Central Virginia Community College

CVCC Receives National Award for Education Partnership with AREVA

Lynchburg, VA /Media Release/ -- Central Virginia Community College is a recipient of the 2007 Daniel M. Hull and Dale P. Parnell Partnership Excellence Award, presented by National Career Pathways Network (NCPN),. David Bond, Ed.D., NCPN Director,  recognized CVCC’s Region 2000 Tech Prep Consortium, a program under the College’s Department of Workforce Development for its work in partnership with AREVA NP Inc. in raising the level of technology education in Central Virginia.

Stan Shoun, CVCC Vice President, Workforce Development and Continuing Education, accepted the award on behalf of the College at the annual conference of the NCPN in Louisville, Kentucky. Shoun is the architect and developer of the “Grow Your Own” campaign that draws corporate support for technology programs aimed at students from elementary school to higher education.

The Hull-Parnell Partnership Excellence Award was established in 1994 and is funded by donations from Caterpillar and Texas Instruments. It is given annually to three schools selected from NCPN’s 3000 member organization for outstanding Tech Prep/School to Career initiatives to integrate meaningful worksite opportunities into their curricula and to showcase these programs.

The award focuses specifically on the cooperative effort between CVCC and AREVA NP, that has spawned several education initiatives in various technology oriented fields. Programs for elementary and middle school students include:

·         Summer career exploration academies in nuclear energy, women, science & technology, and advanced manufacturing

·         Lego League robotics activities

·         Nuclear energy curriculum modules in science classes

·         Tours of AREVA’s nuclear power training center for students and teachers

·         Participation in career presentations/fairs

·         Science and technology reading program

For high school students:

• FIRST Robotics competition team
• Teacher workshops and conferences in Health Physics and energy
• Nuclear energy curriculum modules in science classes
• Summer internships for high school students at AREVA
• Development of a profile of applied technology skills required for various jobs
• Skill assessments of students and benchmarking them against these profiles
• Participation in career presentations/fairs
• Development of a nuclear technologies CTE program at four regional high schools
• Increase dual enrollment opportunities in the four nuclear technologies degree programs

For community college students:

• Three AAS degree programs and one certificate program in nuclear support technologies
• AREVA Contractor Training program
• Obtaining a DOL grant award to develop the laboratory equipment needed for an NRRPT program
• Obtaining an NSF project grant to develop high school modules and activities

For university students:

• AS Degree in Engineering matriculates to a BS degree in Engineering
• Majority of course work completed in Region 2000

Related Links

www.cord.org/ntpn

Release Date: 02:00 PM (EDT) 10/31/07

Release Number: 071031.ncpnaward

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Media Contact:

Kennan J. Meyer

Coordinator, Public Relations and Marketing

Central Virginia Community College

(434) 832-7609

meyerk@cvcc.vccs.edu

Copyright © 2007 Central Virginia Community College. All Rights Reserved.

A Member Institution of the Virginia Community College System.