WWW.SANJAC.EDU News from Virtual STEM expo College receives 2 Your College 3 held on Zoom 4 Pathways grant SANJAC.EDU HOUSTON CHRONICLE CUSTOM ADVERTISING SECTION SUNDAY, JANUARY 3, 2021 2 <<< Houston Chronicle Custom Advertising Section | Opportunity News | Sunday | January 3, 2021 sanjac.edu News frOm YOur COllege College named a integral part of the Community the lectures and virtual instruction will College Futures Assembly, focusing on occur at specific times on certain days, finalist for national cutting-edge, trendsetting programs just as a typical face-to-face course that other colleges might find worthy would occur. Bellwether Award of replicating. The awards are • FACE-to-FACE classes will take widely regarded as the nation’s most place in person on campus, with San Jacinto College was recently competitive and prestigious recognition reduced class sizes and social named one of 10 national finalists for community colleges and are distancing measures. for the 2021 Bellwether Award in presented annually to colleges with • Hands-On HYBRID is for the Workforce Development, awarded by the outstanding and innovative programs or technical and applied skill courses. Community College Futures Assembly to practices in three categories: workforce Most class instruction will be delivered the most innovative community college development, instructional programs online. Students will come to campus Photo courtesy of San Jacinto College workforce program in the nation. and services, and planning, governance, in small groups to complete hands-on The College’s entry for this year’s and finance. County Promise program at San Jac learning and practical testing. competition was titled “Crosswalks “We are thrilled to be a finalist for the provides up to three years of free tuition • The FLEX Campus option allows Linking Apprenticeship Training and prestigious Bellwether Award,” said Dr. and additional support to high school students to spend some time in the Workforce Courses: Blueprint for a Janes. “San Jacinto College is proud to graduates from Dobie High School, Sam classroom with an instructor, in Statewide Model.” be an innovator and leader in workforce Rayburn High School, and South Houston addition to online learning. Small Dr. Sarah Janes, San Jacinto College development, and having our program High School who take the Promise Pledge groups of students in each class will associate vice chancellor for continuing recognized nationally is a testament to to become Promise Scholars. have the option to attend in person, and professional development, has our commitment to our mission.” For more information on the Promise following all CDC and College health been leading a statewide effort to align Last year, San Jacinto College’s program at San Jacinto College, visit and safety protocols, while the apprenticeship training with credit LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, sanjac.edu/harris-county-promise-program. remaining students will access the that can be awarded for workforce Energy, & Technology was recognized same coursework online. The small as a finalist in the competition, and in education courses. Through funding groups will rotate so all students from the Texas Workforce Commission 2019, the San Jacinto College Maritime New year, new goals: in a class have multiple chances to and the Texas Higher Education Program won the Bellwether Award in attend in person, although it’s never a Coordinating Board, Dr. Janes is the workforce development category. Register today! requirement to attend in person. leading a team of College faculty and Start 2021 off right by focusing on Student services will remain available staff and industry experts to devise Giving Tuesday your educational goals. Whether you’re to all students enrolled this spring, crosswalks for 10 initial programs. The looking to further your career, enhance regardless of which course modality they work will be presented virtually at the proceeds to benefit your skills, or just try a new hobby in select. Services include online tutoring College Futures Assembly conference, the new year, San Jac has you covered. and advising, on-campus document where San Jac’s project will be judged students in need Spring classes begin Jan. 19, and drop-off, and virtual appointments alongside nine other entries from across registration is open now. for things such as admissions, career the country. The San Jacinto College Foundation Students have multiple options for the services, dual credit, financial aid, The Bellwether Awards are an raised $8,640 as part of its recent Giving Tuesday campaign. upcoming semester with “San Jac My testing, veteran services, and more. Widely known as a global day of giving Way,” which offers five different ways to Visit sanjac.edu/my-way to learn back, Giving Tuesday began in 2012 as learn, both in person and online: Online more and to register. the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, Anytime, Online on a Schedule, with the idea of encouraging people to Face-to-Face, Hands-On Hybrid, and do good. Since then, it has grown into a Flex Campus. global movement that inspires millions • ONLINE Anytime allows students of people to give, collaborate, and to take classes online, at any time. celebrate generosity. This is the most flexible of the four All proceeds from the San Jacinto options, allowing students to work on College Foundation’s Giving Tuesday coursework whenever their schedule campaign will benefit the Harris allows, without having to come County Promise program at San Jac. to campus. In partnership with Pasadena ISD • The ONLINE on a Schedule option Photo courtesy of San Jacinto College and Good Reason Houston, the Harris also delivers coursework online, but Photo courtesy of San Jacinto College sanjac.edu Sunday | January 3, 2021 | Opportunity News | Houston Chronicle Custom Advertising Section >>> 3 Virtual StEM Expo fEaturES GrEat DanE, rubbEr banD rockEtS, anD bEEhiVES By Courtney Morris engaging presentations: SAN JACINTO COLLEGE • Diep Le demonstrated the effects of smoking on lungs. When Arili Bedoy was investigating • Dr. Yuli Pernia showed how to make the STEM Undergraduate Research lungs using a straw, clay, a cup, Club, little did she expect to get roped and balloons. into a video presentation. • Maxine Lane taught composting with The San Jacinto College student Halloween pumpkins. reached out to Dr. Sheema Nasir, South • Natandra Gradney used eggs and Campus STEM (science, technology, different solutions to mimic how water engineering, and math) coordinator, moves in and out of cells. to learn more about the club. In turn, • Nate Wiggins and Dr. Connie Gomez Nasir asked her to help with an Photo courtesy of San Jacinto College showed how 3D printers create upcoming virtual STEM expo for second STEM student Arili Bedoy demonstrates prosthetic limbs. to eighth graders. reward learning with her Great Dane, Lucy. • Dr. Carrie Owens made a rubber Held annually at the Central, North, campus and record on-site, or they made band rocket using a straw, paper clip, and South Campuses, the expo was their recordings in their own homes,” staples, rubber band, and paper fins. moving to Zoom Nov. 19 because of said Lambrini Nicopoulos, College • Dr. Liana Boop suited up to showcase COVID-19 limitations. STEM Council co-chair, who helped her beehives. Bedoy ended up being the event’s only coordinate the event. Although used to interacting with student presenter. The aspiring medical Nicopoulos created a cloud storage students crowded around a table, math laboratory scientist created a reward folder where faculty uploaded their professor Neil Jody enjoyed converting Photo courtesy of San Jacinto College learning video using the perfect lab videos. Then CIS embedded these his self-similar patterns presentation Biology professor Natandra Gradney shows partner to hook a younger audience: her into something that could engage a what happens to an egg after being soaked in presentations into the event PowerPoint. corn syrup two days. Great Dane, Lucy. Faculty also donated 250 bags with virtual audience. “The goal was to get students excited lung model kits, rubber band rocket “It was challenging to pre-record what my motivation to do well in school,” about science and pursuing a career in materials, and College-branded goodies. is normally an interactive installation, but Bedoy told younger students. “I study and work as hard as I can not only for STEM — to get them thinking about how Parents who registered for the event going through the process of recording the good grades but because I know that what they’re doing now affects their life through their CIS after-school campus and editing for a non-interactive audience those good grades will lead me to the later,” she said. received the supply kits for their kids. proved fulfilling,” Jody said. In her video, Bedoy showed her true reward I desire, which is to be a Moving the event online also meant successful laboratory scientist.” Creating hands-on across cyberspace dog learning to do a handshake. She a wider audience than usual could Since Zoom limited logins, CIS will Each fall, San Jac and Communities connected the reward learning exercise participate, including students from replay the PowerPoint during its with how dopamine, the feel-good in Schools (CIS) of Southeast Harris Brazosport, Columbia-Brazoria, and after-school programs to expand the hormone, strengthens memory. and Brazoria County co-host three Alvin ISDs. expo’s reach. STEM expos featuring faculty-led “This gave those new students “Reward learning also plays a role in demonstrations and hands-on activities. exposure to STEM while showcasing Sparking a passion for STEM Each event can draw up to 500 students another local community college that While faculty missed interacting with and family members from CIS’s after- they might not have known about kids face to face, Nicopoulos joked that school programs in Pasadena and Galena otherwise,” said Cheryl Sellers, director there was a perk to hosting virtually: “Clean-up was a breeze.” Park ISDs.