Paige Childs, vice president of business, finance and facilities management at Piedmont Technical College (PTC), has been named Dean of the Leadership Academy of the Community College Business Officers (CCBO) professional organization. The deanship comes with an appointment to the CCBO Board of Directors. These are concurrent roles in conjunction with Childs’ present role at PTC.
The South Carolina Technical College System (SCTCS), which oversees the South Carolina Workforce Industry Needs Scholarship (SC WINS), recently added three public services programs to the list of those areas of study that are eligible for the scholarships. Made effective in the fall 2020 term, the new program areas are criminal justice, early care and education, and human services.
The arrival of Teijin Carbon Fibers (TCF) in South Carolina has had a positive economic impact on the Greenwood community, and the ripple effects of the company’s investment in the area can best be exhibited through its relationship with Piedmont Technical College (PTC). PTC officials are proud to contribute to and be at the forefront of an emerging revolution in domestic advanced manufacturing, a movement which will increase the United States’ competitiveness in the international marketplace. The strong training partnership between PTC and TCF is educating the next generation for well-paying and high-demand jobs right now while preparing the region’s workforce for incalculable opportunities in the future.
The Greenwood County Community Foundation (GCCF) recently awarded $5,000 to MODELS Academy, citing its proactive approach to community betterment through its mentoring of young African-American men. The award comprised the maximum amount the organization authorizes.
It was “Spirit Week” at Hodges Elementary School, a fun opportunity for students and staff alike to dress up. On this particular Wednesday in October, the theme was favorite school sports teams. Not to give anything away, but there was a good bit of orange represented in Ms. Kimber Burrell’s first-grade classroom. But student teacher Caroline Falls proudly sported a Piedmont Technical College (PTC) shirt, though the school might define sport a little differently.
SC Gov. Henry McMaster’s Jan. 5 announcement providing $19.9 million in emergency CARES Act funding to support education included $8 million for institutions in the SC Technical College System to provide directed job training. As a result, Piedmont Technical College (PTC) is offering several certification courses that will be available within 30 days at little or no cost for SC residents over 18.
Piedmont Technical College held a virtual graduation for its fall term graduates on Dec. 17, 2020. The college used the occasion to also recognize all graduates over the past year who have foregone in-person graduations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The graduation was broadcast live on Facebook and YouTube.
Piedmont Technical College (PTC) tutor Ian Levine understands the students who seek academic help from him. He has been there. “I was a special education student from 4th grade up to college,” he said, having been diagnosed with dyscalculia, a condition likened to math dyslexia in which sufferers have difficulty with a variety of math-related tasks such as counting backwards and performing calculations. Thanks to a federal GEAR UP grant and partnership with Laurens School Districts 55 and 56, Levine is giving back through tutoring and mentorship.
Because she embraces technologies that are friendly and familiar to college-age students, Meredith Brown might be the Piedmont Technical College (PTC) instructor most likely to teach a lesson using an application like TikTok. And if outstanding course evaluations are any indicator, the psychology instructor’s students clearly adore her. You might say she speaks their language, and the engagement that results is just one reason Brown was selected to receive the top Faculty Member Award for 2020 from the SC Association of Technical College Commissioners (SCATCC). The announcement was made during a virtual awards ceremony on Jan. 26, 2021.
