Communication Skills Department wins national award

At a March conference in New York City, the Communication Skills Department received an Outstanding Program in English Award from the Two-Year College English Association of the National Council of Teachers of English.

Communication Skills won the award for its three-year-old program, Envisioning Possibilities: A Writing Workshop and Essay Contest for GED Students. The program, held in conjunction with the national Make a Difference Day effort, aims to "make a difference" in the writing lives of GED students by giving them an opportunity to learn about and practice college-level writing and by awarding scholarships to promising writers.

According to the Two-Year College English Association, the award honors "the achievements of those two-year college English teachers who, together with administrators, community leaders, and/or colleagues in other disciplines or programs, create exemplary programs and initiatives to enhance language learning of students and to enable students of diverse interests and backgrounds to achieve their college, career, and personal goals."

Present in New York to receive the award were Deborah Bertsch, co-founder and coordinator of Envisioning Possibilities; Ingrid Emch, teacher of English 119, a service-learning course tied to the project; and Lisa Schneider, Communication Skills Department Chair. Jerusha McClendon, co-founder and coordinator of Envisioning Possibilities, was not in attendance but was recognized during the program.

The department received a plaque and a travel stipend to attend the conference. In addition, the project will be recognized in the journal Teaching English in the Two-Year College and on the website of the Two-Year College English Association.

Posted:  April 6, 2007

If you have any questions about this site, please contact Dr. Douglas Gray, Department Web Site Administrator.