Leigh Giles-Brown, program director for diagnostic medical sonography at LLCC, presented to approximately 70 juniors and seniors at Springfield Southeast High School on Wednesday. Students learned about admission requirements, what the DMS program entails and different specialty areas within sonography. Students also learned about the free summer 2024 HELPrS program at LLCC which is an opportunity to learn about multiple health care programs including job shadowing days at local health care facilities.
Category Archives: In the Community
Lori Badgley teaches SEHS students about LLCC Respiratory Care
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.
In the community
Dr. Chris McDonald, professor of political science, provided a hands-on presentation on the British uniforms of World Wars I and II on Feb. 17 at the Illinois State Museum.
Congratulations to Dr. Jason Dockter and Kristin Booher
Dr. Jason Dockter, vice president of academic services, and Kristin Booher, director of student engagement, are LLCC’s latest graduates of Leadership Springfield, a leadership training program sponsored by the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce. Leadership Springfield is a 14-week series of half-day programs during which participants gain leadership skills and in-depth exposure to critical issues affecting the Springfield area. Congratulations!
LLCC entries earn five city-wide Art After Hours (AAH) ribbons
Congratulations to the LLCC artists honored with awards Wednesday evening at the citywide Art After Hours (AAH) art exhibit. This year, 86 AAH artists submitted 203 entries at 10 in-house exhibits in the Springfield area. At this year’s AAH city-wide exhibit, there are 58 first-place pieces displayed. LLCC employees were awarded five ribbons at the citywide exhibit, which runs through Wednesday, Dec. 20 at the Springfield Art Association, 700 N. 4th St.
LLCC winners are:
Photography
- First place – Esteban Cruz, “Rain, Rain Go, Away”
- Third place – Michelle Burger, “Bale Yeah Cowgirl!”
Mixed Media
- Second place – Greg Walbert, “Hear the Bells Ringing”
- Honorable Mention – Jan Szoke, “Summer’s Glory”
Drawing
- Third place – Diane M. Wilson, “Flower Fantasy II”
Congratulations to all of the talented LLCC colleagues participating in this year’s exhibit!
A big thank you to those that helped with the LLCC AAH in-house exhibit: Sarah Frey, Brenda Loschen, Kyla Kruse, Karen Sanders, Rick Schnetzler, Lynn Whalen and Thom Whalen. Their support and assistance are so appreciated!
The next AHH exhibit will be in 2025!
AAH is a program of the Springfield Area Arts Council. The purpose of AAH is to help local businesses, agencies, educational and medical institutions identify and celebrate the artistic talents of people they employ.
LLCC-Litchfield Student Club holds Thanksgiving food drive
The LLCC-Litchfield Student Club sponsored a Thanksgiving food drive from Nov. 6-17 in which students and faculty collected more than 200 non-perishable food items. These items were donated to the CEFS Economic Opportunity Corporation in Montgomery County.
Classes competed to collect the most items for the drive and win a pizza party. First Year Experience taught by Jessie Blackburn was honored as the class with the most donations.
l-r: Charity Griggs and Debra Wilkie, CEFS; Adrienne Frazier, LLCC-Litchfield education services representative; Josh Bader, Selina Cochran, Maggie Reynolds, Jessie Zhang, Drake Gasperson, Alyssa Lohman and Sofia Ray, LLCC students; and Jessie Blackburn, LLCC-Litchfield director
IDI Grant spotlight: BSU event for D186 seniors
BSU event for D186 seniors
submitted by Kim Wilson and written by Dr. David Leitner on behalf of BSU
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 event was held to help students explore educational options and enhance community connection and inclusion among Black students.
Participants toured campus; participated in sonography, poetry or natural hair care workshops; and heard from BSU alumni, faculty and staff.
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.
Be the change
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.
IDI Grant spotlight: Healthy Minds, Hearts and Hands
Healthy Minds, Hearts and Hands
Yvonne Cosentino, OTA program director
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
post-testsof third, fourth and fifth graders identified that 54% of students reported an improvement in executive function skills, 50% of students reported improved sensory-motor performances and 36% of students reported improved success with academic subjects.
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.
Be the change
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.
LLCC’s Student Radiographers Association is in the community
On Thursday, Nov. 9, 11 members of the LLCC Student Radiographers Association and Janelle Murphy, program director, radiography, volunteered at HSHS Mission Outreach. Mission Outreach is an organization that accepts medical supply donations from all over the U.S. These donations are sorted at the center and then shipped overseas to various countries in need. The club members sorted, counted, weighed and boxed supplies to help expedite the process. They are current students of LLCC’s associate degree radiography program and demonstrated a strong commitment to bettering health care concerns across the world!
Front row (l-r): Macy Mullally, Grace Cox, Allison Vaira and Jordan Broaddus; back row (l-r): Gabby Carroll, Olivia Hickman, Syndey Skeeters, Kayla Wittenauer, Kori Estes, Katie Lindsey and Erin Quinn.
Beta Nu nursing honor students are in the community
On Saturday, Nov. 11, the Beta Nu nursing honor students volunteered at the Girls on the Run 5K in the first aid tent. This sunny morning had some chilly winds, but that did not deter participation! While waiting for the race to begin, Beta Nu students invited children in attendance to roll the dice and complete the corresponding yoga pose.
Beta Nu students (l to r) Maggie Crocker, Sarina Sloman and Jackie Romer.