Notes from the Upper Coastal Plain Learning Council

Notes from the Upper Coastal Plain Learning Council

August 20, 2009

Present:

Mr. Fred Turnage reviewed the minutes from the previous meeting and Dr. Leutze noted that the MBA report as presented at the last meeting is still under review and we are trying to work it out. Darryl will send a full report and is in the midst of preparing a full report including start up money required and the number of students they would need. They would like to have a full-time person here at the Gateway Technology Center.

On the issue of the Benefit Bank, Dr. Leutze reported that they are still optimistic about getting the funding for the software. He also reported that SBTDC is working very hard to get funding to have another person located at the GTC to work as a job specialist. He reported that he and Jim Zuiches recently met with Scott Ralls, President of the NC Community Colleges and gave him an update on current initiatives of the UCPLC . He was pleased with the progress. Tomorrow he will be meeting with State Superintendent of Schools, June Atkinson, and he will ask her support and the specialists they are hiring.

The following agenda items were discussed:

1.  Alice stated they are ready to proceed on the job specialists and she reported she has received many responses from several highly qualified people. She has been in touch with ______from General Administration, she is in the best place they can be as they have money in the budget and ready to go. She is ready to finalize the search committee, set up dates to meet, review applicants, determining how many they want to interview. Interviews will take place at the GTC.

2.  Cathy Hanby-Sikora reported on three current proposals she is working on with Kellogg, Lumina and Golden Leaf. She reviewed status on funding - they have asked for us to consider a $500,000 per year for two years rather than $1 million up front . On Lumina, they are asking for $500,000. From Golden Leaf, they are looking for $200,000 that would be part of the overall effort to put on additional work in Halifax. We should know about all of these in September. We should be ready to begin in Halifax at the end of September.

One of the specialist positions will be very important for the Halifax County demo as well as planning itself. We will have test money on intervention programs and then we will go back for implementation funding. Kellogg Foundation grant’s PI would be Harold Martin, current Chancellor of NC A&T, while Lumina’s proposal will be UNC-CH faculty member, Jim Johnson. Golden Leaf have not asked for a principal investigator. The Kellogg grant will have several layers and evaluation partners. It is a big effort because North Carolina needs a comprehensive plan.

Dr. Leutze stated we have more interest than K-12 and he believes we are posed to take a role in these initiatives. Cathy responded that the Halifax location was of particular interest.

Cathy stated it is likely we will have to have a Halifax regional group. Once we know, she will contact Dr. Leutze about putting her in touch with a regional group. It is important for the new hire specialists to do an assessment of the current positions.

3.  Helen Hill, President of the North Carolina School Alliance. On the issue of evaluation – UNC Chapel Hill evaluates the clinics. There are two kinds – one school based and the other “school-linked” as the one in Wilmington. There are 53 in 23 counties. In eastern North Carolina, they have facilities in Wilmington and Greene Counties and that is it. Started as a result of high teen pregnancies and shortly thereafter, they had students coming in for a variety of issues. They now have a nurse practitioner on staff and that is how they are currently surviving. Greene County is currently surviving on five grants. What is the cost for setting up or running a clinic -- $250,000 is a complete comprehensive facility. Wayne County has a larger program. They focus on 6-12 grades in one location. School nurses are on other sites and many times if a student needs assistance, they will bring them over to the clinic. Students need permission. You must have complete buy-in from the superintendents and the principal that you plan to have a connection with. Helen went to the board of education each year and she talks to the PTA. Dr. Taylo, current doctor in charge, would be a good person to talk to. School system pays for an equivalent of $20,000 for facilities including utilities. They currently work collaboratively with ECU. Greene County has no mental health facility. Kate B. Reynolds has taken this on as a priority funding area. Last year, they saw over 400 students per year and they have two times the number of encounters. They have discovered tumors, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. Helen has had ECU as a partnership having every discipline in health area representative in internships. Helen said she would be happy to give additional information as needed and help us with this process.

4.  Alice gave an update and asked for ideas for building the website. Dr. Leutze added that this would be a place where people could do one-stop shopping.

5.  Dr. Griffin introduced Dan Lovitt who gave a presentation on their PRIDE program at Halifax Community College. Dr. Griffin stated that when he interviewed for his position at HCC, he was asked how to engage African American males and get them involved in the community college. Shortly after at a meeting in Washington DC he gave a black pride presentation. He secured a grant that was funded for a period of two years and they are now in their first year (6 months). PRIDE stands for PReparing men for Intellectual acaDemic and Education services. The program focuses on lots of interventions, and they hoep to introduce a new way of thinking. Economically challenged / high poverty, with one third on food stamp programs. Transportation is increasingly a problem. Socio economic condition as not many low income people in the area have access to private cars. They have funding on workshops /