education

Press release:

Dear STEM educators and friends of STEM,

The Finger Lakes STEM Hub is pleased to announce the application for the 2018 STEM Program Awards is now OPEN! The goal of this recognition event is to honor exemplary STEM programs in our community, and to inspire others to incorporate STEM opportunities in their work with youth.

Who is Eligible? Classrooms, schools, districts, and afterschool programs from the STEM Hub’s nine-county service area: Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates counties, that incorporate STEM education into their curriculum.

How to Apply? Complete the application on the Finger Lakes STEM Hub website: http://www.empirestem-fl.org/ Award categories are based on the NYS STEM Quality Rubric, also found on our website, and applicants self-select their program’s level of achievement in each of the 9 categories, highlighting what their program does best! Applications must be received by March 1.

When is the STEM Program Awards Event? The awards dinner reception is Wednesday, May 16^th from 5-8 p.m. at the Rochester Museum and Science Center’s Riedman Gallery.

Is There a Cost to Apply or Attend? There is no cost to apply for this recognition event. Applicants receive two complimentary tickets for the dinner reception. Additional tickets can be purchased for $36 each beginning in April.

If you, or someone you know, is inspiring kids through STEM education, please apply! For questions or to learn more, visit the Finger Lakes STEM Hub’s 2018 STEM Program Awards webpage: http://www.empirestem-fl.org/

Nadia Harvieux

STEM Program Award Committee

Finger Lakes STEM Hub

Students from Byron-Bergen Jr./Sr. High School who are participating in Sandy Auer's pottery classes traveled to Rochester today for the class's annual visit to the Flower City Arts Center, where they could experience throwing pottery for a first time on a pottery wheel. The students then work with Mrs. Auer one-on-one in class throwing their own pottery pieces. 

"It's a great experience for the students," Mrs. Auer said.

Photos and info provided by Byron-Bergen High School.

Submitted photo and press release:

A big part of what makes Genesee Community College special are the 50 or more student clubs available to enrich any student's college experience.

On Tuesday, Feb. 13, each of the student clubs will be showcased at the annual Club Fair. Each club will have representatives at booths from 11:30 a.m. 'til 2 p.m. in the Batavia Campus Forum. All GCC students are encouraged to visit the club booths, ask questions, join the clubs and "Go for the Gold"!

Speaking of the Gold, this year, there will be something a little extra at the Club Fair. GCC's Multicultural Communications Club will host Olympic Gold Medalist Cathy Turner! Turner, in photo above, will be at the Club Fair to meet the students, sign autographs and pose for photos!

Turner is a two-time Gold Medalist in short track speed skating (1992 and 1994), and a Silver and Bronze Medalist as anchor of the 3000m Relay Team. She is one of only two people ever to win Gold Medals in consecutive Winter Olympic Games. With a total of four medals, she ranks fourth for the most medals ever won by a Winter Olympian.

Multi-talented and outgoing, Turner enjoys combining her Olympic success and her amazing story to motivate people of all ages whenever she has the opportunity. Nine years after retiring from her sport to pursue a professional singing career, Turner returned to speed skating and competed in the 1992 Olympic Games. Her childhood dream of winning an Olympic Gold Medal was now within her grasp.

Critics scoffed at the notion that a woman in her 20s could overcome such a tremendous setback, especially being away from the sport so long. Turner proved them wrong by making her dream a reality, winning both Gold and Silver medals in the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville, France. Draped in the American flag, Turner took her much-deserved "Victory Lap" with the whole world watching.

She retired immediately after the 1992 Games, only to make a stunning comeback just seven months prior to the 1994 Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway. Once again, her amazing determination and strong will prevailed as she added two more medals to her collection -- a Gold and Bronze. Once again, Turner challenged herself and came out of retirement in 1998 and earned fifth place in the 3000m Relay in her third Olympics in Nagano, Japan.

Turner wrote a chapter in a book entitled, "Awaken the Olympian Within." Her chapter is entitled "See it, believe it, be it." To Turner, "See it, believe it, be it" were essential steps in fulfilling her lifelong dream.

Turner now works as a database administrator at PAYCHEX in Rochester and focuses on her two daughters Britney, 18 and Bayli, 17. Like their Mom, both are very athletic and have participated in many sports including Tae Kwon Do (with Mom), skiing, tennis, gymnastics and of course, speed skating. Bayli is currently a level-10 (out of 10) gymnast, which now has Turner traveling to meets on weekends just like her own parents did for her. Her daughter, Britney, was on the high school tennis team since middle school and is now a sophomore at Ithaca College with a double major, Film Production and German.

Press release:

Want to appreciate the challenge of accurate weather predictions? Understand world events? Or improve your business communications? You can learn all of these things and more with late start, 12-week classes at GCC. Register now for the session which begins Feb. 12.

GCC offers more than 30 classes in a variety of subjects during the 12-week session with many courses offered online. Here are a few of the options:

* Introduction to Meteorology (MET101): Stop blaming the weatherman and learn for yourself how to read weather maps and charts; how to observe, study, and predict storm systems; and how fronts develop, as well as thunderstorms and tornadoes.

* International Relations (POS203): Examine interactions on the global stage and discern recurring patterns including the rise and fall of great powers. This online course is taught by Professor Charles Scruggs and will cover everything from nuclear proliferation to terrorism.

* Business Communications (BUS106): Explore integrated communications and strategy as best applied in a business context. This online course is taught by Professor Lauren Paisley.

Check out all the course offerings at http://www.genesee.edu/courses/schedule/. To apply online for classes at any of Genesee Community College's seven campus locations, new students should go to http://www.genesee.edu/Admissions or call the Admissions office at 585-345-6800.

Besides the 12-week session, GCC also offers late start eight-week classes, which begin March 19.

The community is also invited to check out GCC at an upcoming Open House or Friday Visit Day at the Batavia Campus.

--- The Open House is an opportunity to tour the college which includes seeing College Village, our new Student Success Center and the Richard C. Call Arena (athletic facility). In addition, attendees will meet representatives from all student services offices and can choose to attend a financial aid session.

--- Friday Visit Days are another great opportunity to visit GCC! During a Friday Visit attendees will learn about applying to GCC, receiving financial aid, take a tour of campus and sit in on a college class!

Batavia Campus Open Houses

March 7 ~ 5 to 7 p.m.

April 14 ~  9 to 11 a.m.

Friday Visit Days (at Batavia Campus)

March 2 -- 9 a.m. to noon

(Saturday) April 14 -- 9 to 11 a.m.

March 23 -- 9 a.m. to noon

April 20 --  9 a.m. to noon

May 4 -- 9 a.m. to noon

"There's only one way to really experience GCC and that's to visit our main campus or one of our campus centers," said Virginia (Ginny) Taylor, Ph.D., vice president for Student and Enrollment Services.

"We hope many people take advantage of these opportunities to check us out and see what makes GCC a great place to learn. We are devoted to helping students of all ages achieve their goals."

Press release:

Children who reside in the Oakfield-Alabama Central School District and who will be 4 years old by Dec. 1, 2018 are eligible to be registered for our Universal Pre-Kindergarten program for the 2018-2019 school year.

The children attend five days per week, each day, for 180 days, at no cost to you.

Transportation is provided for students who are 4 years old. Students that start the program at 3 years old must be transported by the family until they turn 4 years old.

We will have full-day and half-day classes available. Full day hours are 8:35 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and half day hours are 8:35-11:30 a.m.

Registration packets have been mailed. If you do not receive a packet by Feb. 12, please call the elementary office at 585-948-5211, ext. 3211, or email kfisher@oahornets.org to request one. 

Registration paperwork needs to be returned by mail or in person to the Elementary Office by March 9. Space is limited so please return your paperwork as soon as possible in order to avoid being placed on a wait list.

Alexander Central School hosted a Health and Wellness Fair on Thursday night sponsored by Alexander United Teachers.

Meghan Ripstein said the organization was looking for a way to give back to the community and she hoped families and vendors would find something at the fair that they could get involved in or find something missing from their lives.

She said the response was beyond expectations.

"We have a great turnout," she said. "We have so many incredible vendors here and so many people have given so much. I’m very impressed and overwhelmed by the support that we’ve gotten."

Press release:

The BEST (Business and Employee Skills Training) Center at Genesee Community College has released its SAT Prep course schedule. The SAT Prep course is designed to prepare students for the English and Math components of the SAT exam.

The course familiarizes students with the format of the exam and provides practice using questions similar to those that will appear on the SAT. In preparation for the English component, course participants will practice critical reading, sentence completion, grammar usage and writing. The Math component practice will focus on pre-algebra, algebra and geometry.

The SAT Prep course costs $149 per participant, which includes the course prep textbook. Participants are required to bring their own calculators.

The BEST Center will offer the SAT Prep course at three locations this year -- Warsaw, Lima and Dansville. Each course will consist of six sessions totaling 18 hours. Participants are encouraged to sign up now for one of the following courses:

GCC's Warsaw Campus Center -- 115 Linwood Ave, Warsaw

Thursday evenings beginning March 1 through April 5 from 6 - 9 p.m.

Register for this session by Feb. 22.

GCC's Lima Campus Center -- 7285 Gale Road, Lima

Tuesday evenings beginning March 20 through May 1 from 6 - 9 p.m.

Register for this session by March 13.

GCC's Dansville Campus Center -- 31 Clara Barton St., Dansville

Thursday evenings beginning April 26 through May 31 from 6 - 9 p.m.

Register for this session by April 19.

To register for any of the SAT Prep courses, please visit www.bestcenter.org or call (585) 345-6868.

Press release:

Enrollment is open at Genesee Community College for the spring semester and it is focused on preparing students for the region's specific job opportunities.

The entire schedule of more than 500 courses is available athttps://www.genesee.edu/courses/schedule/. Search by subject, location, term or time of day. With classes starting on Tuesday, Jan. 16, the time to enroll is now!

A study by Economic Modeling Specialists Inc. (EMSI) predicts an 18-percent increase in the number of medical assistant jobs in our region from 2016 to 2023. This semester, there are seven medical-related courses available to kick off a high-demand career by earning for Medical Office Assistant Certificate usually in one year, or a Medical Administrative Assistant, AAS degree in approximately two years.

GCC's other healthcare related degrees are also on the list of EMSI's high-demand careers. Physical therapist assistants, nurses, respiratory care therapists, sleep technologists and veterinary technologists are all great options for long-term career success.

"Healthcare education remains a priority here at GCC. We have excellent professors and instructors, and with state-of-the-art labs and our small class sizes, students' hands-on learning is second to none!" Virginia (Ginny) Taylor, Ph.D., vice president for Student & Enrollment Services said.

"Sometimes people forget that the spring semester is a great time to launch new career aspirations and academic goals."

For those interested in website development career, basic HTML coding and web page design is covered in Web Publishing (CIS113). Microcomputers (CIS116) and Programming and Problem Solving (CIS125) are also offered this spring semester. ESMI projects more than 125 new job opportunities in this sector in the GLOW (Genesee, Livingston, Ontario and Wyoming) region in the next six years making a Web Design certificate or associate degree a perfect resume builder.

Supply chain management is a key element to every major industry today. To get started on this career, consider a Business Administration: Supply Chain Management, AAS degree which can be earned entirely online. Begin with Principles of Business Logistics (BLM101), which reviews the efficient and cost effective flow of everything from initial raw materials to finished products.

Specifically, students cover accurate and timely information sharing, purchasing, transportation and distribution management, warehousing and inventory controls and so much more. Register today as classes are filling up!

In addition to courses at all seven campus locations in Albion, Arcade, Batavia, Dansville, Lima, Medina and Warsaw, GCC offers more than 150 online courses.

With so many concentrations to choose from and so many online opportunities, making a personal appointment with GCC student success coach is a perfect way to start the conversation about what is best for you. Call 585-345-6805 to set up an appointment or email SSC@geneseee.edu.

Press release:

More than 200 local high school students will be participating in the inaugural Health Career Day at Genesee Community College in Batavia on Tuesday, Jan. 9^th.

The event is from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will provide Genesee County students the opportunity to learn about high-growth and high-demand health careers and meet with medical professionals from over 10 different fields, including laboratory technologists, first responders, nurses, physical therapists, sonographers, radiologists and more.

Students will also participate in the Health Care College and Career Fair in the William W. Stuart Forum from 12 to 1 p.m., where they will meet with representatives from more than 20 colleges and health care providers.

The BEA Health Career Day is a special collaboration between the Genesee County Business Education Alliance (BEA), Rochester Regional Health United Memorial Medical Center, Genesee Community College Accelerated College Enrollment Programs, and the Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation.

Our mission is to promote employment opportunities with tomorrow’s workforce, as jobs in healthcare occupations is projected to grow 19 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations. The BEA Health Career Day will help secure the health and wellness of Genesee County for generations to come.

For more information, contact Genesee County Business Education Alliance Director Karyn Winters at KWinters@GeneseeNY.com or 343-7440.

Press release:

Genesee Community College will host a Recruitment Open House for the Nursing Program from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 24, at GCC's Medical Technology Building in Batavia.

GCC invites anyone interested in joining the GCC Nursing Program faculty to come to the open house and meet Director of Nursing, Laurel Sanger, Human Resources Recruiters and members of the Nursing Program Faculty team.

At this time, GCC is recruiting for full-time positions in the fields of obstetrics, pediatrics, mental-health and medical-surgical. In addition to these, GCC is continuously recruiting for adjunct clinical instructors.

Details on these career opportunities are available here.

GCC's Nursing Program Faculty members work in an innovative and supportive environment using state-of-the-art nursing laboratories and are able to participate in clinical placements in Buffalo, Batavia and Rochester. Our faculty members enjoy a superior benefits package and a culture that encourages personal and professional growth and development.

If this sounds like the environment for you, RSVP via email to hr@genesee.edu or by calling (585) 345-6808 today and come check out the facility on Jan. 24. Walk-ins are also welcome. Qualified applicants must have or obtain a master's degree in Nursing by Aug. 31, 2019. Concentrations in Nursing Education are preferred but not required.

Press release:

The Adult Educational Opportunity Center (AEOC) has announced a yearlong schedule of open monthly sessions designed to get anyone started on their way to a college degree!

These sessions will be held at Genesee Community College's Batavia Campus at One College Road, Batavia.

As with all AEOC Services, these sessions are FREE and available both by appointment and walk-in! During these sessions, the AEOC's Outreach Specialists will help potential college applicants with a variety of services, including:

Financial Aid Counseling: help completing the FAFSA, understanding various financial aid options including student loans and Pell grants, retrieving transcripts, and assistance with special circumstance applications.

Enrollment Assistance: completing college applications or enrollment forms, ACT Test registration and completing Entrance Exam Prep through Accuplacer. 

Veterans Services: AEOC outreach specialists are trained to assist any veteran in navigating services available for higher education.

Appointments and walk-in sessions will be held in the Conable Technology Building at GCC's Batavia Campus. Both appointment and walk-in sessions will be available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on each of the following days:

Wednesday, Jan. 24, in T122

Wednesday, Feb. 21, in T121

Wednesday, March 21, in T121

Wednesday, April 25, in T122

Wednesday, May 16, in T122

Wednesday, June 27, in T122

Wednesday, July 25, in T122

Wednesday, Aug. 22, in T122

Wednesday, Sept. 26, in T122

Wednesday, Oct. 24, in T122

Wednesday, Nov. 28, in T122

Wednesday, Dec. 19, in T121

Appointments are available on additional dates by request. To schedule any appointment, please email AEOC@genesee.edu or contact Adult Education Director Kate Trombley, M.S., at (585) 343-0055, ext. 6285.

It is important to note that these College Entry Point Sessions are not limited to students attending or planning to attend GCC. Anyone interested in attending any college or in need of assistance in getting started can participate. Information regarding GCC and all other area colleges will be available at these sessions.

Triton Adamski with his parents, Denise and Dale Adamski, of Corfu.

Submitted photo and press release:

Genesee Community College is excited to announce Accelerated College Enrollment (ACE) student, Triton Adamski, of Corfu, has won third place in the New York State Mathematics Association of Two-Year Colleges (NYSMATYC) Fall 2017-2018 competition!

In addition, Adamski's impressive score was combined with the other top four GCC participants for a fifth-place team win! These performances mark GCC's highest scoring individual and best team placement since 2009.

Other members of the NYSMATYC GCC team, which earned fifth place, included Tim Jackson, Kiara Santiago, Trent Osborne and Dmitri Kapitonov. The hard work of these students will position the GCC team well for the championship competition in the spring.

NYSMATYC formed the Mathematics League for NYS Two-Year Colleges in 1980 to provide a challenge and foster interest in mathematics. The league has also generated a nearly 40-year long friendly competition between two-year colleges across the state. Today, 27 two-year colleges and more than 500 students compete in the Fall and Spring competitions.

Participants take a timed exam consisting of approximately 20 mathematical questions. The top five scores from each college are combined to form the college's team score for each exam. Then, the Fall and Spring exam scores for both individuals and teams are combined to crown the academic year's champion college and individual.

Adamski is a senior at Pembroke High School and has been an ACE program participant since he won Math Science Scholar of the Year in sixth grade. He is also a member of GCC's first Math Science Preparatory Program session.

In addition to holding the highest course average in Calculus II at GCC, Adamski has earned 64 credits through the ACE program and anticipates graduating from GCC this spring with an A.S. degree in Natural Science just before earning his high school diploma!

With his 4.0 grade-point average throughout his time in the ACE program, he is ready for his next academic challenge, which will be at Rochester Institute of Technology where he has already been accepted into its Game Design and Development Program.

"Any student willing to put in the time and effort should definitely consider taking advantage of the ACE program. You can take so many different courses which really helps to figure out what you'd like to study after (high school) graduation," Adamski says. "The program also significantly reduces the number of courses you have to take when you get to college."

Adamski and all of the top performers for the Fall and Spring competitions will be recognized at the NYSMATYC's Annual Conference in April 2018. Prizes include mathematical software generously donated by the math league sponsors and mathematical and scientific journals and magazines.

Genesee Community College offers an associate degree in Mathematics, and the ACE program gives students the opportunity to earn significant college credits while still in high school.

For more information on the Accelerated College Enrollment (ACE) program, contact GCC at (585) 345-6801, or via email at ACE@genesee.edu.

Using a detection device to identify students who might have been drinking at high school dances is nothing new, said Batavia City Schools Superintendent Chris Dailey, and previous uses have gotten no pushback from students or parents.

Yesterday, The Batavian published a picture of Batavia High School receiving two new wand-like devices that act as breathalyzers to help school officials identify students who may have been drinking prior to arrival at a school dance or other social function where they might be used. The publication of the picture raised a lot of questions among readers about the legality and ethics of such devices.

Dailey said the district's first priority is the safety of the students.

"Ninety-nine point nine percent of our kids don't generally show up under the influence, so it's rather a moot point to them," Dailey said. "They're not thinking we're trying to take away their rights and we're not trying to take away their rights. We're trying to provide a safe environment for all. It's all about safety for us."

All of the complaints that surfaced after yesterday's picture publication surfaced online, Dailey said. There have been no calls to the district office and he met with high school officials today and there was no mention of complaints at the high school.

The wands donated to the school by STOP-DWI and local law enforcement are not at all invasive, Dailey said, unlike the previous alcohol sensor used by the school, which was only used if a student was suspected of drinking. The wands, Dailey said, can detect a potential use of alcohol by a person in a group of people.

"Alcohol consumption by students is something that is illegal and is not tolerated," Dailey said. "We want to make sure we provide the safest possible environment for all of our students."

That's critical, Dailey said, when you have 200 to 300 students coming together for an event.

If a student is found under the influence of alcohol at a school event, the first step, Dailey said, is to make sure the student is safe. Next, school officials call the teenager's parents.

"We reach out to the parents," Dailey said. "(the student) is not allowed to leave if under impairment and we will work with the parent so the child will learn from the mistake."

There isn't necessarily disciplinary action taken against the student.

"(It) depends on the situation," Dailey said.

As for whether the sensors violate students' rights, Dailey said, any student or parent who might be concerned about it are free to not attend the school function.

"If people choose not to come to the dance because of it, that's their choice, absolutely," Dailey said.

Today was the Holiday Give Back Day for students at Batavia Middle School who traveled throughout the community visiting more than a dozen organizations and businesses to thank them for their support of BMS and education.

Two of the visits were to Batavia PD and the Genesee County Sheriff's Office.

The students presented a bag of gifts and cards made by the students.

The first year that seniors at Batavia High School could paint personalized parking spaces was a big success, representatives of the Class of 2018 told school board members at Tuesday's meeting.

They recommended the board approve the same project for the class of 2019.

Not only were there no problems, the project raised $795 for the senior class.

“That’s probably one of the easiest fundraisers ever,” said Senior Mikey Lullo.

There were 35 spaces painted and 19 spots reserved by students.

Several faculty members wanted to get in on the act, offering as much as $200 to have their parking spaces painted by a student, but since that wasn't part of the agreement the senior class had with the board, the class declined to sell those services.

Mikey said that was one of several recommendations this year's class had for the Board of Education.

First, the biggest recommendation was that the Class of 2019 be allowed to move forward with the same program.

The students also recommended that seniors be given a whole week to get their spots painted. Two days isn't enough time when students have sports activities starting up that time of year, family vacations wrapping up, and jobs. Some students found it hard to fit in painting on just a Thursday and Friday. That meant some of them painted over the weekend, which technically was against the rules, but Lullo said the board should consider that there were no problems as a result and all of the students (many accompanied by parents) were respectful.

The few problems encountered by the students were minor, the students said. Lauren Leone said one time some garbage got left behind but other students took care of it right away. There was also an incident after the first snowfall where one student parked in another student's spot, but that was quickly resolved. Nobody purposefully caused a problem with another student over parking.

The project was also successful, Mickey said, because it helped raise senior class spirit.

"It was so great," she said. "Even though I didn’t paint a parking spot, I was just there helping other people, and it was so relaxing, just getting to paint and be with each other before senior year started."

Photo: Amand Patel, Lauren Leone, Mikey Lullo, and Kiara Cherry.

The Batavia City School District Board of Trustees handed out its monthly awards at the start of its meeting Tuesday night. 

Sarah Gahagan and Lindsey Leone – Outstanding Staff Award

I just wanted to pass along praise for Sarah Gahagan and Lindsey Leone for their hard work and dedication to making the B-Squad program a success. My son participated in the program and he learned so much from it. Sarah and Lindsey perfectly balanced physical fitness, community involvement, career development, and social responsibility with this program.

They kept the participants motivated and taught life lessons that would be hard to duplicate in a classroom setting. I imagine they spent a significant amount of their personal time on this program and wanted to recognize their efforts with the administration. Please know that they are assets to BCSD and the City of Batavia who have made a difference in the lives of these young men. -- Nominated by Jill Halpin, Parent

Shirley Boyd – Outstanding Staff Award

Shirley always goes above and beyond for all students; not just the ones she works directly with in the inclusive classroom. She is patient and very receptive to the students’ needs. She takes on additional responsibilities that are not required of her throughout the entire school. She is more than willing to assist the teachers she works with directly and those that she does not. Shirley takes time out of her personal schedule to build relationships with students that need it most. She is truly an amazing individual we are blessed to have her on board. --Nominated by Laura Kaczmarek & Cindy Morgan

The board also presented a proclamation to Caryn Wood for the Drama's Club's successful production of "Sally Cotter and the Censored Stone." The proclamation cited the cast and crew and said the show "exceeded all expectations of a high school drama performance, bringing laughter, jest, and extreme entertainment to the audience it gathered for this event."

(Photo: Dublin Castle in Ireland.)

Submitted photos and press release:

Genesee Community College is excited to announce the addition of a new study abroad opportunity to the 2018 10-week summer session course list. This program will consist of online course material and lecture and culminates in a 12-day trip to both Iceland and Ireland.

The faculty-led trip will integrate Digital Photography (PHO118) and Sociology (SOC102) into an educational and inspiring exploration to compare European and American cultures and social observations and capturing them through the lens of the camera. Exposure to the daily European life and the images they will document are invaluable learning tools for understanding cultural differences and creating a better future for themselves and others.

GCC faculty members Josephine Kearney, assistant professor of Sociology and Human Services and Heather Jones, associate professor of Fine Arts will guide the students during their excursion from June 19 through June 30 (exact travel dates may change). While traveling, they will visit many historic landmarks including The Book of Kells, Trinity College, Dublin Castle and Blue Lagoon. They will also get to witness the breathtaking volcanic landscapes and geo-thermal pools of the region.

"We look forward to another excellent summer traveling and exploring the Icelandic and Irish cultures on our journey," Jones said.

The trip costs $4,790 per participant and includes all flights and public transportation, hotel stays, breakfast and dinner each day and scheduled guided events. Tuition for the six college credits is not included and is to be paid separately. Financial Aid is available for eligible students for course tuition.

The trip is limited to 20 participants, so interested students or community members are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible. Additional information on the study abroad program is available at https://www.genesee.edu/home/academics/study-abroad/icelandireland/

"A study abroad experience transforms the lives of the students forever," Kearney added.

Applications are being accepted until March 31, 2018. To participate in the study abroad program, contact Associate Professor of Fine Arts Heather Jones at (585) 343-0055, ext. 6448, or via email: hjones@genesee.edu or Assistant Professor of Sociology & Human Services Josephine Kearney at (585) 343-0055, ext. 6344, or via email: jkearney@genesee.edu.

(Photo below: Blue Lagoon in Iceland.)

Submitted photos and press release:

The students at St. Joseph Catholic School took part in one of the largest learning events in history! More than 100 million students in 180 countries participated in the Hour of Code during Computer Science Education week which was Dec. 4^th – 10^th.

The kindergarten through fifth-grade classes spent their time in the computer lab with their technology teacher, Mrs. Paserk, directing robots, “Switch and Glitch,” through different scenarios to save their captain.

The middle school students worked on the “Robot Rattle” activity, programming a robot to make different movements to complete tasks.

Although these activities may seem fun to these students, what many don’t realize is that they are gaining problem-solving skills, logic and creativity. Mrs. Paserk will continue to work with her students on coding throughout the school year.