Cleveland Job Corps students use green thumbs for greener neighborhood

Student Ambassadors from Cleveland Job Corps Center put their green thumbs to use May 3 at the Green It Up tree-planting event in the Central neighborhood of Cleveland.  The event was organized by the Western Reserve Land Conservancy and Burten, Bell, Carr Development as a pilot project, and funded by a grant awarded to Keep Ohio Beautiful.

A number of community organizations and businesses also supported the effort.  The trees were obtained from Davey Tree Resource Group, mulch and topsoil were donated by Kurtz Bros. Inc., and the Holden Arboretum educated volunteers about the different types of trees planted.

Cleveland Job Corps Student Ambassadors who volunteered for this project were Tommie Jamie, Jasmine Lathan, Tierra Lucas, Robert Ballentine, Fashyon Carter, Robyn Townsend, Tashara Watley and Erica Gary, accompanied by Business Community Liaison Michael E. Taylor.

Retired Senior Volunteers help Muhlenberg Job Corps students with taxes

The Retired Senior Volunteers of Muhlenberg County made tax time a bit easier for a number of students at the Muhlenberg Job Corps Center.  RSVP volunteers have been helping students file tax returns, free of charge, for the past eight years, and have been offering these services to others in Muhlenberg County for the past 19 years.

The volunteers helped more than 20 students file their returns and get a much appreciated tax refund.

Muhlenberg Job Corps student Braxter Hicks with RSVP volunteer Margaret Clark.

Perkins Job Corps students spend their Saturday to help rescued animals

Students from the Carl D. Perkins Job Corps Center headed out at 6 a.m. May 3 to assist the East KY Racers with their Ultimate 5K run in Prestonsburg, Ky. The proceeds of the race went to the Floyd County Animal Shelter, which is currently in need of major repairs and expansion due to the overwhelming number of animals in need of shelter.

Perkins students Marshall Watts, Jacob Taylor, Mark Hiester and Travis Digregorio added a humorous touch to the event by dressing up as zombies, and throwing mud and colored powder at the racers as they passed by. The students also handed out doughnuts during the food challenge along the course. The students all agreed that it was worth giving their time to ensure all the animals continue to receive the services that the shelter provides.

 


Pictured at the finish line are Perkins students Marshall Watts, Jacob Taylor, Travis Digregorio and Mark Hiester with East KY Racers Founder Brent Graden, center.

Charleston Job Corps students help with kids' health event

Students from the Charleston Job Corps Center volunteered for the 21st Annual Kidoodle Kids’ Day on May 3 at the South Charleston Community Center. This free event for area children and their families, included services such as free dental, hearing and vision screenings, glucose and speech screenings, car seat safety checks, Jupiter Jump, a DJ, clown, and much more.  Thomas Memorial Hospital staff  were on hand to answer questions, provide education materials to families, and help give away 500 bicycle helmets to the children.

The Charleston Job Corps students assisted with screenings by signing up families and helping them with paperwork. CJCC volunteers included Francesca Wickline, Sara McDuffie, Tiffany Robinson, Nadirrah Wright and Stephanie Brown accompanied by Tia Welch, business community liaison.
  
This annual event is sponsored by The Foundation for the Thomas Memorial and Saint Francis Hospitals.

Pictured left to right are Francesca Wickline; Sara McDuffie; Tiffany Robinson; Sandy Young, RN; Nadirrah Wright; and Stephanie Brown.

Perkins students join in anniversary celebration of LBJ visit

Angaleena Presley with Perkins Culinary Arts students.

April 24 marked 50 years since U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson visited Inez, KY in 1964 and promised to end poverty in America.  On April 25, students at the Carl D. Perkins Job Corps Center celebrated that important anniversary of the start on LBJ’s War on Poverty as they showcased their skills during the “Dream! Martin County” event.  The celebration featured former presidential candidate and Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee as keynote speaker, and included members of the Inez community, the Kentucky Congressional delegation, state and local elected officials and business leaders.

Martin County native and country star Angaleena Presley told the Perkins students that her parents met at Job Corps and that she still has letters they wrote to each other while enrolled there.

To help with the anniversary event, Perkins culinary arts students prepared the meal for the VIP room, while Security & Protective Service students provided traffic, parking and crowd control.

Job Corps, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, is an important component of LBJ’s War on Poverty. As one of the longest-running programs for disadvantaged youth in America, Job Corps offers students the education, job training and hands-on experience they need to succeed in today’s competitive market place, continue their education and strengthen their communities.

Job Corps student receives Outstanding Multicultural Award

Muhlenberg Job Corps student Kitumaini Nturubika received the Outstanding Multicultural Award from Madisonville Community College Multicultural Student Association on April 24.

Kitumaini currently is one of seven Muhlenberg JCC students enrolled at Madisonville Community College. He is studying to become an Occupational Therapist and holds a 3.0 GPA.

In addition to his recognition by the college’s Multicultural Association, Kitumaini also works as a math and French tutor at the college’s Central City campus.

Kitumaini, who was born in The Congo and later became a resident of Orlando, Fla., successfully completed the Medical Office Support and Pharmacy Technology career technical training programs at Muhlenberg JCC before enrolling at Madisonville.

Kitumaini Nturubika continues to be a positive role model to the students of the Muhlenberg Job Corps and Madisonville College. He is proof that Job Corps works!

 

Pictured, left to right, are Dr. Jay Parren, chief student affairs officer at Madisonville Community College; Kitumaini Nturubika; and James Bowles, director of cultural diversity.

The Cleveland Job Corps is continuing its climb to excellence.

The center is now ranked 65th in the nation out of 125 Job Corps centers, with an overall rating of 102.4% of goal, according to the Outcome Measurement System. The OMS is Job Corps’ comprehensive performance management system to assess program effectiveness of the services and programs offered to Job Corps students. The OMS is an important measure of worth to taxpayers, Congress, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, to the students we serve. Way to go Cleveland!