. The cost is $55 plus an optional $10 book. Students should bring a picture of their pets to class. For more information or to preregister, contact Hastings Community Education Coordinator Susan Rinker at (402) 461-2431; toll-free at 1-877-222-0780, ext. 2431; or by e-mail at srinker@cccneb.edu. Free Technology Tour Planned at CCC-Hastings (Hastings, Neb.) - A Productivity Quality/Hexagon Metrology Technology Tour is planned from 1 to 4 p.m. on March 2 in the Hamilton Building at Central Community College-Hastings. The event, which is being offered free of charge, is designed to help individuals meet their toughest measurement challenges. Participants will learn about the new 2009 ASME Y14.5 GD&T standard and attend demonstrations on a variety of metrology systems, including the Leica Absolute Laser Tracker and ROMER Infinite CMM. The presenters will be professionals from Productivity Quality Inc. in Plymouth, Minn., the Midwest’s leading distributor of measurement systems and services, and from Hexagon Metrology in Omaha, a preeminent manufacturer of measuring equipment. Interested individuals may sign up online at http://eseminar.pqi.net/ or by e-mailing training@pqi.net. The flyer for the event may be downloaded at www.cccneb.edu/events.