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NEWS ARCHIVE

LEADERSHIP TEAM FEATURED AT NATIONAL CONFERENCES

 An Illinois Valley Community College initiative, a Leadership Team for technical students, has been featured at two national conferences.

Dorene Perez, Program Director of Computer-Aided Engineering/Computer-Aided Design, Jim Gibson, Program Director Electronics, and Rose Marie Lynch, communications professor, gave presentations on the team at the National Association for Workforce Improvement Conference in Burlington VT in May and at the American Society for Engineering Education National Conference in Pittsburg, PA in June.

NAWI is an organization of workplace representatives and state-level and local educators dedicated to improving career and technical education. ASEE, which has more than 12,000 members including corporations, government agencies and educational institutions, is committed to advancing engineering and engineering technology education worldwide.

The leadership team recognizes engineering and electronics students for their commitment to their studies and fellow students and provides them with opportunities for personal and professional growth. The first team was selected three years ago with support from a National Science Foundation grant.

"We started the leadership program to recognize promising technical students and to give them opportunities to develop and grow," said Perez. "We’re also utilizing their skills to encourage high school students to consider technical careers. The students we select are good role models for young people."

Potential team members are nominated by their instructors and a committee selects students on the basis of attitude, commitment and work ethic, willingness to help others and leadership potential.

The selected students receive training in the form of free enrollment in a Strategies For College course, designed to improve a student’s success in college. They are also paid a stipend.

Leadership team students organize and participate in promotional and recruiting activities for their programs, mentor other technical students, and participate in professional activities such as conferences. They are encouraged to define their role as leaders by planning and developing their own activities.

"Evaluations of team members show that their team experiences have improved their communication and leadership skills, and they’ve been successful in helping other students," said Gibson.

Membership in the team has grown from five in the first year to 14 on this year’s team.

MIMIC SHOWCASE AT THE ATE CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON D.C.:
Jim Gibson (left) and Dorene Perez presented a showcase at the ATE conference sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the American Association of Community Colleges in October 2007.