Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

TownTalk: VGCC Student Enrollment Day to Take Place on All Four Campuses

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The four campuses of Vance-Granville Community College will be open from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 31 for Enrollment Day, a time when prospective students can drop in, learn more and get help as they plan their next steps in education.

Dr. Antonio Jordan, director of admissions and enrollment services and Kali Brown, dean of student access and support, spoke with John C. Rose on Monday’s Town Talk about the upcoming event. Fall semester classes begin on Aug. 16.

“There’s something special about a face-to-face interaction,” Brown said of the in-person event. It’s an opportunity to have students come to campus, have access to the offices they would need for the enrollment process in a face-to-face setting. Both the VGCC application and the financial aid application are accessed and completed online, and Saturday’s event is a time for students and their parents or family members to questions or get help navigating the process.

Jordan said he looks forward to having students back on campus. “We’ve done a great job virtually, but like Dean Brown mentioned, there’s just something special about having them on that campus, having them in tone of those computer labs, having them in the admissions or enrollment center and being able to talk with them and work with them,” he said.

Having weekend events to meet students’ needs is probably going to become more routine, he added. Increasingly, the 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours just aren’t convenient for those who have full-time jobs or other commitments, so VGCC leaders are “thinking outside the box” by offering the Saturday opportunity, he said.

For complete details and audio click play.

In addition to the two applications, the enrollment process includes a new student orientation.

Jordan will be at the main campus in Henderson to facilitate the new student orientation, which will be from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. During the orientation, students will have an opportunity to learn about majors and careers, complete their own career assessment and then figure out the best way to achieve their goals.

Although VGCC uses social media, email and other methods to share information, Brown said it’s critical for students to be able to have a face-to-face conversation with college representatives to guide them. The Enrollment Day is a chance to set up student accounts, as well as set up meetings with advisors to select classes.

There is, of course, the matter of paying for classes. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a first step, but there also are grants like the Long Leaf Commitment grant that can help, as well as numerous VGCC scholarships through the VGCC Foundation, Brown said.

The VanGuarantee is a program that helps students pay for fees and books that financial aid may not cover. This program is available for students who take a minimum of six credit hours, Brown added.

SportsTalk: Pollard proud of Blue Devil’s 2021 team

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“I felt like we were a fragile team,” Duke Blue Devils head baseball coach Chris Pollard said on Thursday’s SportsTalk with Trey Snide. The Blue Devils were at a crossroads having lost to Louisville. Pollard had watched his team fall behind and not demonstrate the toughness he felt the team needed to turn the 2021 season around. He had a long talk with his team after that loss hoping to instill that sense of toughness. The next game found the Blue Devils fall behind early to Wofford and Pollard’s team, who had not had a come from behind win all season, fought through the early mistakes to win and begin a winning streak that would ultimately continue for 12 games.

While Pollard was pleased with the victory, he felt the team was in a fragile state. Confidence would be built after another come from behind win against Virginia Tech but Pollard says, “Confidence is fleeting. It comes and goes.” Pollard felt that confidence is good, competitiveness is better and that’s what the Blue Devils needed. Duke’s confidence and competitiveness continued to increase and Duke not only found itself in the ACC Tournament, which wasn’t a guarantee earlier in the season, but winning the tournament championship, the first ACC Baseball Championship in the schools history.

That tournament victory propelled Duke into a second seed in the NCAA tournament. However, Pollard feels like the Blue Devils were a spent force physically and emotionally after the ACC Tournament. They ran into a hot Liberty team that beat the Blue Devils in both games. Pollard said he was not happy with how the team performed and says Duke was “not ready.” However, Pollard also says he is very proud of what the Blue Devils accomplished this season.

Even though the season didn’t end with a bang, having five draft picks taken in the first twenty rounds of the Major League Baseball draft gives his program at Duke validation. The team’s players are also working over the summer in different summer leagues to improve and be ready for next year. Pollard feels there are areas that Duke can improve. While technology now exists to help players become better hitters, he says that has taken away from teaching fundamentals. Pollard says he and other coaches need to get back to working on basics like base running. He also says players need to practice. Pollard explains that many players “play but don’t practice enough.”

Pollard is also concerned that players have become year round baseball players. Players should play other sports and not just concentrate on baseball for the entire year. He wants to see kids step away from that mentality.

Pollard has been Duke’s head baseball coach since 2013 compiling a 278-199 record. He reached 100 wins faster than any other coach in the history of Duke Blue Devil baseball.

For complete details and audio click play.

 

Hearings Set For Public To Comment On Granville Schools Reorganization Plan

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Granville County residents will have the chance to voice their opinions about school reorganization and consolidation during two public hearings that will be held early next week.

The county’s board of education will hear public comment on Monday, July 26 regarding the possible closure of Creedmoor Elementary or Wilton Elementary, according to information received from Dr. Stan Winborne, associate superintendent and public information officer for GCPS.

Then on Tuesday, July 27, the school board will receive comments about the reorganization of secondary schools in the district.

The board voted at a called meeting on Thursday to present two options in advance of the Tuesday meeting regarding secondary school reorganization, according to Winborne:

(1) Closure of Hawley Middle School, reassignment of 7th and 8th grade students from Hawley Middle to other schools, and relocation of all Granville County sixth-grade students to elementary schools; OR

(2) Relocation of Hawley Middle School to the South Granville High School campus and consolidation of South Granville High School and Granville Central High School into one high school on the current GCHS campus.

Both meetings begin at 6 p.m. and will be held at Tar River Elementary School, 2642 Philo White Road, Franklinton, NC. The school is located off Hwy 56 South in Granville County. In addition, Winborne said anyone wishing to address the board may sign up beginning at 5:15 p.m. on the day of the hearing. Each person who has signed up before 6 p.m. will have up to three minutes to  speak.

Written comments also may be submitted electronically to publiccomment@gcs.k12.nc.us or may be hand-delivered to GCPS Central Office at 101 Delacroix Street, Oxford, NC 27565.

Members of the public wishing to attend the meeting will be required to wear face coverings, undergo health screenings before entering the building, and cooperate with social distancing requirements. There will be limited seating available, Winborne stated.

The hearings will be available online as well via the following link: https://live.myvrspot.com/st?cid=MDhkZj.

Holding public hearings was a next step for the board as it continues to discuss options for the district, which faces a $1.7 million budget deficit and many empty classrooms in its schools. The board discussed in its called meeting Thursday afternoon results of a survey that was created to get feedback from the community about the possible closings and consolidation.

SportsTalk: Khalil Watson to be a highlight of Saturday’s Home Run Derby

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If you love baseball then Saturday’s Home Run Derby is for you! Wake Forest’s Fungo baseball team, part of the NC Amateur Basball Club, is putting on the event beginning at 1pm on Saturday at Heritage High School in Wake Forest. Fungo General Manager and Oxford native Brad Mize says he hopes “to put on a show and earn fans,” during the event. The NC Amateur Baseball Club consists of 16 youth teams from North Carolina and Virginia including Granville County’s Carolina Thunder.

This is the first home run derby and, according to Mize, the germ of the idea was to do something special for the players, something for them to remember. Mize hopes this will become an annual event. With that in mind, Mize has done everything he can to make the event a special one. Khalil Watson will be attending. Watson was the 16th overall pick in the recent Major League Baseball draft. Watson attended Wake Forest High School and NC State. He was drafted by the Marlins and he will be available for autographs and photos at the event. Additionally, Mize says concessions will be available and a raffle will also be held for everyone in attendance.

While a lot of fun is to be had on Saturday, baseball still has to be played and Mize’s Fungo team has compiled a 21-10 record this season which is good enough to propel them to the league’s Western Division championship and will be heading into the playoffs next week. Many of the players who have passed through the NC Amateur Baseball Club have moved on to the major leagues including Oxford’s Ky Adcock who was drafted by the Mariners in 2019.

The NCABC organization is unique to Wake County as the only travel community to provide diamond time and professional training from ages 7 through college. Not only does NCABC provide Baseball and Softball travel teams for young athletes (7U-15U), it is home to two Legion affiliate teams at the HSU level (Post 187 & Post 297 Senior), 3 Legion Lady affiliate teams (Post 187 Jr & Sr and Post 297 Jr), and boasts the CVCL College FUNGO woodbat team. All levels of NCABC athletes are professionally coached with a hybrid professional/parent coach model at the younger levels. In addition to travel teams, NCABC’S mission is to provide athletic and character development to all area baseball and softball athletes through professionally coached academies, camps/clinics, consulting, and private lessons. Based in Raleigh, NC, NCABC is the full package travel and development organization for athletes and their families.

For more information email them at ncabcfungo@gmail.com.

For complete details and audio click play.

 

The Local Skinny: Recycling On The Rise In Granville

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In the 12 years since Teresa Baker has been recycling and sustainability coordinator for Granville County and Granville County Public Schools, she has seen a lot of things change. And most of it is because of her efforts to get the community onboard with recycling.

“It’s improved tenfold,” Baker told Bill Harris on Thursday’s The Local Skinny! “It‘s just been amazing.”
When the county started this program 12 years ago, residents were separating newspaper from aluminum cans from glass bottles. Now, residents can simply collect all their recyclables in a single container, what the industry calls “single stream.”

Among her many job duties, Baker collaborates with GFL, formerly Waste Industries, to make sure all residents have the service they need so their recycling efforts are optimized.

By informing the community about events like the fall and spring household recycling events she hosts, Baker said Granville residents are keeping a lot of harmful items out of the environment.

“We can reuse a lot of stuff, we can repair and recycle” to keep things out of the landfill. She said the upcoming RepairCafé workshop is just another way to keep items from being added to the landfill. She and Oxford resident and RepairCafé organizer Don Fick have teamed up to have a workshop at the Granville Expo Center on Sept. 18.

Golden Leaf changes approved for Open Grants Program

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– courtesy of Golden Leaf and goldenleaf.org –

The Golden LEAF Foundation Board of Directors approved changes to the Open Grants Program at its June 2021 meeting, guided by the recently adopted strategic plan. Historically, the Open Grants Program has awarded $200,000 or less in funding for projects. While most applications will continue to be for $200,000 or less, the Board approved funding for up to $500,000 for projects that meet certain additional criteria.

The Golden LEAF Foundation is committed to using the funds entrusted to it for projects that show the most potential for strengthening North Carolina’s economy, especially in tobacco-dependent, economically distressed, and/or rural communities. The Open Grants Program allows eligible applicants to apply for Golden LEAF funding throughout the year. The Open Grants Program is for economic development projects aligned with Golden LEAF priority areas.

For projects that possess some additional characteristics, Golden LEAF may make awards of up to $500,000 from this program. To determine which projects will be eligible for consideration for an award of more than $200,000, Golden LEAF requires that the project include one or more of these characteristics:

  • Higher level of funding will lead to significant outcomes
  • Result of a planning process involving multiple organizations and members of the community
  • Building on a history of success that allows a project to scale and significantly increase outcomes
  • Funding will enable or encourage compelling collaboration, including uncommon or innovative approaches or organizations in more than one county
  • Funding will leverage significant funding from other organizations
  • Applicant has limited resources
  • The project cannot be implemented in phases without compromising its outcomes

Applicants who wish to apply for more than $200,000 in funding from the Open Grants Program must complete a required consultation with Golden LEAF staff.

More information is available on the website at goldenleaf.org on how Golden LEAF evaluates Open Grants Program proposals, including detailed characteristics of exceptional projects.

The Golden LEAF Foundation, headquartered in Rocky Mounty, was established in 1999 to administer a portion of the tobacco settlement agreement monies back into North Carolina’s rural and economically distressed communities. For almost 20 years, the nonprofit has partnered with state and local governments and other foundations to build economic opportunity across North Carolina through leadership in grantmaking, collaboration, innovation, and stewardship as an independent and perpetual foundation.

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VGCC, myFutureNC, Belk Endowment Work Together To Support Adult Learners

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Vance-Granville Community College, John M. Belk Endowment, and myFutureNC are working together to better address the needs of local employers and adult students

Dr. Rachel Desmarais, President of Vance-Granville Community College called on adults across the region to visit BetterSkillsBetterJobs.com as a first step to gain the skills they need to secure the jobs they want.

“After a year of challenges like no other, we know many adults are examining their work situations and even considering career changes,” said Desmarais. “So we are making an extra push this summer to connect adults to a variety of fast, flexible, and affordable programs at VGCC which lead to current open jobs in our communities.”

“From biomanufacturing to warehousing, mechatronics to supply chain and logistics, emergency medical training to truck driving certificates, and many more, our courses are a direct pipeline to many of our region’s top employers,” Desmarais said. “That’s why we hope everyone will visit BetterSkillsBetterJobs.com today to quickly connect with us and explore all of the opportunities we offer that can lead to better skills, a better job, a bigger paycheck, and an even brighter future.”

Vance-Granville Community College (VGCC) is the local source for higher education and training in Vance, Granville, Franklin, and Warren counties with four attractive campuses, one in each county. Established in 1969, VGCC offers more than 40 curriculum programs, in which students work toward certificates, diplomas and degrees. Area residents and businesses can also take advantage of a variety of Continuing Education opportunities, as well as the High School Equivalency and Adult High School Diploma programs.

For more information about Vance-Granville Community College’s Better Skills. Better Jobs. Initiative, please visit: BetterSkillsBetterJobs.com/VGCC/

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Vance-Granville Community College addresses needs of employers and students

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Vance-Granville Community College, John M. Belk Endowment, and myFutureNC are working together to better address the needs of local employers and adult students.

Dr. Rachel Desmarais, President of Vance-Granville Community College called on adults across the region to visit BetterSkillsBetterJobs.com as a first step to gain the skills they need to secure the jobs they want.

“After a year of challenges like no other, we know many adults are examining their work situations and even considering career changes,” said Desmarais. “So we are making an extra push this summer to connect adults to a variety of fast, flexible, and affordable programs at VGCC which lead to current open jobs in our communities.”

“From biomanufacturing to warehousing, mechatronics to supply chain and logistics, emergency medical training to truck driving certificates, and many more, our courses are a direct pipeline to many of our region’s top employers,” Desmarais said. “That’s why we hope everyone will visit BetterSkillsBetterJobs.com today to quickly connect with us and explore all of the opportunities we offer that can lead to better skills, a better job, a bigger paycheck, and an even brighter future.”

Vance-Granville Community College (VGCC) is the local source for higher education and training in Vance, Granville, Franklin, and Warren counties with four attractive campuses, one in each county. Established in 1969, VGCC offers more than 40 curriculum programs, in which students work toward certificates, diplomas and degrees. Area residents and businesses can also take advantage of a variety of Continuing Education opportunities, as well as the High School Equivalency and Adult High School dploma programs.

For more information about Vance-Granville Community College’s Better Skills. Better Jobs. Initiative, please visit: BetterSkillsBetterJobs.com/VGCC/