Archive for the ‘Development’ Category

312. The Big Give

In my last column I lamented the growing darkness settling over our nation and asked where we should look for light. This question was not rhetorical – there are sources of light everywhere. But just as it’s human nature to complain about what’s wrong, it’s also human nature to take positive things for granted. So we sometimes overlook the good things all around us.

When one looks for light in the world, a great place to start is with groups that help communities and individuals. And for that one needs look no farther than the local non-profit sector. Nonprofits come in all shapes and sizes, but they share one thing in common – their desire to address community needs.

Recently this area’s skies have darkened. Grain prices have plummeted, and now a retail mainstay, Alco, is closing. There isn’t much anyone can do about either situation, but there is a wonderful opportunity at hand to help offset these problems – this Friday’s “Big Give.”

The Big Give is a special day to recognize the important work nonprofits do in Boone County and support them through donations.

The “pillars” of the Big Give are the Boone County Health Center, Boone County Fitness Center and Albion’s Good Samaritan Society. All three of these organizations are fundamental to the “wellness” of area residents and as such, vital to the wellness of our communities. But community wellness extends beyond this – communities are more than just people — communities are people interacting, working together and helping one another. Community wellness is furthered by organizations like the Food Pantry, which fills a vital need, TeamMates which matches students with mentors and the Albion Senior Center that provides a range of services to help our older community members. The Boone County Area Foundation, Cedar Valley Community Foundation, Boone County Health Center Foundation and the Albion Education Foundation provide much-needed funding for new projects and improvements. And this funding would do no good without groups like the Petersburg Community Club that spearhead these projects.

Though sometimes overlooked by economic developers, culture is vital to communities as well. Lori and I have worked with students at both UNL and the University of Arizona exploring rural issues and it’s clear from these examinations that communities are expressions of local culture. Thus groups like the Albion Public Library and two groups that Lori and I have been active in for many years, the Albion Area Arts Council and the Boone County Historical Society, help community wellness by enriching the cultural fabric of our area. Preserving and presenting our history strengthens people’s sense of place – a vital element in building healthy, sustainable communities. And the Arts and Humanities both entertain and educate, and are especially important in rural areas where there are fewer opportunities to participate in the larger culture around us.

But with so many important groups to support how does one choose? Over the years I’ve helped the state distribute over 1.5 million dollars in funding for the arts by helping evaluate and rank grant requests. These requests always exceed the available funds, and all the organizations seeking them are deserving. In my experience while no group has ever gotten all it asked for, because every project has merit, every group has received something.

I would suggest this be kept in mind when donating during the Big Give – even though the amount one has to give is limited, all of the groups participating are important to this area’s well-being. By giving something to each organization, our communities will be healthier for it.

283. Repioneering Education

I was pleased to read in last week’s Albion News that the Boone Central School’s Career Academies program is off to a good start. In the past high school students with an interest in certain fields, including teaching, could do job shadowing in the school or community.  The new Career Academies program takes this much farther and has the potential to be of great benefit to both our students and our community.

Recently Boone Central Guidance Counselor Lynne Webster was kind enough to explain this program to me.  Boone Central is on the forefront of efforts to help students identify their career interest and gain real-world experience in that field while still in high school.  Not only does this help students plan for college, it demonstrates that rewarding careers in a variety of fields are available not just in cities but in this area as well.  Lynne told me that a significant number of Boone Central students want to come back to this area after college, and this program is helping them realize that there are more rewarding career paths here than many young people imagine.

Potential careers are grouped into six clusters: Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources; Communication and Information Systems; Business Management; Skilled and Technical Sciences; Human Services and Health Science. So far 22 local businesses are working with the school by providing internships.  Some businesses have even said they will help students who prove to be a good match for their line of work with their college expenses.

Careers in the Health Science cluster are particularly popular today and Boone Central is working with the local Good Samaritan Care Center so that starting next year students can earn their Certified Nursing Assistant certification which they would otherwise have to take classes in Norfolk to obtain.  And next year Boone Central students will also be able to get a head start on an Associates Degree at Central Community College through some programs.

Students don’t always know, though, what they want to be when they grow up in time to take advantage of these new opportunities.  To address this, Boone Central is continuing its partnerships between local businesses and elementary classes to give students exposure to the work world as early as possible.  In Middle School students now take field trips to businesses in each of the six career clusters. Students also take an extensive Interest Inventory that helps identify their strengths and aptitudes in all six clusters.

Once in High School students study more about each of the six clusters and explore career opportunities in this area.  Those who pursue the Career Academies pathway spend the first semester of their Junior year learning communication skills and professional etiquette.  Then in the second semester they begin interviewing for an internship.  Area businesses are willing to help students, but only if those students have the skills and the interests necessary for them to do well in that particular vocation.  These internships are not a way to get out of class for a while – students will be monitored as closely by the businesses as they would be at school, and will have at least as much expected of them.

Boone Central has shown great foresight in developing this progressive approach to education.  By helping students identify their interests at an early age and partnering with area businesses so students can gain real-world experience, Boone Central is repioneering the school/community relationship.  Through their Career Academies program, which currently has 28 students involved, Boone Central is making it easier for young people to build their lives here while providing local businesses with an expanded pool of skilled new workers.