LLCC-Taylorville helped Taylorville and Christian County celebrate their 175th anniversary this past weekend by participating in the “Celebrate 175” parade. The theme for the parade was past, present and/or future. LLCC-Taylorville chose the future theme and featured children 
as our future. The children dressed up in different uniforms to represent various certificate and degree programs LLCC offers. Thank you to Nichole Coffey, finance assistant; Jennifer Elliott, instructional designer; Sharon Fritts, education services representative; Jamie Glick, education services representative; Scott Grundy, utility worker; Dee Krueger, assistant director of LLCC-Taylorville; Lorie McDonald, director of LLCC-Litchfield, Tisha Miller, ESA operations analyst and Scott Stallman, ESA executive director for participating in the parade.
Butterflies abound near Fitness Center
The butterfly bush just outside the Fitness Center door of Cass Gym has an 
abundance of monarch butterflies visiting during their migration. Stop by and take a look! We’ve counted as many as 15 at one time.
Photos by Dr. Chris McDonald
LLCC Automotive Program hosts Amtryke build
LLCC’s Automotive Program hosted the Ambucs Amtryke build Saturday, Oct. 4, in the Workforce Careers Center. Ambucs from across Illinois and Oklahoma assembled 79 Amtrykes to be distributed to special 
needs/disabled children and wounded warriors. Following assembly, the Amtrykes will be transported to the Ambucs national conference in St. Louis. Fifteen attachments allow the Amtrykes to be fitted exactly to meet the needs of each child or wounded warrior. Dick Rogers, professor, automotive technology, provided assistance and hosted the event in the Auto Tech lab. Ambucs Kent Gray, LLCC Board of Trustees member, and Kevin Lust, director, ISBDC at LLCC, participated in the project. For more photos, click HERE.
Professional Development Day is Friday, Oct. 10
Professional Development Day is this Friday, Oct. 10 from 8:30 a.m.-4:45 p.m. With a theme of “Envisioning, Adapting and Preparing: You Are the Future of LLCC,” the event includes a variety of sessions, lunch and keynote speaker Jon Vroman. Vroman is an award-winning speaker, author and charitable entrepreneur. His trademark keynote message, “Living Life in the Front Row,” helps students, faculty, staff, entrepreneurs, leaders and managers step away from what’s comfortable and ordinary, and start pursuing what’s challenging, important and meaningful.
In addition, the Employee Campaign through United Way will have gift baskets on display during the luncheon. For more information and a schedule of the day’s events, click HERE.
It’s L.E.A.G.U.E. grant application time
Now through Dec. 5, the LLCC Foundation is accepting applications for L.E.A.G.U.E. grants. Faculty and staff make these grants possible through their generous giving to the annual faculty and staff campaign each spring.
The Foundation will award approximately $10,000 as a direct result of the success of the annual faculty and staff campaign. Grant guidelines, application and budget worksheet are attached below or may be obtained by calling the LLCC Foundation at 6-2785. More information is available at www.LLCCFoundation.org. Just hover over “What We Do” and click on “Educational Support.”
Donations to the L.E.A.G.U.E. campaign support LLCC students through the L.E.A.G.U.E grant program, scholarships, and other funds, including the “Pay It Forward” fund which helps students with emergent needs. Each year approximately 40-percent of LLCC faculty and staff support the Foundation through this campaign which continues through mid-April. Our thanks to our generous LLCC faculty and staff for contributing a record setting $56,600 to the 2014-2015 LEAGUE campaign.
Again, the grant application deadline is Friday, Dec. 5, 2014 at 5 p.m. Awards will be announced at the L.E.A.G.U.E. kickoff on March 24, 2015. For more information, contact Janet Semanik at 6-2217.
Remaining ITDE workshops this fall
The Instructional Technology and Distance Education (ITDE) department is offering the following workshops this fall. For more information about the workshops or to register, click HERE.
Designing Creative Assignments to Meet Student Outcomes – Monday, Oct. 13-Wednesday Oct. 22
Blackboard Open Lab – Tuesday, Oct. 14; Wednesday, Nov. 12 and Friday, Dec. 5
Using Achievement Badges in Blackboard: Signs of Success or Gaming the System? – Wednesday, Oct. 15
What Does ITDE Tell Students about How to Use Blackboard? – Monday, Oct. 20
Connecting with Students: What works, what doesn’t, and why we should care – Wednesday, Oct. 22
Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities: Challenges and Solutions – Monday, Oct. 27
Using Blackboard for Course Communication – Wednesday, Nov. 5
Creating Interactive Maps – Thursday, Nov. 6
Designing and Developing Interactive Course Materials Using SoftChalk – Monday, Nov. 10-Wednesday, Nov. 19
Student Success Through Study Guides! – Monday, Nov. 17
Selecting the Right App for the Assignment: How to use Bloom’s Taxonomy as Your Guide – Tuesday, Nov. 18
Online Faculty Brown Bag – Thursday, Nov. 20
Get In the Know about Asperger’s – Wednesday, Dec. 3
In the news
Laurie Rhodes, director, Child Development Center, wrote an essay entitled “We Nurture Learning” for the State Journal-Register’s Our Towns section Sunday, Oct. 5.
In the news
David Bowman, workforce development specialist, was interviewed Friday, Oct. 3 by WTAX radio and Monday, Oct. 6 by WFMB radio regarding the $883,000 grant awarded to LLCC to establish ag watershed and land lake management programs.
Forward and Annual Report available in print and online
The spring 2015 FORWARD is now available. If you would like a single print copy, stop by the Information Desk in A. Lincoln Commons. Bundles of FORWARDs are available near the mailroom in the lower level of Menard Hall. FORWARD will also be mailed to all households in the district. To read FORWARD online, click HERE.
The 2013-14 Annual Report is also available. Stop by the Information Desk for a copy, or read it online HERE.
Focus on Five with the Employee Campaign through United Way
Whether your contribution is large or small, your investment in our community is changing lives and giving hope to thousands of our neighbors. We encourage you to Focus on Five. For some it might mean an increased investment of $5 per pay or $5 per month. For others it might be 
a $500 gift. Others may make a commitment to encourage five friends to contribute. Imagine the difference we could make if each of us made the commitment to Focus on Five.
Only at LLCC, we’re “Focusing on Five” by giving you a ticket for every $5 you donate. These tickets can be dropped in a container to win the gift basket or baskets on display at Professional Development Day Oct. 10 and the Benefits Fair Oct. 16. Be sure to check them out!
Nicole Ralph, Tara Walk, Greg Walbert, Tiffany Andrews, Lynn Whalen