LLCC Mathematics and Computer Science, Natural and Agricultural Sciences, and Workforce Institute represented the college at the seventh annual Central Illinois STEM Fair in Rochester on April 10. LLCC promoted STEM education using robots, chemistry experiments, flying drones, microscope demonstrations, live Venus fly traps, geology trivia, interactive GIS displays and many other activities.
Special thanks to the faculty and staff who participated, including Dean Butzow, Jennifer Davis, Jeff Martin, David Pietrzak, Jennifer Ram, Sam Reif, Scott Searcy, Rich Teeter, Brent Todd, Lisa Volk-Draper and Rosie the Snake. Many students also participated, including Farren Ackerman, Isaac Barrett, Angelea Cooke, Liam Green, Sean McCarthy, Aaron Robertson, Alex Sidener and Preston Siewert.
Lori Badgley, program director for the respiratory care program at LLCC presented to students in Southeast’s Health & Science Academy on Tuesday. Students learned about the admission requirements for entering the program, what the program entails and the areas of health care in which respiratory therapists work. Respiratory care is just one of the many health professions programs at LLCC which these students have learned about this year.
Dr. Jason Dockter, vice president of academic services, and Kristin Booher, director of student engagement, are LLCC’s latest graduates of 
Members of the LLCC Black Student Union (BSU) welcomed approximately 60 District 186 seniors to BSU Fest Friday, April 21, 2023, on the Springfield campus.
The recruitment event covered two needs: to recruit more minority students to attend LLCC and to recruit students to join LLCC’s Black Student Union while attending the college. The overall event was geared toward helping students make sound financial decisions when deciding where to attend college. Students also learned that by attending LLCC their first two years, they can have a sense of belonging by joining BSU, a quality education at little or no out-of-pocket expense and still transfer to an HBCU as a junior to fulfill their educational dream. Community vendors, faculty and staff were invited to engage with the students and show the diverse environment that LLCC can build for its students to succeed.
Applications are currently being accepted through Nov. 30, 2023, for LLCC’s IDI Grant program for 2023-24! The goal of the grant is to prompt, identify and support innovative proposals that incorporate inclusivity and enhance diversity at LLCC.
This community-based service learning project was selected for LLCC Innovation in Diversity and Inclusion (IDI) Grant funding in 2022-23 and enabled a partnership between the LLCC Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Illinois to increase diversity of OTA student applications by increasing community awareness of the occupational therapy profession. The project, “Healthy Minds, Hearts and Hands,” brought engaging activities promoting fitness, emotional well-being and social language development for building student confidence and success at school. Additionally, the program offered traditional school-based occupational therapy strategies to help students who struggle with homework to build skills that will carry over into the classroom.
As a result of the project, the college gained two interested candidates for the OTA program cohort beginning in January 2024. Additionally, pre- and
Boys & Girls Clubs staff members overwhelmingly “strongly agreed” that the program was beneficial, and they would recommend it to other after-school sites. The LLCC first-semester OTA student reflections identified the strengths and challenges of working with such a large group of children and are looking forward to continuing to grow the program with additional strategies for organization, management and activity development.
