CWI Compass Connect - January 10, 2017
In the Spotlight
Severe winter weather may be impacting College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) regular operation recently, but that doesn’t mean all employees have been home enjoying snow days. The College’s Facilities Management team has been working tirelessly to plow parking lots and shovel sidewalks through each storm. Thank you to everyone involved in keeping CWI operating during these challenging times.
News Highlights
CWI Closed Jan. 16 for Holiday
On Monday, Jan. 16, College of Western Idaho (CWI) will be closed in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The closure will include all campus buildings, offices, and services. The College will resume regular operating hours on Tuesday (Jan. 17); which is also the start of spring semester classes.
Helping Students get a Jump Start on College
A large-scale effort to help high school students get a jump start on earning college credits continues to show great success. College of Western Idaho (CWI) recently helped 34 students from Caldwell High School collectively earn 464 credits through College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) testing at Boise State University.
CWI’s Dual Credit team has spent the past year helping Spanish-speaking high school students earn college credit through native language skills testing. Students who successfully pass CLEP testing can earn between 8 and 16 credits. The credits they earn are kept in a national database for up to 20 years, and can be transferred to a student’s institution of choice when they are ready to go to college.
“This is the second time I have brought students (to Boise State) for testing,” Claudia Beltran, the Spanish teacher at Caldwell High School, said. “This time, we have really concentrated our efforts on bringing students here who can really use the credits.”
Prior to this round of testing, CWI received a grant to facilitate the roughly $150 per-student cost associated with CLEP testing. The State of Idaho now financially backs the effort through Fast Forward funding; which is part of the effort to increase the state’s 60 percent ‘go on’ rate. CWI coordinates the testing and covers the transcription fees for students. Boise State provides students with lunch and campus tours while Caldwell School District covers transportation costs. There are no out-of-pocket costs for students.
For high school seniors like Kassandra Peralta and Darwin Lozano, who each earned the maximum 16 credits on this day, the opportunity can be life changing.
“I am the first person in my family who will graduate from high school and attend college,” Lozano, who is interested in being a congressman or possibly even a president someday, said. “I took a dual credit history class through CWI last year so this has been an interesting experience for me.”
“This will definitely make it easier for me to go through college without as many financial challenges,” Peralta, who has yet to choose between psychology and computer science, said.
To date, CWI’s Dual Credit team has helped Treasure Valley high school students earn 3,049 college credits through CLEP testing.
Buckets and a Budget: Creatively Teaching Music
CWI Impact - Buckets and a Budget
A plastic, five-gallon bucket and a simple drum head. Some of the most basic things can make a world of difference—especially when it comes to making music. A College of Western Idaho (CWI) instructor recently received these items as a gift, and he has the CWI Foundation to thank. As one of this year’s Wishing Well Fund awardees, Jeff Davis is using the budget-friendly items to creatively teach music at CWI.
On this day, Davis is using the brand-new drums to teach his students about Native American music. As he demonstrates the beat count in front of his class, students repeat the sounds he makes on their own drums. After teaching them the measures, counts, and beats, he moves around the room; giving each drum group the opportunity to showcase the freshly-learned skills. Within minutes, the sounds one would hear at a Native American powwow fill the room.
Davis’ request for the drums is one of the nine applications that were approved for funding by the Foundation’s Scholarships and Grants Committee. He was awarded $470 to purchase a dozen drums for student and community use during music-making events. The money used to support projects like this comes from community partners and CWI employees who financially contribute to program support.
“I would like to express my gratitude to the CWI Foundation and to all the generous employees of CWI who made it possible for me to receive a grant through the Wishing Well program,” Davis said. “Knowing that there is that level of support in the hearts of so many people is both humbling and motivating.”
Davis says the drums, which will last for several years, will be used for educational and community purposes. Along with being used in a variety of music classes, they will also be used on campus during drop-in drum circles.
