Category: Learning

Alumni Spotlight: Todd Armstrong

Current or most recent title and employer?
Supervisor of Parole and Probation / Michigan Department of Corrections

How did SC4 help prepare you?
SC4 gave me the opportunity to begin my higher education close to home so I could work part-time, attend school and save money. SC4 provided a solid educational foundation, which I utilized to continue my pursuit of higher education.

What do you like most about what you do professionally?
I supervise an office of probation officers, which serves the circuit court judges in St. Clair County. Our office supervises close to 500 adult felony probationers.

Did you transfer on and earn other degrees? If so, what degrees and from where?
I transferred to Ferris State University and earned a Bachelor of Science. I later attended Wayne State University and earned a Juris Doctor.

SC4 announces April 18 Career/Job Fair

The 2023 St. Clair County Community College (SC4) Career/Job Fair will take place from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 18. The event will bring hundreds of students, alumni and community members to the SC4 Fieldhouse.
 
The Career Fair portion of the event allows participants to learn about opportunities to start their career path at SC4 and talk with professionals in various career fields about key skills needed to succeed. Event participants can meet with an SC4 recruiter to walk through the steps to an enriching career, discuss career paths with health career educators, and explore apprenticeship options with the SC4 apprenticeship coordinator.
 
The Job Fair portion of the event provides attendees with opportunities to find employment in a wide variety of industries across the region.
 
Job Fair tables are expected to fill to capacity. Interested employers in search of qualified candidates are encouraged to register as early as possible at sc4.edu/careerfair. 
 
SC4 is collaborating with the Blue Water Area Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County, Macomb/St. Clair Michigan Works!, the City of Port Huron/McMorran Place and SC4’s Support Services, including the TRIO Program, for this year’s event.

SC4 receives $955,000 for Challenger Learning Center at SC4, Experience Center

St. Clair County Community College (SC4) has received $955,000 in federal funds appropriated by U.S. Senator Gary Peters to support STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning opportunities at SC4’s Challenger Learning Center and Experience Center.

Funds will be used to provide greater opportunities for valuable STEM-based experiences for learners of all ages.

“Many thanks to Senator Gary Peters and his staff for supporting SC4 and our efforts to encourage STEM learning in Michigan,” said Dr. Deborah A. Snyder, president of SC4. “Our state and nation need future leaders who are adept at understanding and solving the challenging problems of today and the future. SC4 will play an even greater role in preparing future leaders and innovators thanks to this support.”

Senator Peters and his staff recently toured the Experience Center and Challenger Learning Center.

“I’m proud to have helped secure this funding for the Challenger Center to encourage STEM learning for Michiganders of all ages,” said Senator Peters.“After visiting the Center and seeing the exhibits firsthand, I know this is a meaningful investment in St. Clair County and will provide invaluable learning experiences for its visitors.”

More than 2,500 people have visited the Challenger Learning Center at SC4 since it launched in April 2022. The Center provides visitors with a space-themed, simulated learning and role-playing experience that teaches them about STEM careers and cultivates problem-solving, critical thinking, communication and teamwork skills.

Located in SC4’s Experience Center—which also is home to the Dr. Bassam H. Nasr Natural Science Museum, mineral and bird galleries, and health sciences virtual reality and dissection technology exhibits—Challenger Learning Center at SC4 is the only Center of its kind in Michigan and one of 40 Challenger Learning Centers nationwide and around the world.

Upcoming Experience Center and Challenger Learning Center at SC4 events and opportunities for learners of all ages include:

  • School field trips for half- or full-day STEM learning tied to national science standards.
  • Group missions and experiences – Book a group of 18-34 guests anytime!
  • Feb. 18 open mission – Book one or more seats on a mission and meet others who will join you on your flight!
  • March 11 SC4 STEM Fest – Register for this exciting event, which features 100+ hands-on experiences by SC4, with Michigan Technological University’s Mind Trekkers, the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum and the Leslie Science & Nature Center
  • Summer STEM camp opportunities

“We’ve welcomed students, educators, superintendents, businesses and corporations, friends and residents from across Michigan,” said Kristin Copenhaver, SC4 chief marketing officer. “The feedback has been incredible. In fact, many guests are re-booking missions immediately after visiting!”

For more information, visit challenger.sc4.edu/ or send an email to experiencecenter@sc4.edu.

SC4 event to explore Toni Morrison’s short story ‘Recitatif’

St. Clair County Community College’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will host a guided book discussion highlighting “Recitatif,” a New York Times best-seller by Toni Morrison, on Friday, March 17, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in SC4’s Fine Arts Theatre.

“Recitatif” is the powerful story of two young girls, Twyla and Roberta, who are roommates at St. Bonny’s Orphanage. Morrison keeps Twyla’s and Roberta’s races ambiguous throughout the story and weaves themes of friendship, race, childhood, memory and trauma throughout the story.

Dr. Leah Howell, director of Learning Design at Everspring, Inc., and Dr. Portia Watkins, Michigan State University director of Transitions and Transfer Student Success and a trainer of the Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation program, will serve as facilitators for the event.

The event will explore the key themes and symbols found throughout “Recitatif” within the context of the American education and foster care systems, examine the impact of the narrative decisions made by Morrison on the reader’s experience of the story, and reflect on the power of friendship. Attendees will be invited to reflect on their own assumptions and personal experience of relationships over time, the impact of our environment on how we learn to navigate relationships, and the role of human connection and belonging in our lives.

Book are available by contacting SC4’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at (810) 989-5564 or visiting the DEI office during normal business hours in SC4’s Welcome Center.

To register for this free event, visit sc4.edu/event/book-discussion-recitatif-by-toni-morrison/ or send an email to dei@sc4.edu.