SoftChalk Challenge honorable mention winner at SPC

Judy Macdonald, an adjunct instructor in St. Petersburg College’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program and Clearwater faculty tutor, was awarded Honorable Mention in the 2013 SoftChalk Lesson Challenge.

Macdonald entered the contest after creating SoftChalk lessons to provide a more enriching experience for her students. The challenge began with a student who was struggling in her class. Finding that the student learned best auditorily, she thought she could help him by adding video and audio to her lessons. To learn more about those tools, she attended SPC Web & Instructional Technology Services (WITS) learning events, first on audio and video and then on other tools that would help her support this student. She soon found that these strategies were a beneficial resource for all of her students. She ultimately chose to use SoftChalk since it incorporated not only audio and video but other interactive elements that reinforced the students’ learning and gave them immediate feedback.

Macdonald then approached the Center of Excellence for Teaching and Learning (CETL) at SPC and was awarded a mini-grant to create more lessons to share with other faculty and students. As a result of both the training and support of the WITS Instructional Design Technologists and the grant from CETL, Macdonald has created a collection of self-paced English language lessons.

Learn more about the SoftChalk Challenge and to view Macdonald’s entry.

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Apollo and Alumni Achievement Award winners announced

This year’s Apollo and Alumni Achievement Award winners were announced at St. Petersburg College’s  May 4 graduation ceremony at Tropicana Field.

Apollo Award winner

Brandon Lee Fong, a student on SPC’s Seminole Campus was the winner of this year’s Apollo Award, the highest honor a two-year graduate can achieve. Fong participated in SPC’s Early College program allowing him to earn his college degree concurrently with his high school diploma. He was a member of the SPC Honors College and was published in META, the college’s interdisciplinary journal. He has more than 100 volunteer hours at All Children’s Hospital and additional volunteer hours at his church.

Quoting Socrates, Fong in his speech told the audience that one can never have enough knowledge. He congratulated SPC for living up to the title of “community” college through its efforts to help area residents.

Alumni Achievement Award winner

Elizabeth Van Scoyoc, a student on SPC’s Tarpon Springs Campus was the winner of this year’s Alumni Achievement Award, the highest honor for a four-year graduate.  Van Scoyoc received a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy and Administration. She was a member of Phi Theta Kappa, Student Government, Honors College and the Golden Key Honor Society. She is a volunteer tutor at Tarpon Springs Elementary and the Citizens Alliance for Progress Center.

Van Scoyoc spoke about her young daughter and how being a mother had prompted her to push forward with her education. SPC employees and groups helped her achieve her goals through their support, she said. Her future plans, she said, include law school.

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SPC basketball player recognized in Hall of Fame ‘Ring of Honor’

Antqunita Reed

Antqunita Reed, a graduating member of the St. Petersburg College women’s basketball team, has been awarded one of the highest individual honors as an athlete. Her team jersey has been selected for display in the “Ring of Honor” at the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tenn.

The Hall of Fame is recognizing student athletes and their outstanding play during the 2012-13 season. Reed has broken many records and shown phenomenal athleticism and heart while she played for two years as a Lady Titan.

Reed, who is No. 22 on the team, averaged 17 points and nine rebounds this season while helping her team win the 2013 Southern Conference Championship. The team advanced to the second round in the Florida College System Activities Association State Tournament. She also was named Conference Player of the Year and selected 2nd Team All American, along with many other honors.

“Antqunita has been a joy to coach here at SPC,” said Denisha Davidson, Head Coach of women’s basketball.

“She is a coach’s dream because she works hard both on and off the floor in all that she does,” Davidson said. “She will be successful in whatever she decides to do. I see her as one of my very own children. She is a special young lady and I will truly miss her.”

The Ring of Honor has become one of the most popular exhibits at the Hall of Fame. It has more than 100 jerseys on display, including high school and college All Americans from the 2011-12 season.

Reed’s SPC jersey will be displayed for the entire year. The Ring of Honor provides a colorful backdrop to the Hall of Fame’s many archives but also recognizes some young basketball players for their achievements in their sport.

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Learn more about internship opportunities through SPC

St. Petersburg College has a collegewide internship office that works with faculty and employers to cultivate workforce opportunities and experience for the college’s students.

Learn about the growth in for-credit internship opportunities, paid internships and job offers made to SPC interns. For more information, please contact representatives with the internship office.

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SPC-TV unveils new format, tools to help students

Changes are underway at SPC-TV that students should find offer them more St. Petersburg College resources, news and entertainment.

SPC-TV has recently transitioned from being a source of instructional tele-course programming to one that helps students find necessary resources to succeed.

During college-operating hours, the station is transformed to a “digital signage” platform. It offers students access to college daily events, information on academic programs, financial aid tools and registration information as well as weather, sports and national news.

In addition to campus televisions, SPC-TV is also broadcast on Bright House 620, Knology 19 in Pinellas County and Verizon 47 throughout the Tampa Bay area. Award-winning SPC productions, classic movies and a wide variety of cultural programs are presented during evening hours and on weekends.

Numerous college cultural events are taped and presented on SPC-TV as well as SPC public forums offered by the Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions.

Beginning in June, viewers will be able to tune in and watch central Florida PBS affiliate WEDU’s award-winning favorites on SPC-TV. Take a journey through west central Florida with A Gulf Coast Journal, explore the arts and culture in your neighborhood with WEDU Arts Plus and stay informed on issues of importance through the variety of WEDU Tall Hall programs.

We’re looking for your feedback and encourage you to complete a brief survey at www.spcollege.edu/spctv. Your participation will help us get what you want to see on SPC-TV.

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SPC on the go

St. Petersburg College is offering a new streamlined mobile site so you can quickly access information about the college on your phone or mobile device.

The site is at m.spcollege.edu. For information on how to bookmark MySPC Mobile on different phones or add it to your device’s home screen, check www.spcollege.edu/mobile.

The mobile site allows you to:

• register
• check financial aid
• view campus maps
• find events, news and other information

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SPC hosts workshop on civics education in Florida State College System

SPC hosted a civics education workshop in the Collaborative Labs at the EpiCenter on Tuesday, April 2.

Representatives from other colleges, universities and state organizations, as well as SPC students, met to assess the status of civics education in the Florida State College System and to identify any best practices, practical applications, incentives and impediments to the promotion and expansion of civics literacy on the state college level. They also discussed an action plan through which to accomplish these goals and help students and citizens become more engaged.

“It was a great lab,” said Jeff Kronschnabl, Instructor in Charge for the College of Policy, Ethics and Legal Studies. “It provided structure and an exciting exchange between the participants. It also provided the collaborative networking and partnership required to make this an effective initiative.”

The idea for the meeting stemmed from meetings last year with former Florida Gov. Bob Graham, who served on the state’s Education Committee and has always had a strong interest in education. SPC Policy Consultant Tom Furlong, whose long-term relation with Graham goes back many years, was instrumental in helping the event come together.

“There is a renewed interest in civics education in this country,” Susan Demers, Dean, College of Policy and Legal Studies, who referred to man on the street-styled interviews where adults appear to lack an understanding of the country’s political system. “As a result, it is of particular interest to Gov. Graham that we have a civics initiative here in Florida.”

“It was a really great discussion because we had people at all levels and with all kinds of interests represented,” she said. “It provided a nice checklist of things to do and how we’re going to partner in the future.”

The discussion has led to the idea of a statewide conference that will include all 28 state colleges, Demers said. The conference will be headed up by SPC’s Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions in collaboration with Julie Alexander, Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, Florida Department of Education.

Civics Education Workshop participants included: Name Title Organization Julie Alexander Vice Chancellor, Academic and Student Affairs Florida Department of Education Paul Baumann Director, National Center for Learning and Citizenship Education Commission of the States Kasongo Butler Vice-Chancellor Florida College System Anne Cooper Senior Vice President, Academic and Student Affairs St. Petersburg College Susan Demers Dean, College of Policy and Legal Studies St. Petersburg College Christopher Denny Model United Nations student St. Petersburg College Douglas Dobson Executive Director, Lou Frey Institute of Policy and Government University of Central Florida Earl Fratus Social Science Faculty and Model UN Instructor St. Petersburg College Tom Furlong Policy Consultant, President’s Office St. Petersburg College Lisa Garcia Representative, Student Government Association St. Petersburg College Randy Hanna Chancellor Florida College System Emma Humphries Assistant in Citizenship, Graham Center for Public Policy University of Florida David Klement Executive Director, Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions St. Petersburg College Jeff Kronschnabl Lead Instructor, Public Policy and Administration St. Petersburg College Bill Law President St. Petersburg College Tara Newsom Associate Professor, Social and Behavioral Sciences St. Petersburg College Anja Norman Academic Department Chair, Social and Behavioral Sciences St. Petersburg College James Olliver Provost, Seminole Campus St. Petersburg College Suzanne Preston Professor, Social Science St. Petersburg College Jackson Sasser President Santa Fe College Jacqulyn Schuett Project Coordinator, Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions St. Petersburg College Joseph Smiley Dean, Social and Behavioral Sciences St. Petersburg College Pam Stewart Chancellor, Division of Public Schools Department of Education

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2013 Annual Healing and Spirituality Conference set for April 19

“Healing and Forgiveness” is the theme for the 2013 Annual Healing and Spirituality Conference, scheduled for Friday, April 19.

This year’s conference, co-sponsored by St. Petersburg College Continuing Education Health and the Franciscan Center, will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the St. Paul United Methodist Church Life Enrichment Center, 1199 S. Highland Ave., Largo. This conference enables health care professionals to broaden and enrich their own lives as well as their clinical care by understanding the importance of healing and forgiveness to end suffering and heal the whole person.

Conference speakers include:

• Deborah Grassman, ARNP, author of ‘Peace at Last: Stories of Hope and Healing for Veterans and Their Families’
• Abi Katz, DO, MS, Medical Director Sutter VNA and Hospice, Emeryville, Calif., now Sutter Care at Home
• Sister Anne Dougherty, SOF, President/CEO, the Franciscan Center

Participants will discover the steps of forgiveness in a new and refreshing way. Attendees will challenge their concepts about the forgiveness process and learn essential steps to facilitate it, as well as common mistakes that interfere with forgiveness. Tools to promote healing will be presented such as therapeutic letter writing.

Conference attendance provides six hours approved for NUR, LCSW, LMFT, LMHC, PT/PTA, OT/OTA, ALF and clergy. Prices for the conference are $59 for allied health employees and $29 for clergy. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Register for the conference online at SPC’s Continuing Education site or call 727-341-3393 for more information.

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April 4 symposium at SPC spotlights the ‘State of Our Reefs’

The college’s Clearwater Campus will be the site for the State of Our Reefs II, a symposium featuring the work of St. Peterburg College students and others monitoring the status of the area’s reefs.

The event, hosted by Reef Monitoring Inc., will be held on Thursday, April 4, at 7:30 p.m. in the campus’ Fine Arts Auditorium. It is free and open to the public.

At the symposium, students Charles Lutz, Jessica Small and Cory Trier will present their research on marine sediments adjacent to natural and artificial reefs and the biological life in them. These studies, conducted under the direction of SPC Natural Science instructor Dr. Monica Lara, have been presented at several college Honors Program presentations. Also at the symposium:

• Slide and video presentations from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Lab in St. Petersburg showing research on the Goliath Grouper population in the Tampa Bay area
• A slide presentation from the coordinator of the Pinellas County Artificial Reef Program about the award-winning county reef building program
• Participants will be able to see some of the equipment used in ongoing research projects

The first symposium, held last spring, drew a crowd of about 150 people including divers, fishermen and conservationists. Refreshments will be served at this year’s symposium.

The start of Reef Monitoring Inc.

Reef Monitoring Inc. is a non-profit corporation formed in 2010 by a group of marine science faculty on the Clearwater Campus. The group trains local sports divers, many who are SPC scuba students, to conduct underwater surveys of local and artificial reefs. Classes are offered free at a local dive shop pool. So far, 43 divers have been trained and more than 100 surveys completed.

Lessons learned following a red tide bloom in the Tampa Bay area water in 2005 prompted the group’s formation.

Red tide is the common name for a harmful form of microscopic algae that turns the ocean a rust color. The bloom in the area water killed a large number of fish. The decomposing fish depleted oxygen levels on the sea floor, killing more aquatic life on the reefs.

After the red tide bloom, SPC Natural Science instructor Dr. Heyward Mathews and one of his marine biology students began a small research project documenting the recovery process of an artificial and nearby natural reef. For the next few years, they made fish and invertebrate counts to determine how long before these reefs returned to their previous population levels.

During this study, the two found it difficult to determine when the recovery was complete because of the lack of data prior to the red tide bloom. This helped prompt the formation of Reef Monitoring Inc.

Reef clean-ups

Surveys completed by divers trained by the group revealed a surprising number of old crab traps left on the reefs. Rope from traps on the sea floor poses a danger to wildlife and can ensnare birds, turtles and dolphins. This is what happened to the dolphin Winter, who lost her tail after she was caught in a crab trap line.

During the past three years, Reef Monitoring has sponsored four “Reef Clean-ups” and removed close to 3,000 pounds of old crab trap rope and fishing line that could endanger marine life in the Gulf. The last two clean-ups involved more than 100 local divers and more than 30 boats. Another reef clean-up is set for Saturday, May 18, and will operate out of the new Clearwater Marina downtown.

Visit Reef Monitoring’s website for more information about the organization or contact Dr. Mathews at 727-791-2679.

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SPC student named 2013 Coca-Cola New Century Bronze Scholar

Maria Thurber

Seven students named to All-Florida Academic Team: The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation sponsors the Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team and the New Century Scholars in partnership with Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Like other states, each two-year college in Florida may nominate two students per campus to the All-USA Academic Team based on outstanding academic performance and service to the college and community. The Florida students comprise the All-Florida Academic Team. This year, seven SPC students made the cut for the state team: Student Campus Kristen Brown Clearwater Craig Corlis Seminole Brandon Fong Seminole Catrina Hopkins Tarpon Springs Eunmi Ko Clearwater Lisa Stevens Tarpon Springs Maria Thurber St. Petersburg/Gibbs

Maria Thurber, a dual-enrolled homeschool St. Petersburg College student at the St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus, has been named a 2013 Coca-Cola New Century Bronze Scholar. She also will receive a $1,000 scholarship from the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation.

“It’s such a humbling honor,” said Thurber, 17, a sophomore who will graduate in May. A native of Ecuador, she moved with her family to St. Petersburg at age 9.

“My motivation for trying my hardest to do well in school is my dad,” said Thurber. Her U.S. Air Force veteran father did not graduate from high school and later obtained his GED. “My parents really are my inspiration, and I want to be one of the first in my family to obtain a higher education.”

After graduation, Thurber plans to enroll at Florida State University where she wants to major in international relations and minor in education. Once she has completed her degree, Thurber wants to work in education.

“I feel that I am closer to achieving my dreams because I know I am competitive in the marketplace,” she said. “I’m ready because SPC has prepared and equipped me with all the tools and the well-rounded education that I need to succeed.”

“The St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus family is thrilled to celebrate Maria and this well-deserved acknowledgement of her accomplishments,” said Karen Kaufman White, Provost, St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus. “In addition to her proven scholarship, she is a stellar example of service-oriented, values-based leadership. We are very proud of Maria!”

Every year, 50 students are named Gold Scholars, each receiving a $1,500 scholarship. Fifty students are named Silver Scholars and each receive a $1,250 scholarship with 50 students named Bronze Scholars and each given a $1,000 scholarship. The student scholarship awards total $187,500 and all scholars receive recognition in USA Today.

Thurber will be recognized alongside other 2013 Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team Scholars at a special reception during at this year’s annual convention, April 4-6, in San Jose, California.

Last year, students Alistair Glover and Taylor Howe made the Phi Theta Kappa All-Florida Academic First Team. Six others made the Second Team.

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