Washington County Regional Center
Kirkwood Community College - March Update
Students Experience Engineering, Construction Careers
Meet Ryan Ronan, Student Academic & Support Coordinator
Kirkwood for Kids Summer Camp - Open for Registration!
Students Experience Engineering, Construction Careers
A group of about a dozen Washington County high school students from the Architecture-Construction-Engineering (ACE) Academy got a glimpse inside an active construction site, while also gaining insight into their career options. During a tour of the soon-to-be new home of the YMCA of Washington County, the ACE students visited with builders and engineers from Carl A. Nelson & Company, the Burlington, Iowa-based design-builder on the $9.04 million, 33,470-square-foot project, to learn about career opportunities in engineering and the construction trades. To view a short video of the student experience, click here: https://youtu.be/MXcOfvpi0CA
Tad Morrow, a project engineer who led the tour, said the idea was to show "all the different parts and pieces that would be career paths that would come together in one big pot that would make a job like this happen." The students, who range from sophomores to seniors, hale from four different high schools. The visit provided a different perspective on construction than students would receive on a residential jobsite. Kirkwood ACE instructor, Aaron McGlynn coordinated the tour for his students. "People get tired of listening to me talk all the time," he said. "So anything they can see that are people actually doing it, living it, breathing it, is such an advantage to be able to see that."
Michael Torres, a senior at Highland High School near Riverside, said he is interested in residential construction, but also is weighing a law enforcement career. Although homebuilding remains his focus on the construction side of that decision, he said visiting the YMCA jobsite opened his eyes to the different roles on a construction site and how they work together to have success.
More certain of her future path was Washington High School junior Cloe Telleen, who had been leaning toward architecture but switched gears to structural engineering after signing up for the ACE program. Telleen said she wants to work on buildings that contribute to the lives of people in a community. Her visit to the YMCA jobsite, along with other field trips and class speakers, she said, has helped to reinforce her decision to switch career goals. "I absolutely loved it," she said of the YMCA tour and program. "It was just really good to hear people genuinely care about some of these students to come in and taking the time to get to know us, and our future plans and help us out."
With a limited pool of talent to hire from, sponsoring events for students like the tour of the Washington YMCA is to CANCO's potential benefit by exposing young people to careers in areas where the company is looking to hire, and getting the company's name out in front of those potential employees. "It was a great group of students," Smith said. "Widely varying interest base; ranged from welders and electricians and plumbers to engineers and architects. And hopefully we opened their eyes on what some of the opportunities are and how to best prepare for their career."
We thank Carl A Nelson & Co. for sharing their time and knowledge with the ACE Academy students and also thank Aaron McGlynn, ACE instructor, for making arrangements for the outing.
-excerpts of story by Craig Neises, Director of Marketing, Carl A. Nelson & Company
Meet Ryan Ronan, Student Academic & Support Coordinator
Research has shown that if high school students receive concurrent credit at their local community college they will have more success academically, receive more guidance with financial aid, and have a more focused idea of their future goals and career. This is the core belief of the Kirkwood Washington County Regional Center's newest employee.
Ryan Ronan is the new Student Academic and Support Coordinator at the Kirkwood Washington County Regional Center and he is the go-to guy for advising, student support services, and information for Regional Center high school students. He is passionate about assisting students to prepare for their post-secondary plans and future, whether it be to enter their career-field, or academic plan for a college certificate, diploma or degree. Ryan says, “I love my job. What I enjoy most is seeing students discovering that they have options beyond traditional high school coursework and getting excited about a career pathway that they never knew existed or was possible.” Seeing students in the STEM academies successfully earn state and federal certifications is a highlight of his work.
A graduate of Muscatine Community College and University of Northern Iowa, Ryan has more than a decade of experience guiding students and their families. For five years he held the position of Admissions/Academic Advisor at Iowa Central Community College, and later was employed by Iowa College Access Network (ICAN) where he helped families find ways to afford college and navigate the financial aid process. He joined Kirkwood Community College at the Kirkwood Regional Center at the University of Iowa and migrated to the Kirkwood Washington County Regional Center when an opportunity presented itself. “I knew that working with Tera Pickens [director] would be outstanding and the Washington County Regional Center is where my own children will attend someday.”
Ryan and his wife Rachel are busy parents of two young daughters, Reese and Ryland. They live in Lone Tree, Iowa and are huge supporters of their local community and school district. Ryan currently serves on the Lone Tree City Council. We enthusiastically welcome him to the Washington County Regional Center team!
Kirkwood for Kids Summer Camp Open for Registration!
The Kirkwood Washington County Regional Center is excited to celebrate the 6th anniversary of Kirkwood for Kids Camp summer programming! Last year's camp was a huge success with all new course offerings and experiences. For our youngest campers, Kindergarten camp was a blast and we will continue to offer the experience again this year. We also have an exciting NEW offering for our 6th-8th graders -- Rocket League Esport Summer Camp! Students will travel to from Kirkwood to WACO High School’s high-tech, state-of-the-art Innovation Lab and Esports Arena to compete in gaming tournaments in a competitive team environment.
The goal in offering these camps is to provide interactive, educational, and fun opportunities to area youth to keep students engaged and excited about learning during the summer. We have had outstanding camp offerings in the past, but truly feel that this will be our best summer camp yet! Students can spend the week creating one-of-a-kind slime, crafting art masterpieces that are tasty too, exploring outer space, designing runway ready fashion, engineering a robot or exploring weird science reactions – and that is just to name few! Students just might have a hard time selecting camp classes because there are so many fun options to choose from! We can’t wait to have the students here for a week full of learning, friends, and fun.
The Kirkwood for Kids Camp will take place for five days this summer, June 15th-19th, from 9 a.m. until noon each day. Kindergarten students will sign up for the entire week of themed days. Students in grades 1st – 5th will choose three exciting classes for their camp experience while students in grades 6th-8th will focus on a more in-depth camp session, choosing just one course for the five days.
Complete camp offerings and course descriptions, as well as the link to register, can be found at www.kirkwood.edu/kirkwoodforkids, or by calling the Washington County Regional Center at 319-653-4655. All camp registrations must be received by June 1st. Camp offerings are based on the grade that students are currently in as of May 1st.
Transportation: Drop-off and pick-up sites are available for students enrolled in the Washington County school system and surrounding areas. Transportation is offered at no cost. Pick-up locations include the following elementary schools: Stewart, Lincoln, Mid-Prairie East, Mid-Prairie West, Riverside, and Keota, along with Highland Middle School and WACO Junior High School.
Limited scholarships are also available to students who qualify for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program. Scholarship would cover camp tuition cost and materials fees.
Space is limited so register now! www.kirkwood.edu/kirkwoodforkids
Being a great babysitter is more than just watching kids! This class is designed with the beginner babysitter in mind. Students will learn important skills such as first aid, infant and child CPR, what to do in case of choking, safety issues, diaper changing, games and easy meal ideas. Learners must be at least 10 years old to register.
Tuition: $30
Date: 03/21/2020, Saturday
Time: 9am - 1pm
Whether it is your behind or the bottle that is in the air, yoga and beer can bring enlightenment. Put them together and you have, well, a good time! Join a talented Blissed Out Movement instructor as she leads students through stretches, (while sipping), and bends (with beers) in a fun social environment you likely haven't experienced before. Do Happy Hour and Yoga as you have never done before! You might just think to yourself "NAMAST' AY for another!" Designed for beginners and experts alike. Must be 21 to attend.
Tuition: $18
Date:03/23/2020, Monday
Time: 6pm-7:30pm
Washington County Historical Tour: Southeast Region - Part 1
The historical tour of Washington County continues! This NEW 2-part bus tour will focus on the Southeast portion of Washington County. Join local historian Mike Zahs as he shares little-known facts, interesting historical stories, and colorful commentary about the people and places that make up the Southeastern portion of Washington County. This tour will expand to regions of the county that were not covered in previous fall tours.
Tuition: $20
Date: 04/19/2020, Sunday
Time: 2:30pm - 6pm
This class is for those that were arrested for an OWI over the age of 18. Class is designed to help each person reduce risk for any type of alcohol or drug problem by helping them understand and accept the need to make necessary changes to reduce the risk for future problems. The class meets state requirements under sections 321J.2 and 321J.17, Subsection 2, and is open to anyone wishing to better understand their problem. Students with limited English proficiency must provide their own interpreter.
Tuition: $180
Date: 04/24/2020 - 04/25/2020, Friday and Saturday
Time: 6pm - 10pm & 8am - 5pm
Riding a moped is fun and a great way to get you to where you need to go, but awareness of safety and the rules of the road is a priority. This six-hour classroom education course is required for anyone under 16 prior to being issued a license to operate a moped. This course satisfies the Iowa Department of Transportation requirements.
Tuition: $39
Date: 04/25/2020, Saturday
Time: 8am - 2:30pm
Washington County Historical Tour - Part 2
The historical tour of Washington County continues! This tour is the second in a 2-part bus tour series and will focus on the Southeast portion of Washington County. Join local historian Mike Zahs as he shares little-known facts, interesting historical stories, and colorful commentary about the people and places that make up the Southeastern portion of Washington County. This tour will expand to regions of the county that were not covered in previous fall tours.
Tuition: $20
Date: 04/26/2020, Sunday
Time: 2:30pm - 6pm
Follow us on Facebook for more information on Kirkwood for Kids and upcoming continuing education classes.
To register, click on the class title you want to take. If you have any questions or concerns please call Bridgett Arreola at 319-653-4655
Connect With Us
Email: washingtoncounty@kirkwood.edu
Website: www.kirkwood.edu/washingtonregional
Location: 2192 Lexington Boulevard, Washington, IA, USA
Phone: 319-653-4655
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kirkwoodwashingtonco/
Twitter: @KirkwoodWash