Latest news with #LCSC
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Adair honored with LCSC Crystal Berry award for staff
'We lied to you,' Logansport Community School Corporation superintendent Michele Starkey gleefully said when Jeannie Adair walked into the board room, paused and looked with confusion at the colleagues, friends and family members assembled. And then her three grandchildren ran across the room and leapt into Adair's arms. The reason for the surprise gathering was to recognize Adair as the winner of this year's staff Crystal Berry Award. At the end of each school year, LCSC honors a teacher and a staff member with an award. This year's Crystal Berry for teaching went to Fairview Elementary's Holly Miller. 'Jeannie epitomizes what it means to be a Logansport Berry,' said Starkey. 'When people first come to work at Logansport, she is the first person they meet. She's there to help them do a lot of different things. She would do anything to help anybody.' Adair has been part of the school corporation for nearly 31 years. She started in migrant education before moving into human resources. In that role, she works with new teachers and employees, oversees teacher licensing and other credentials and paper work. She was born in Logansport, went through the LCSC school system and is a Berry fan. 'This is amazing because I love Logansport so much,' Adair said. 'I think it's a great award for the staff—both the certified and the classified—because everyone puts in a lot of hours to make sure our kids have the best education. (People) don't see the business side of that.' Adair said that at this time of year many people congratulate her for making it through another school year, however, for human resources they are entering their busiest season as teachers and staff join the school corporation or transition into new roles. 'I can't say enough about the people who work in this corporation,' she said. 'It's been an amazing journey to work with some of the best educators I've been around who really care for students and administrators. And I can't say enough about Michele. She is by far the best. The way she cares for the students in our corporation and the staff is amazing. She has our backs. She always has our backs.' Adair will retire at the end of the year. Christi Owens and Lori Lange will take over in the HR department. 'They are going to do a great job but they have big shoes to fill as they know,' Starkey said.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Critchfield: Getting teachers to the right locale is the problem
May 1—Idaho doesn't have a teacher supply problem, Idaho has a teacher distribution problem, says Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield. Critchfield and staff were at Lewis-Clark State College on Wednesday to run an Educator Career Fair, which she hoped would help rural and remote schools attract students. "Lewiston and Coeur d'Alene have less trouble attracting teachers than Kamiah and Orofino and some of the more off-the-beaten-path districts," Critchfield said. Fair attendance was light, but all seven of the school districts represented — from Desmet in the north to Council in the south — had quality chats with people handing out resumes. One nearly-minted teacher is actually hunting for a more rural post. "I feel ready to go," said Taylor Wilkinson, 22, who graduates this month with an elementary education and special education degree from LCSC. Wilkinson has earned her confidence from LCSC's education program. She has already taught at three different schools through a lengthy student teaching program. "We stand out because we do a full year of student teaching," she said. Wilkinson could be just what a school like the Coeur d'Alene Tribal School in Desmet needs.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Chinese temple gets new home
Mar. 27—A rare Chinese temple from the Gold Rush era will continue to be on display in Lewiston, but it's going to have a new home. Artifacts from the Beuk Aie Temple are moving from the Lewis-Clark State College Center for Arts and History to the Nez Perce County Historical Society and Museum, which has plans for a new building to house the collection. Representatives from LCSC and the historical society met Wednesday afternoon to sign an agreement and formalize the transfer of a shrine built in 1890 by Chinese immigrants who came to this region to search for gold. Dan Miller, president of the Nez Perce County Historical Society, said a new building is slated for the museum campus to house the collection, and it should be completed in two years or so. While the project is underway, an exhibit will be available for public viewing in the main museum. "This is a big moment for us," Miller said, unrolling a blueprint of future plans for the Beuk Aie Temple. "This is our dream." The temple was originally on the former C Street until 1959, when the building was razed. Fortunately, several Lewiston residents preserved its contents, including a wooden altar carved with dragons, phoenixes, pomegranates and Chinese characters, and an ornate lantern that is fueled with peanut oil. The exhibit also includes cooking utensils, mining tools and items used in daily life during the time period when Chinese immigrants were here carving out a living here during the gold rush. Mike Mossler, of Clarkston, helped move the artifacts from their original home to a garage more than five decades ago, before the collection became public. He and other family members preserved a piece of history that will help future generations learn about Idaho's early Chinese residents. "I think we have the only authentic altar cloth in all of North America," Mossler told the Lewiston Tribune at the brief ceremony. "I have photos of my father and brother and me moving the items before the building was torn down." LCSC officials said the agreement between the college and the museum was made in close consultation with the Beuk Aie Temple Advisory Committee and at the request of the historical society. "It has been LC State's honor and privilege to serve as the custodial home and caretaker of this important part of our community's history and Chinese American heritage for over three decades," LCSC President Cynthia Pemberton said in a news release. Daily headlines, straight to your inboxRead it online first and stay up-to-date, delivered daily at 7 AM "This is important history that must be preserved for future generations, and we are grateful to the Nez Perce County Historical Society for its keen interest and expertise in doing just that. Transferring the temple to the historical society will preserve its quality care and allow increased public access to this important historical collection." When gold was discovered near Pierce in the 1860s, thousands of miners, including those of Chinese descent, rushed to this region. Most of the Chinese men who came to the area were from the Toishan district of China's Guangdong Province. They brought with them their religion, a form of Taosim that combined elements of Confucianism and Buddhism with traditional folk practices and mythology. In 1890, a temple was built to serve as their house of worship. The temple remained for 69 years. In 1991, LCSC acquired the historic First Security Bank on Main Street, and it became home to the Center for Arts and History. Shortly afterward, the Beuk Aie Temple Society contributed the century-old artifacts to the college. After extensive cleaning and restoration, the collection was dedicated in 1994. The three-room exhibit on the second floor remained open until a fire forced its closure in 2009. The display was reopened in 2013. Several years ago, the college and historical society entered into a joint cooperative agreement to support the preservation of the temple. This agreement covered display, accessibility, preservation, maintenance, storage, and established an advisory committee. According to a news release, the advisory committee conducted a thorough assessment of the exhibit last year and identified the need for additional renovation. "Currently the Nez Perce County Historical Society has a certified curator, has doubled the size of its campus, and is prepared to manage all aspects of the Chinese community's history," members wrote in a letter of request to LCSC. The museum, located at the corner of Third and Capital streets, has always featured exhibits that pertain to the area's 1860s Chinese influence and ongoing Chinese American heritage, officials said. The Beuk Aie Temple artifacts are expected to greatly expand and complement existing displays. The historical society and museum representatives estimate the Beuk Aie Temple altar will be ready for display by June 1. The rest of the Beuk Aie Temple exhibit will be displayed in a separate building after it is constructed on the museum campus. Sandaine can be reached at kerris@
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Yahoo
Second chance school: LCSC's prison education program helps inmates in Orofino
Feb. 16—OROFINO — Lance Barnes is almost halfway through a 10-year prison sentence at the Idaho Correctional Institution in Orofino. He's also in his third semester as a student at Lewis-Clark State College. "I certainly didn't think I would be coming to prison to educate myself," Barnes said. Barnes, who's now 42 and a student with a 4.0 GPA, is one of roughly 150 student inmates at facilities in Orofino, Pocatello and Boise receiving a college education through LCSC. The program started as a pilot with the United States Department of Education about three years ago, said Cynthia Pemberton, the president of LCSC. In the U.S., prisoners were allowed to receive federal Pell Grants for their education, until it was banned in 1994. The Second Chance Pell Grant reintroduced the possibility in 2015. The college first applied as an experimental Pell Grant site for prison education in 2022, and became the first in the state to be approved by the Department of Education in October. Getting approved was no small feat, Pemberton said. Prison education programs need to be set up entirely separate from the rest of the institution's programming. Everything — from how information technology was delivered, to courses both in-person and online, to applications for admissions, to the ability to apply for financial aid — had to be in place just to be able to apply as a prison education program, she said. "We made history for this institution," Pemberton said. Students in the program say the classes are helping them gain confidence, and prove to themselves and their families that they can rise to a challenge. Barnes is taking three classes this spring: math, English and business marketing. "A lot of us have been talking to our families for a long time about change, but not really showing them," Barnes said. "So, this is proof." Multiple meta-analyses have shown that inmates who participated in correctional education programs had lower odds of reoffending than those who did not. "There's a lot of people who have been here five times, and I'm convinced aren't going to come back again because of this experience," said 28-year-old Dakota Turner. Turner, another student, is eight years into his 13-year sentence. He's taking classes in accounting, business leadership, English and business marketing. Turner said he made some bad decisions when he was younger. This time around, he wants to make the most of the chance he's given. "Second chances are hard to come by. I feel like this was my second chance at an education," he said. "I know how much it hurt me going through high school and forfeiting that opportunity. So, I really wanted to make the most of it now." Students say classes also provide structure, and give them something positive to talk about when they call their families back home. "We have very limited visits," Turner said. "So, they don't really see the change in person. Being able to hear that over the phone, it gives them hope for the future." Both Turner and Barnes said one of their biggest goals is to be able to return with the skills to contribute to their families and communities. Daily headlines, straight to your inboxRead it online first and stay up-to-date, delivered daily at 7 AM Barnes will be coming home to a daughter and stepchildren, he said. Turner said he hopes to reconnect to his family. He wants to be a mentor to people who've gone through similar experiences as him, he said. "I want to be a part of my family again, and I want to have kids," Turner said. "I want to be able to show them the way in this life, having lived on both sides of the fence." LCSC's prison education program graduated three students in Orofino last year. An additional five students in Orofino, and two in Boise, are expected to graduate this spring. Two more students who were released from prison are now taking in-person classes on campus, said Dovie Willey, the college's adult and corrections education director. "They were very successful in that transition process. They have jobs, and they're back completing their education," she said. For students who complete their degrees before finishing their sentences, graduation ceremonies are held with faculty administration at the correctional facilities. Those ceremonies are done the same way they would be for any other students, Pemberton said, with full regalia, speeches and music. Families are invited to come watch and celebrate students' accomplishments. "I still remember the conversations with the families," said Andy Hanson, senior vice president at LCSC. "There was kind of a new hope. They were so proud." Barnes said he and his older brother took a similar path, and are both incarcerated. He said prison education has helped him find new ways to deal with challenges. "I didn't really know how to ask for help. And I didn't trust people," Barnes said. "To be at a place where I feel like there's people that I can trust, and my opinions are valued, my thoughts are valued — gaining that sense of community has made me think about others more than just thinking about myself." Kent Shriver, deputy warden of operations, said within the facility, educational opportunities improve behavior among inmates — even those who aren't leaving anytime soon. He's noticed incarcerated people at his facility are able to find community and connection in their classes and study groups. They're happier, and more hopeful, he said. "If I'm having a bad day, I just come to the school because everybody's excited," he said. "Everybody loves what they're doing. They're all, 'Hey, how you doing?' They want to shake your hand." The program also has the potential to keep going as long as there's enough instructors, Pemberton said. The program's principal funding comes from federal financial aid, alongside some charitable donations. "We built a business model that would demonstrate how many students we needed, what that revenue generation would be, and what the cost associated with delivering the program would be," Pemberton said. "(We) had to make sure the program could pay for itself. And it does." Students in the program are required to meet the same requirements and take the same placement tests as regular students, Pemberton said. While some instructors were initially uncertain about teaching prison education classes, Wiley said many now relish the opportunity. "Everybody's a little nervous about going into a facility because they think of what they've seen on TV," she said. "Once they've started their classes, they are just so impressed." Sun may be contacted at rsun@ or on Twitter at @Rachel_M_Sun. This report is made in partnership with Northwest Public Broadcasting, the Lewiston Tribune and the Moscow-Pullman Daily News.
