Hot Springs, Arkansas – National Park College (NPC) will be closed Monday, August 15 until 11:00 a.m. for faculty and staff professional development workshops. Offices will resume normal business hours Tuesday, August 16. Registration is open now. Classes begin August 17.
Hot Springs, Arkansas – National Park College (NPC) President, Dr. John Hogan supports the Arkansas Division of Higher Education (ADHE) proposal to amend the higher education funding formula to an outcomes based model. Governor Asa Hutchinson announced his support for the plan. The Governor’s office released a statement Thursday announcing details about pending changes to the higher education funding formula. The ADHE Coordinating Board met Friday and approved the Higher Education Productivity Funding Model, which includes placing an increased emphasis on completion of a degree rather than a sole focus on increasing enrollment.
Hot Springs, Arkansas – Congressman Bruce Westerman hosted a public town hall meeting Thursday following National Park College’s Adult Education Workforce Alliance for Growth in the Economy (W.A.G.E.™) advisory committee meeting. Business and community leaders met before the town hall to discuss updates about the W.A.G.E.™ program and recognized new W.A.G.E.™ partners, Representative Mickey Gates with The Stonebridge Collection, the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store, and Safe Haven Women’s Shelter. Students from Shalom Women’s Shelter were recognized for earning W.A.G.E.™ certificates, including Audrey Gibson, Angel Race and Charis Smith.
Hot Springs, Arkansas – The National Park College (NPC) Foundation hosted their quarterly board meeting Thursday in the Southside Student Center. Les Warren presided over his first meeting as the newly elected Foundation Board Chair. Warren was elected to the seat in April, following past Chair Raymond Wright. Foundation Vice Chair, Dennis Smith and Secretary/Treasurer, Bill Creason were also elected in April. Other members of the Foundation Board include Franklin Bass, Laryssa Blunt, Mike Bush, Caroline Campbell, Sally Carder, Brenda Cox, Denise Davis, Ted Ericson, Ann Hair, John Hogan, Bob Megahan, Don Munro, Lance Porter, Senator Bill Sample, Bryan Smith, Gary Troutman, and Representative John Vines. Warren expressed his appreciation to past Chair Raymond Wright for his vision and leadership. He presented Wright with a commemorative gavel.
Hot Springs, Arkansas – The National Park College (NPC) Talent Search program received a grant renewal for an additional five years. The total grant award is $1,399,200.00. NPC’s Talent Search program began in 1998 and serves six area public school districts, including, Lake Hamilton, Fountain Lake, Mountain Pine, Cutter Morning Star, Jessieville, and Hot Springs. The project is designed to meet four objectives, including identifying students with potential to attend college; encouraging students to complete high school and enter into a college program of study; and publicizing the availability of student financial assistance to students who pursue a college program of study. The program provides connections to high quality academic tutoring, assistance in high school course selection, completion of admissions and financial aid applications, guidance in high school or college re-entry, financial literacy sessions, career, personal and academic advising, cultural and college visitation trips, mentoring, and summer activities.
Hot Springs, Arkansas – National Park College (NPC) Pharmacy Technician Program hosted a recognition ceremony July 12 for its first class of graduates. Nineteen students began the program March 29 and will be recognized for completion of their 80-hour classroom training for pharmacy technician. Graduates include, Collene Atchley, Lauren Black, Kevin Bunch, Jean Carpenter, Jennifer Diaz, Richard Dunlap, Brandie Elledge, Katelyn Hunter, Jane Kowalkowski, Amanda Long, Amber Merritt, Briana Sport, Lorra Stinson, Melissa Stone, Dustin Tart, Jayme Vaughn, Melanie Wilder, Patricia Wright, and Jonathan Wykoff.
Hot Springs, Arkansas – National Park College’s (NPC) Innovative Technologies Center (ITC) was awarded a Regional Workforce Implementation Grant for $894,181 from the Arkansas Division of Higher Education (ADHE) this month. NPC received a $95,000 planning grant in October and began work to establish the ITC. The grant program was established through Act 1131 of 2015 and required institutions to submit proposals based on labor needs and skills gaps for regional employers. The Governor’s Workforce Cabinet selected grant recipients based on a rigorous application process that included program need, planning, community partnerships, and budgeting.
Hot Springs, Arkansas – National Park Technology Center (NPTC) will launch a new Mobile Application Development (MAD) program for high school juniors and seniors this fall. The program was approved by the Arkansas Department of Career Education last spring and will include courses in mobile application design and development for both Android and iOS, syntax, algorithms and the use of APIs. MAD coursework is entirely project based and team oriented with strong focus on internships and collaboration with business and industry partners.
Hot Springs, Arkansas – National Park College’s (NPC) Radiographic Technology program hosted a pinning and awards ceremony Thursday for graduates. This class marks the 31st graduating class for the NPC Radiologic Technology program at NPC. Ten students were recognized for completion of the program, including: Angela Bridgewater, Meghan Buser, Desiree Carranza, Laney Gibson, Memory Jerrels, Amanda Marks, Yvette Martinez, Ana Rodriguez, Aimee Lopez-Salter and Alex Snyder. Class Valedictorian, Amanda Marks addressed the crowd saying she was thankful for the “amazing instructors, technologists and radiologists at our clinical sites.” Dr. Michael Hickman from Hot Springs Radiology Services serves as the program’s medical adviser. He spoke to the graduates about the difficulty of becoming a radiologic technologist, stating that only one in 1,000 individuals accomplish it. He shared this is the 100th anniversary of radiology in Arkansas. Hickman presented the M.R. Springer Award in honor of the program’s founder, along with a $500 scholarship to Amanda Marks for her high standard of practice, scholastic achievement and personal character. Marks plans to pursue radiation oncology and was selected as one of six students for the highly competitive CARTI Radiation Therapy program.
Hot Springs, Arkansas – National Park College’s (NPC) Child Care Aware of West Central Arkansas (CCAWCA) was selected as one of 10 sites in the United States to be a part of Child Care Aware® of America’s Vroom initiative. The Vroom initiative, sponsored by the Bezos Family Foundation, helps parents across the country promote brain development in children birth to 5 years old. Vroom provides interactive tools and resources in both Spanish and English that highlight the science behind early brain development, showing parents how they can turn activities like bath time and meal time into opportunities that build their children’s brains. The Daily Vroom app provides short activities that fit into a family’s daily routine and is free to download at www.joinvroom.org.
