During a content-rich week, participants immerse themselves in classroom and field exercises to deepen teaching pedagogy. Teachers will walk away with lesson plans, resources, tools to help fit the curriculum into a classroom or virtual learning environment, and examples of place-based lesson planning.
The second Yamaha Marine Maintenance Certification Program (MCP) Instructor training was held at Prince William Sound College from May 20 to 22, 2024. Representatives from Yamaha, including Dan Jedlicka (District Service Manager) and Kenyon Ward (Workforce Development at Yamaha Marine), visited the campus to support and train educators from across the state. This visit is part of a larger initiative by Yamaha Marine and the Alaska Maritime Education Consortium (AMEC) to establish marine technical training programs across Alaska's population centers.
Prince William Sound College (PWSC) is pleased to announce it has been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for a Grants for Arts Projects award of $50,000. This grant will support the 2025 Valdez Theatre Conference (VTC). In total, the NEA will award 1,135 Grants for Arts Projects awards totaling more than $37 million as part of its second round of fiscal year 2024 grants.
The 32nd Annual Valdez Theatre Conference will be held June 8-15 this year. There will be great free public performances at the Valdez Civic Center.
We want to thank Commander Sarah Rousseau, Commanding Officer of Marine Safety Unit Valdez, for honoring us with her inspiring presence and delivering an unforgettable address to the graduating class 2024 at Prince William Sound College's commencement ceremony. Thank you, Commander Rousseau!
Congratulations to Hannah Bogdan on her graduation from PWSC today! Hannah feels proud and accomplished about graduating and expressed her gratitude to her family, Dr. Amanda Glazier, Dr. Benjamin Rush, and Martina Lohmar, for their support. She expressed her appreciation to PWSC for all the opportunities it has provided her, which she immensely enjoyed.
We are pleased to announce that PWSC's outdoor leadership students are starting their Kayak Capstone Expedition. As part of their capstone class project this academic year, the students have planned and will execute a 14-day kayak expedition from Whittier to Valdez. Dr. Benjamin Rush, assistant professor of outdoor leadership, and Carrie Abruzzo will lead this expedition. It's an exciting opportunity for the students to put their skills into practice and gain invaluable hands-on experience.
Arianna Ryan is graduating from high school and college this month, which is a remarkable achievement. As she prepares to graduate, she feels mixed emotions, including nervousness and excitement. She is proud of everything she has accomplished and is grateful for the support of her mentors, Susan Harding and Alyssa Kleissler, who have been instrumental in her success.
Five students - Hannah Bogdan, Teag Panzer, Luke Stein, J. L. Chapin, and Frank Schweers - presented their independent research projects, which were made possible through the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council and Alaska Mariculture Cluster funding. Each student's presentation offered a unique perspective on pressing environmental issues, from exploring biofouling on oyster farms at the VNT Research and Educational Mariculture site to investigating the impact of Whitetail expansion.
Great news: Dr. Teresa Barton has recently been elected to the Alaska Adult Education Association's board of directors. Dr. Barton is PWSC's Adult Education Coordinator and will add a lot of insight into board decisions.
