JCC and the Chautauqua County Counselors Association will host the 36th annual College & Career Night on October 16 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Physical Education Complex on JCC’s Jamestown Campus.

The program offers high school students, their parents, and community members the opportunity to gather information about educational institutions and career possibilities. Representatives from nearly 60 colleges and 80 career areas are expected to attend the event.

Admission is free. For additional information about College & Career Night, call JCC, 338.1001.

Fifty-nine students were awarded degrees or certificates from JCC in August 2012. One student earned highest honors (4.0 grade point average), nine students earned high honors (3.50 to 3.99 GPA), and nine earned honors (3.25 to 3.49 GPA).

Allegany: Donald Cooper (A.A.S. Individual Studies - Honors), Cara Goodwin (A.A.S. Individual Studies), Misty Kovacs (A.S. Individual Studies)
Ashville: Andrew Gesaman (A.A.S. Criminal Justice - Police), Kathy Peterson-Vanhorn (Certificate - Special Studies)
Bemus Point: Jeffrey Hatch (Certificate - Public Safety Technology: Fire Science - High Honors)
Black Creek: Ashley Buczkowski (A.A. Liberal Arts & Sciences: Social Science)
Bolivar: Chayse Langworthy (A.S. Individual Studies)
Bradford, PA: Jessica Bell (A.S. Individual Studies - Honors)

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded JCC nearly $900,000 over the next three years to support biotechnology training for high school teachers and JCC students through HURI SURI, a collaborative program to provide undergraduate research opportunities for JCC and area high school students.

“Through this project, students at JCC will have exposure to biotechnology, a growing field with employment opportunities,” said Jose Herrera, program director at the National Science Foundation. “The project provides for connections with institutions in their state and region and opportunities to make a transition to a program at a four-year college.”

Victory Media, a media entity for military personnel transitioning into civilian life, has named JCC to its Military Friendly Schools® list for the second consecutive year.

The list honors the top 15 percent of colleges, universities, and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to ensure the success of American military service members, veterans, and spouses as students.

Military Friendly Schools® features interactive tools and search functionality to help military students find the best school to suit their unique needs and preferences. The 1,739 institutions on this year’s list exhibit leading practices in the recruitment and retention of students with military experience and feature programs and policies for student support on campus, academic accreditation, credit policies, flexibility, and other services.

JCC students who are academically and culturally underprepared for college level coursework and/or a higher education environment can benefit from the services of achievement coaches.

As achievement coaches, Catherine Mulcahey and Alexander Sanders will work intensively with JCC students to enhance their college experiences through mentoring and advisement strategies. Ms. Mulcahey, based on the Cattaraugus County Campus, and Sanders, who is working on the Jamestown Campus, will identify best practices from their work to develop new approaches to advisement.

The achievement coach positions are funded through a two-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Title III Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP). The Title III grant is also being used to strengthen student technology competencies and enhance access to higher education in the region.

A four-part “Endangered Earth” film series, sponsored by JCC’s office of sustainability, begins September 4. Free and open to the public, the films will be shown at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays in the Student Union on JCC’s Jamestown Campus. A guided discussion will be conducted at the conclusion of each film.

The series is held in conjunction with JCC’s college program committee and Earth Awareness Club. For additional information, contact is JCC’s office of sustainability, 716.338.1194.

“Food, Inc.,” which will be shown September 4, examines corporate farming in the U.S., including the industrial production of meat, grains, and vegetables. The documentary, released in 2008, also explores the economic and legal power of major food companies, the use of petroleum-based chemicals, and the promotion of unhealthy food consumption habits.

Final auditions will be held on August 30 and 31 for JCC’s production of Legally Blonde: The Musical beginning at 7 p.m. in Scharmann Theatre. Performances will be held in November.

Anyone age 16 and up is welcome to audition. Those auditioning should memorize a song and bring sheet music for the accompanist. They should also wear loose-fitting clothing and be prepared to learn some dance moves. 

The production calls for a cast of 40 people. According to director Robert Schlick, males ages 16 to 60 as well as male and female dancers, singers, acrobats, and gymnasts are needed.

Students attending five area high schools will have access to a variety of special opportunities during the 2012-13 academic year through a $250,000 grant recently awarded to JCC.

Partnering with JCC on a College Access Challenge Grant are Brocton Central School, Dunkirk High School, Jamestown High School, Olean High School, and Salamanca Central School. Students attending the Gustavus Adolphus Learning Center in Jamestown will also be able to access CACG program services.

The grant is funded through a $7 million CACG award received by New York state from the U.S. Department of Education. New York's CACG program is administered by the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC), the state's financial aid agency.

JCC's board of trustees has authorized college officials to move forward with a proposed new credit certificate program in industrial maintenance technology. The proposal, which has already been reviewed by the college’s faculty, now moves on to both the State University of New York and the New York State Education Department for the next stages of approval.

High school students from Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties completed a recent three-day, residential College Access Academy on JCC’s Jamestown Campus.

Made possible through a College Access Challenge Grant administered by the Higher Education Services Corporation, the academy was designed to encourage continued success in high school and develop readiness for success in college and beyond.

Chappale Burton, a Jamestown native who is a published author and motivational speaker, was the academy's featured presenter. Sessions included college life, values, strengths, and weaknesses, goal setting, motivation, self-leadership, effective communication, how to study, organization and time management, creative thinking, problem solving, conflict resolution, memory improvement, concentration and focus, asking better questions, test-taking skills, professors as resources, and the importance of relationships.

Several student athletes at JCC’s Jamestown and Cattaraugus County campuses were recognized recently by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) for their achievements.

Students must achieve grade point average and athletic participation expectations to be recognized at regional and national levels.

JCC’s women’s basketball team earned an NJCAA Academic All American team distinction with a cumulative 3.40 grade point average (GPA). Members of the women’s swimming and diving team earned the 2011-2012 Academic Team of the Year award for its achievement of a cumulative 3.57 GPA.

High school students throughout southwestern New York were recognized as students of the year in JCC's College Connections program at the close of the 2011-2012 academic year.

JCC honored the students, who were chosen by their schools, during a special reception in June. In selecting the students of the year, schools were asked to consider College Connections participants who had embraced the challenges of completing college level work while in high school and demonstrated resourcefulness, integrity, and dedication.

College Connections, JCC’s concurrent enrollment program with regional high schools, is accredited by the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships. JCC partners with over 40 high schools and BOCES centers within JCC’s service area to offer nearly 60 different college courses.