Special section: Education Guide December 2018

An advertising supplement to the Fort Carson Mountaineer, the Peterson Space Observer, the Schriever Sentinel and the Colorado Springs Business Journal

CSMNG COLORADO SPRINGS MILITARY NEWSPAPER GROUP

Education Guide December 2018

2B Dec. 13-14, 2018

An advertising supplement to the Fort Carson Mountaineer, the Peterson Space Observer, the Schriever Sentinel and the Colorado Springs Business Journal

Education Guide

SPONSORED CONTENT

MOUNTAIN VISTA HOME SCHOOL ACADEMY:

Beyond Home Schooling Mountain Vista Home School Academy is dedicated to providing enriching academic and social opportunities for home schooled students in a dynamic learning environment.

Mountain Vista Home School Academy, MVHSA, is a one-day-per-week enrichment program FREE for home schooling families within the Pikes Peak Region. Students in grades K-12 attend classes with other home schooled students one day per week. Classes include Technology, Art, Science, Music, Language Arts, and Social Studies. Amenities include a state-of-the-art computer lab, free library and gym/auditorium. All students enjoy two or more recesses on a fully equipped playground.

Program Details: Days of the week grade assignments are subject to change depending on enrollment numbers.

School begins at 8:15 a.m. each day and ends at 3:15 p.m.

Tuesday and Wednesday - Grades K-6 Thursday - Grades 5-8 Friday - Grades 7-12

Yearbook, Fencing, Martial Arts and Drama.

We also have five musical ensembles all taught after school which include beginning band, jazz band, string orchestra, choir, and concert band.

Students have the opportunity to perform in front of their peers and the community throughout the year.

In addition to in-school academics, MVHSA cooperates with a number of Colorado Springs schools and businesses, including the Colorado Springs Conservatory, CSU Pueblo and Harrison High School.

High school students that demonstrate academic readiness can also take part in our partnership with Pikes Peak Community College.

MVHSA covers full tuition and fees for eligible students. We also have an extensive college textbook library for student use and provide book stipends for purchasing needed textbooks.

All students must receive their primary education at home and retain their home schooling status.

We are located at 2400 Slater Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80905, just west of I-25 and Circle Drive. Feel free to call us with questions as we are always excited to share the educational opportunities available to home schooled students. Tours are available with advance notice and can be scheduled by calling 719-579-2160.

In addition to the full school day with excellent teachers, students have many opportunities to participate in after school and extracurricular activities, at no parent expense. Our club list includes Art, Physical Education, Rubik’s Cube,

Registration for the 2019-20 school year opens May 1st, 2019. We also host a new family information night in January. Please visit hsd2.org/mvhsa or call 719-579-2160 for more information.

Incredible Opportunity for Home Schooling Families!

A One-Day-Per-Week Enrichment Program FREE FOR HOME SCHOOLING FAMILIES

Classes Include:

Technology • Art • Music • Science Social Studies and Language Arts

Extracurricular Activities Include:

Drama Club • Art Club • Yearbook Club Rubik’s Cube Club • Fencing • Martial Arts Music program includes concert band, beginning band, jazz, orchestra, and choir ensembles Partnerships with Pikes Peak Community College and the Colorado Springs Conservatory Discovery Education Online Streaming, IXL, Big Universe family library, AND MORE! All students receive their primary education at home and retain their legal status as a home schooler.

Mountain Vista Home School Academy Registration opens May 1, 2019.

For more information visit hsd2.org/mvhsa 719-579-2160

Education Guide

An advertising supplement to the Fort Carson Mountaineer, the Peterson Space Observer, the Schriever Sentinel and the Colorado Springs Business Journal

CSMNG COLORADO SPRINGS MILITARY NEWSPAPER GROUP

(719) 634-5905, 235 S. Nevada Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903-1246.

EDITOR & COO Amy G. Sweet

EDITORIAL Editor Bryan Grossman Staff Writers Cristina Jaramillo

Colo. Springs Business Journal

Scott Prater Ft. Carson Mountaineer

Helen Robinson Colo. Springs Business Journal

Erinn Callahan Peterson Space Observer

Halle Thornton Schriever Sentinel

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Jeff Moore

ADVERTISING Tammy Fogall Monty Hatch Vanessa Nagel

ART DEPARTMENT Art Director Melissa Edwards Production Manager Jayson Peters

Graphic Designers Rowdy Tompkins Elena Trapp

SPACE OBSERVER PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE

Dec. 13-14, 2018 3B

Higher education opportunities available for Colorado Springs military personnel

T

By Erinn Callahan

he daily stresses of military, civilian and family life often leave little time for educational goals.

Fortunately, service members in the Colorado Springs area have no shortage of resources when it comes to planning their post-military future.

About 26 percent of the 19,000 students who attend Pikes Peak Community College each year are members of the military, veterans or their dependents, Communication Coordinator Karen Kovaly said.

“The Military and Veterans Programs is dedicated to supporting our active duty military, veterans and their family members, and providing a quality, flexible and affordable education,” Kovaly said. “We’ve been doing so for 50 years.”

The community college offers nearly 200 associate degrees, certifications in career and technical fields, and its first bachelor degree in emergency services administration, Kovaly said. With three campuses, two learning centers and two military education centers, the college also provides weekend and evening courses in traditional, on-line and hybrid formats, she said.

Specialized advisors and counselors are on hand to walk students through their Veterans Affairs education benefits and other military funding, as well as help with applications, placement testing, tutoring and academic support, and evaluating prior training and work experi-

ence for college credit, Kovaly said.

Active military members also can visit the Peterson Air Force Base Education Center, where they can take general education classes in compress formats designed to fit their schedule, she said. Spouses also may be eligible for discounted tuition.

Peterson’s education center consists of six civilian personnel who serve active-duty military members, military members transitioning to

RY IPS ITA H IL AR M HOL

SC

ENROLL NOW

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for GREAT OPPORTUNITIES with a GREAT EDUCATION!

civilian life, spouses and Department of Defense contractors with classes offered by local colleges, according to its website.

Personnel at Schriever Air Force Base, Cheyenne Mountain Air Station and Thule Air Base all can take advantage of a wide variety of educational courses, as well as four different tracks that fall under the center’s career skills program.

In addition to the Post-9/11 GI Bill, tuition assistance briefings,

counseling from the Community College of the Air Force and Veterans Administration briefings, service members transitioning to civilian careers can attend a two-day mini transition assistance program class at the education center — ideal for those who want to go to school first rather than jump into employment initially, according to the center’s website.

See Resources page 10

CORPUS CHRISTI CATHOLIC SCHOOL

Full & Part Time Courses Available • Cosmetology • Barbering • Esthetics • Nail Technology • Mud Make Up Artistry

25% OFF All Services for

Military Personnel Must present military ID. Offer not valid with any other offers

To Schedule an Admissions Tour Call:

719.266.9400 4388 Austin Bluffs Pkwy Colorado Springs, CO 80918 Ask about Financial Aid & GI BILL

Financial aid & scholarships may be available to those who qualify

For information on gainful employment: www.tspacoloradosprings.com\programs For information about graduation rates, the median load debt of students who completed the program and other important information visit tspacoloradosprings.com. All services performed by supervised students.

• GI BILL •MYCAA • FINANCIAL AID

PRE-SCHOOL THROUGH 8TH GRADE Call Karen Shannahan for a personal tour.

(719) 632-5092 x103 or kshannahan@corpuschristicos.org 2410 N Cascade Avenue, Colorado Springs www.corpuschristicos.org

Make God known, loved and served.

4B Dec. 13-14, 2018

An advertising supplement to the Fort Carson Mountaineer, the Peterson Space Observer, the Schriever Sentinel and the Colorado Springs Business Journal

THE LIST: SCHOOL DISTRICTS School Districts Ranked by Total No. of Students Enrolled 2017-18

From The Book of Lists & Power Pages

Ranked by 2017-2018 Total Student Enrollment No. Students

1

Colorado Springs School District 11 1115 N. El Paso St. Colorado Springs, CO 80903

Phone Email Website 719-520-2000 Michael.Thomas@d11.org d11.org

2

Air Academy School District 20 1110 Chapel Hills Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80920

719-234-1200 mark.hatchell@asd20.org asd20.org

25,831

21 9 9

3

Falcon School District 49 10850 E. Woodmen Rd. Peyton, CO 80831

719-495-1100 sdorsey@d49.org d49.org

21,448

15 9 7

4

Harrison School District 2 1060 Harrison Rd. Colorado Springs, CO 80905

719-579-2000 Wbirhanzel@hsd2.org hsd2.org

11,771

17 7 6

5

Widefield School District 3 1820 Main St. Colorado Springs, CO 80911

719-391-3000 campbells@wsd3.org wsd3.org

9,695

10 4 3

James Madison Charter Academy K-6

Scott Campbell

6

Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8 10665 Jimmy Camp Rd. Fountain, CO 80817

719-382-1300 kowen@ffc8.org ffc8.org

8,338

9 3 2

N/A

Dr. Keith Owen

7

Lewis-Palmer School District 38 146 Jefferson St. Monument, CO 80132

719-488-4700 kbrofft@lewispalmer.org lewispalmer.org

6,703

6 2 2

Monument Academy Charter

Karen Brofft

8

Cheyenne Mountain School District 12 1775 LaClede St. Colorado Springs, CO 80905

719-475-6100 cooper@cmsd12.org cmsd12.org

5,220

7 2 2

The Vanguard School (elementary, middle and high school)

Dr. Walt Cooper

9

Woodland Park School District RE-2 155 Panther Way Woodland Park, CO 80863

719-686-2000 jbowman@wpsdk12.org wpsdk12.org

2,502

3 1 1

N/A

Jed Bowman

10

Manitou Springs School District 14 405 El Monte Pl. Manitou Springs, CO 80829

719-685-2024 elongfield@mssd14.org mssd14.org

1,400

2 1 1

N/A

Ed Longfield

Rank

Name Address

No. Schools Elementary, Middle, High 36 13 11

Education Guide

27,427

Charter Schools

District Superintendent

Academy for Advanced and Creative Learning, CIVA Michael Thomas Charter Academy, Community Prep Charter School, Globe Charter School, Life Skills Center of Colorado Springs, Roosevelt Charter Academy The Classical Academy Charter, TCA College Pathways, Dr. Mark Hatchell The Classical Academy High School, The Classical Academy Middle School Banning Lewis Ranch Academy, GOAL Academy, Imagine Classical Academy, Pikes Peak School of Expeditionary Learning, Power Technical Early College, Rocky Mountain Classical Academy Atlas Preparatory (high school and middle schools), James Irwin Charter (elementary, middle and high schools)

Sean Dorsey; Mike Pickering; Sue Holmes Dr. Wendy Birhanzel

(1); John Rogerson

* Enrollment figures from Colorado Department of Education. N/A- not available. Number of schools is determined by students served in those grade levels;number of schools may actually be less. While every attempt is made to ensure the thoroughness and accuracy of the list, omissions and typographical errors may occur. Please send additions/corrections to cristina.jaramillo@csbj.com. (1) Dual COO arrangement in the interim while searching for new superintendent

THE LIST: PRIVATE SCHOOLS From The Book of Lists & Power Pages

Ranked by Total No. of Students Enrolled

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Name Address

Phone Website E-mail

Grade Levels/ Avg. Class Size

Principal or Chief Administrator

Year Founded

719-599-3553 cscslions.org kathy.turner@cscslions.org

No. Students Enrolled/ Tuition/ Uniforms Required 860 N/A N/A

Colorado Springs Christian Schools 4855 Mallow Rd. Colorado Springs, CO 80907 The Colorado Springs School 21 Broadmoor Ave. Colorado Springs, CO 80906 High Country Christian Academy 3908 Magnolia St. Colorado Springs, CO 80907 Corpus Christi Catholic School 2410 N. Cascade Ave. Colorado Springs, CO 80907 St. Mary's High School 2501 E. Yampa St. Colorado Springs, CO 80909 Fountain Valley School of Colorado 6155 Fountain Valley School Rd. Colorado Springs, CO 80911 Divine Redeemer Catholic School 901 N. Logan Ave. Colo. Spgs., CO 80909 St. Paul Catholic School 1601 Mesa Ave. Colorado Springs, CO 80906 Evangelical Christian Secondary Campus 4052 Nonchalant Cir. S. Colorado Springs, CO 80917 Evangelical Christian Academy - Elementary 2511 N. Logan Ave. Colorado Springs, CO 80907

N/A N/A

Roland F. DeRenzo, Superintendent

1971

719-475-9747 css.org admission@css.org 719-233-4593 hche.org jvaldois123@gmail.com

302 $22,300 N 300 $135 N

PreK - 12th Grade 16

Aaron Schubach, Head of School 1962

K-12 N/A

Jennifer Valdois, Administrator

1997

719-632-5092 corpuschristicos.org/school jkraus@corpuschristicos.org

252 $5,352 Y

Preschool - 8th Grade 17

John Kraus, Principal

1921

719-635-7540 smhscs.org jtrechter@smhscs.org 719-391-5262 fvs.edu jolive@fvs.edu

251 $9,500 N 230 $29,900 N

9-12 16

Robert Rysavy, President

1885

9-12 11

William V. Webb, Head of School 1930

719-471-7771 school.divineredeemer.net/school-info jdamerell@divineredeemer.net

195 N/A Y

PreK-8 N/A

Kari Smith, Principal/Dean of Academics

1956

719-632-1846 stpaulpmcs.org

PreK-8 17

Jim Welte

1955

719-597-3675 ecaeagles.org admissions@ecaeagles.org

168 $5,202 Y 149 $8,700 Y

7-12 (PreK-6 available at other campus) 19

Bob DeRuiter, Principal

1971

719-634-7024 ecaeagles.org admissions@ecaeagles.org

146 $6,800 Y

PreK-6 (7-12 at other campus) 18

Darla Blue, Principal

1971

N/A - not available. While every attempt is made to ensure the thoroughness and accuracy of the list, omissions and typographical errors may occur. Please send additions/corrections to cristina.jaramillo@csbj.com.

Education Guide

Dec. 13-14, 2018 5B

An advertising supplement to the Fort Carson Mountaineer, the Peterson Space Observer, the Schriever Sentinel and the Colorado Springs Business Journal

THE LIST: COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES From The Book of Lists & Power Pages

Ranked by Colorado Springs Student Enrollment

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Name Address Phone/Fax Website E-mail Pikes Peak Community College 5675 S. Academy Blvd.

Colorado Springs, CO 80906 719-502-2000/N/A ppcc.edu admissions@ppcc.edu University of Colorado Colorado Springs 1420 Austin Bluffs Pkwy.

Colorado Springs, CO 80918 719-255-8227/N/A uccs.edu N/A Colorado College 14 E. Cache La Poudre St. Colo. Spgs., CO 80903 719-389-6000/719-389-6256 coloradocollege.edu communications@coloradocollege.edu Colorado Technical University 4435 N. Chestnut St. Colo. Spgs., CO 80907 719-598-0200/719-590-6738 coloradotech.edu N/A Webster University 5475 Tech Center Drive, Suite 110 Colorado Springs, CO 80919 719-590-7340/719-590-7343 webster.edu/coloradosprings coloradosprings@webster.edu

International Salon and Spa Academy 5707 N. Academy Blvd.

Colorado Springs, CO 80918 719-597-1413/719-573-5099 issaco.edu lorrinda@issaco.edu CO Institute of Massage Therapy 1490 W. Fillmore St. Colorado Springs, CO 80904 719-634-0483/719-447-9198 cimt.edu mariab@cimt.edu

Students: Total/ FT/ PT

No. Undergraduate Students/ Graduate/ No. Teaching Staff

Public or Degrees Offered Private

Person In Charge, Title

Year Est. Locally

18,585 5,881 12,704

18,585 N/A N/A

Public

Associate degrees, certificates, bachelor's in Emergency Services Administration

Lance Bolton, President

1968

12,630 9,437 3,193

10,618 2,012 774

Public

Baccalaureate, master, doctorate, gainful employment certificate

Venkat Reddy, Chancellor

1965

2,100 2,100 N/A

2,100 25 190

Private

Bachelor and master of arts in teaching

Jill Tiefenthaler, President

1874

1,200 N/A N/A

N/A N/A N/A

Private

Associate, bachelor, master, doctorate

Mark Seglem, Regional 1965 VP, Colorado Campuses

485 261 264

N/A 485 43

Private

Master of business administration; master of health administration; MS in cybersecurity, environmental management, finance; MA in human resources development, human resources management, information technology management, management and leadership, procurement and acquisitions management; MS in space systems operations management; graduate certificate in cybersecurity threat detection, government contracting; environmental sustainability; PMP; change management

Dr. Beth Stroble, 1977 University President; Margaret Reed, Senior Director, Colorado Springs Metro Campus

162 N/A N/A

N/A N/A 15

Private

Gayla Henry, Executive 1971 Director

BIG IMPACT 80 75 5

N/A N/A 15

Private

Providing 550-hour Essential Massage Therapy certification, 850-hour Advanced Neuromuscular Massage Therapy certification

1985

N/A - not available. While every attempt is made to ensure the thoroughness and accuracy of the list, omissions and typographical errors may occur. Please send additions/corrections to cristina.jaramillo@csbj.com.

small book, CS BJ • 20 19 BO OK

2•0•1

•9

ST S OF LI

Presenting

PRESENTED BY:

sponsor

Want to be included? Contact our researcher at cristina.jaramillo@csbj.com Join us for the 2019 Book of Lists release party Jan. 24 at Briarhurst Manor CALL TODAY TO SPONSOR OR ADVERTISE. 634-5905

6B Dec. 13-14, 2018

An advertising supplement to the Fort Carson Mountaineer, the Peterson Space Observer, the Schriever Sentinel and the Colorado Springs Business Journal

Education Guide

SPONSORED CONTENT

DISTRICT 49:

The Best Choice to Learn, Work and Lead District 49 serves more than 22,000 students as the fastest growing school district in the Pikes Peak Region. With a vision and mission to be the “best choice to learn, work & lead,” D49 offers a portfolio of schools with an approach that isn’t “one size fits all.”

Instead, District 49 is committed to the personalized success of each student.

In the elementary grades, D49 focuses on building firm foundations of knowledge, so every learner can thrive. Our newly expanded ALLIES program is designed to inspire students who have experienced language-based learning difficulties caused by char-

acteristics of Dyslexia. The ALLIES program is a tuition free public school of choice with proven, dramatic results for students entering grades 2 through 4. Our new ALLIES facility started taking new and returning students August 2018.

With 49 Pathways, secondary students can choose a path of studies that aligns with their interests. The heart of 49 Pathways is a belief that every student should travel down an individualized path that leads through skill development to success after high school.

With 17 conventional schools and eight charter schools, along with Springs Studio for Academic Excellence, Pikes Peak Early College and Power Technical Early College, District 49 offers unique educational choices. Bennett Ranch Elementary School, a new neighborhood school for the Falcon Zone, opened in August of 2018. The new elementary school’s close proximity to Falcon Middle School allows D49 to share staff and resources, saving costs for our community.

Our teachers, administrators and staff are committed to the creation of educational environments where

all children can maximize their individual learning potential. Further, we are committed to meeting students’ needs in all domains: academic, social and physical. Our emphasis in all activities will be toward empowering students to take an active role in their own learning.

The School District 49 vision is to be the best choice in public education with our mission to Learn, Work, and Lead. We create environments so that everyone associated with the district is always learning, working, and leading us to be the best.

Lawyer Journalist Mechanic Florist Chef Teacher Doctor Pilot Your Purpose. Your Path.

Visit us online at: We are your family’s best choice with our Portfolio of Schools, Firm Foundations and 49 Pathways!

D49.org

THE BEST CHOICE TO LEARN, WORK & LEAD

Education Guide

An advertising supplement to the Fort Carson Mountaineer, the Peterson Space Observer, the Schriever Sentinel and the Colorado Springs Business Journal

Dec. 13-14, 2018 7B

Educate yourself with art

By Halle Thornton

S

chool’s in session, but that doesn’t mean the learning has to end with the bell. Here is a unique educational and inspirational activity that can be found in the Pikes Peak region.

Studio 101 2609 West Colorado Ave. Studio 101 offers a variety of classes ranging from home school to after-school to adult ceramics, painting and family classes.

Rebecca Baum, director and manager, explained “Studio 101 is a community of artists of all ages, learning and creating, expressing, collaborating and supporting one another.”

Baum said she looks to choice-based art education for children, developed by Penn State college professor Christine Thompson, who said, “Respect for children’s capacity to make choices; recognition that they come to us with lives in progress, interests that drive them, questions that matter; and faith that children recognize and respond well to the confidence we place in them inform this approach to teaching.”

Thompson says, “Art becomes what it must be. An open exploration that precedes in unpredictable and messy ways toward never before seen possibilities; projects are self-initiated, socially compelling, generating fresh inspiration as they unfold.”

Baum said, “We are truly teaching to the unique individual and supplying children and adults with the techniques to be able to express them as they want.”

Her favorite part about working at the studio is teaching and helping others to be creative.

For more information about Studio 101, call 719-374-8278.

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SPONSORED CONTENT

A Vanguard School Education: An Investment for a Lifetime High levels of first-job underemployment have many soon-to-be college graduates worried. Forbes defines underemployed individuals as those having bachelor’s degrees but who are working in a position that does not require any degree. Students in some fields of study are seeing underemployment rise to 50%, and that is for those who are at least finding work after graduation. Even students receiving degrees in computer science or engineering are seeing underemployment levels as high as 30%. The scary thing is that the majority of these underemployed graduates will still be underemployed after five years in the job market.

Find out more about The Vanguard School!

NOW ACCEPTING K-12 APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2019-2020 SCHOOL YEAR Ranked as a top school in Colorado by U.S.News and · World Report Ranked

by Niche as the Number One Charter High · School, Junior High, and Elementary School in Colorado Springs

A classical curriculum including cursive, Latin, leadership, · and character development Award-winning art and music programs · A free public school with the rigor, · individualized studenteducation support, and close community of a private school

Join us for an Information Night, Group Tour, or contact us for one-on-one questions.

High School Information Night January 10 and February 6 Junior High Information Night January 24 and February 27 Elementary and Secondary School Tours Contact us to schedule a grade-specific tour for any parent.

Email: Info@TheVanguardSchool.com Or Call: 719.799.6101 or 719.799.6134

Students from all districts welcome!

Citizenship • Respect • Integrit y • Sel f-Discipline • Excellence

TheVanguardSchool.com 1605 S. Corona Ave. Colorado Springs, CO 80905

1832 S. Wahsatch Ave. Colorado Springs, CO 80905

We live in a complex world. A student can work hard, get good grades, and still end up with less than they hoped for in their career. There truly are no guarantees. If the return on investment of a good and rigorous education is supposed to be merely career success, then many college graduates will find themselves disappointed.

At The Vanguard School, we want our students to be successful, and we do everything we can to prepare them accordingly. To us, however, education is not simply the means to the end of career fulfilment, it is the integral and challenging path to a life lived well. A classical education is about learning from the collective wisdom of our past. We treat history and literature as an ongoing story of which we are a part.

This story reveals truth, beauty, and goodness in our world, and how we can participate as human beings.

A Vanguard Education is not easy. We often take our students to the “edge of struggle,” because we know this is where the most growth happens and the best work gets done. Vanguard students often go on to be immensely successful in higher education and beyond, but even more often go on to live life well, even when circumstances do not go according to plan. The skills they learn here equip them to maximize successes and to persevere through set-backs. Ultimately they are prepared to face each opportunity and obstacle as a learning experience.

The Vanguard School is a K-12 community resolute on asking the question, “How does a person live life well?” Students of all ages are surrounded by dedicated teachers of diverse backgrounds willing to ponder this question with them, even long after they walk across our platform in cap and gown.

8B Dec. 13-14, 2018

An advertising supplement to the Fort Carson Mountaineer, the Peterson Space Observer, the Schriever Sentinel and the Colorado Springs Business Journal

Education Guide

SPONSORED CONTENT

Veteran transitions careers with UCCS MBA

Jennifer Carter started her career in education, but she now helps businesses and individuals prepare their taxes as a Tax Consultant for Stockman Kast Ryan in Colorado Springs, Co. Carter received her undergraduate degree in elementary education at Columbia College in Columbia, South Carolina. After putting her degree into practice as a Teaching Assistant, she soon realized her passions were leading her elsewhere.

“I taught for a couple of years, but decided I wanted a different career,” said Carter.

Her career soon took a new direction. Carter applied and was accepted to the U.S. Coast Guard, where she held several positions over her four-year contract.

Carter served for the U.S. Coast Guard for two years as a Navigation Officer on a Coast Guard Cutter in Base Seattle. She then moved to United States Coast Guard Air Station Houston to serve as a Marine Inspector for U.S. and foreign gas, chemical, petroleum, and freight vessels.

“After my contract was over, I chose to go back to school,” said Carter. “I utilized my GI Bill to get a degree in Accounting.”

With her family located in Colorado Springs, attending the University of Colorado Colorado Springs was an easy decision.

“I chose UCCS because I wanted to go to school locally. I liked the ability to take classes in person and not have to take everything online. I also liked the smaller class sizes at UCCS and the Veteran’s Office was very helpful in setting up my GI Bill.”

Carter enrolled in the Masters of Business Administration program at UCCS to pursue an emphasis in Accounting. UCCS campus has been consistently ranked a Military Friendly School and was also among the top 100 programs cited by Military Times in a fourth-consecutive rating.

The UCCS MBA program is designed for working professionals with the flexibility of evening and online classes. For most of the programs, you have the option attend full-time and finish quickly or attend part-time and balance your studies with career or family responsibilities. Students can continue their studies online from anywhere in the world as military orders or career reloca-

tions arise.

Entering the classroom, Carter can attest to the faculty and curriculum.

“I loved my experience as a student in the MBA program. All of the professors are great; they are always available for students and truly are dedicated to helping students succeed.”

All UCCS MBA professors have doctorates and real-life experience in their field. The nationally acclaimed faculty cater the subjects to their students, which is possible through deliberately small class sizes and real-world business education.

“Class sizes are small, but there is still a great diversity of students from all different age ranges, careers experiences, and backgrounds,” said Carter.

And for professionals like Carter who enter their MBA program with an established career, UCCS will waive the GMAT/GRE test requirement for those who meet the required level of professional background experience.

“I think an MBA is a great achievement,” Carter said. “It makes a professional more well-rounded because they are exposed to many different aspects of business. Generally, the MBA is achievable while working full time and many of the topics that are learned can be directly applied to current work situations.”

If you have interest in accelerating your career with an MBA program, we encourage you to explore the opportunities that a UCCS graduate degree in business or accounting may open for you. Whether you are pursuing the degree to climb the corporate ladder, to earn a military promotion, or to make a career transition, the MBA is a valuable degree.

For more information, we invite you to learn more about the MBA or the MS in Accounting programs at our next Information Session. If distance or time complicates your schedule, join us for a live webinar from the convenience of your home or office.

We accept applications for all enrollment terms, and yours will automatically be considered for the next available semester.

For more information about our program offerings, go to www.uccs.edu/ gsba or call 719-255-3408.

NEW YEAR NEW YOU. Take the next step towards your career dreams.

Apply for your MBA or MS in Accounting degree at UCCS. uccs.edu/gsba

Education Guide

Dec. 13-14, 2018 9B

An advertising supplement to the Fort Carson Mountaineer, the Peterson Space Observer, the Schriever Sentinel and the Colorado Springs Business Journal

Automation: Educators preparing for the future

E

By Jeanne Davant

ducational institutions are using technology to assist teachers, make a wealth of material available to students and virtually transcend the traditional classroom.

“We have a whole initiative in place because we have to prepare students for a world yet to be imagined,” said Devra Ashby, public information officer at Colorado Springs School District 11.

“The workforce is changing; we need to foster more creative, adaptable learners,” Ashby said. “Incorporating technology in the classrooms is important for us. We call it Next Generation Learning.”

Next Generation Learning Coordinator Scott Fuller said the term automation isn’t much used in education circles.

Rather, the concept is leveraging technology to empower teachers by reducing their workload.

“Nationally and internationally, people are trying to come up with intuitive software programs that adjust to where kids need to go,” Fuller said. “That’s not really the direction we’re going. We don’t want to take teachers out of the classroom — just to shift their role.”

Teachers are shifting away from being the all-knowing person in the front of the classroom and becoming more of a designer or engineer.

“Computers can’t build empathy with students,” Fuller said. “We need a person who can interact with individual kids and do all the things teachers bring to the classroom.”

What teachers need more of is time, Fuller said.

“You have to leverage time. That’s what we’re using technology to do,” he said.

Fuller said he worked with a teacher who said writing comments and giving feedback was the most onerous part

of grading papers.

“Through technology, she started recording verbal feedback and offering digital office hours to do one-on-one feedback rather than writing paragraphs of feedback,” Fuller said.

“This is really about designing technologies that give them more face time with smaller groups of kids,” he said.

Extra practice and enrichment, software packages that take learners step by step through a subject at their own pace, and interactive simulations can help to do that.

In the past, communicating students’ progress relied on report cards and once-a-year meetings with teachers. Now technology is giving parents an unprecedented view into their children’s classrooms.

“I was at a conference with a teacher, who kept looking at her phone,” Fuller said. “Her son was sending her his work on a project in real time, asking for feedback. We’ve eliminated that question, ‘What did you do in school today?’ ” Even kindergarten students and first graders are giving their parents — and each other — feedback by taking photos and videos that are available in real time.

Trailblazer Elementary School is a leader in implementing innovative, personalized teaching methods.

Some Trailblazer classrooms are set up to accommodate small, teacher-led groups as well as students working individually at computer stations or on tablets. Students rotate through different stations, depending on their needs.

Throughout the day, Trailblazer students can choose how they engage with learning activities.

Based on daily pre-assessments and personal preferences, students can select a Learner Pathway, which offers them further choices on when and how they work on a specific skill and how they demonstrate mastery.

See Automated page 15

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10B Dec. 13-14, 2018

An advertising supplement to the Fort Carson Mountaineer, the Peterson Space Observer, the Schriever Sentinel and the Colorado Springs Business Journal

Education Guide

CSU-Pueblo offers first doctorate degree: Doctor of Nursing Practice C

By Jeanne Davant

olorado State University-Pueblo is offering its first doctorate degree, the Doctor of Nursing Practice, through its School of Nursing.

“Offering the Doctor of Nursing Practice is a pivotal point in the history of our university,” said CSU-Pueblo Provost Mohamed Abdelrahman. “We look forward to making a significant contribution to the health care needs of our community and beyond.”

The new degree will help meet the growing health care needs of rural southern Colorado and moves the university the university toward its goal of being the people’s university of the Southwest United States by 2028.

“A great deal of time and effort went into developing the program to ensure our students are well equipped to meet the growing needs in today’s health care industry,” Abdelrahman said in a news release. “I am thankful to the faculty and staff, and the CSU system for their strong support of this effort.”

CSU-Pueblo nursing faculty began developing a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree for nurse practitioners after a state senate bill was signed in 2012, allowing the university to offer doctoral degrees.

The program went through a variety of approvals by internal and external entities including, most recently, the Higher Learning Commission, the official accrediting body for CSU-Pueblo.

“The clinical doctorate degree is considered a terminal degree in nursing practice, CSU-Pueblo Associate Dean of Nursing Joe Franta said. “Students enrolling in the new degree program come in as baccalaureateprepared registered nurses and graduate with the skills to enhance practice excellence through evidence-based practice methodology, system leadership, health policy and interdisciplinary collaboration.”

Students will earn their doctorate degree in 3½ years. The degree program will develop or validate expertise in one of four areas of specialties: adult/gerontology acute care; adult/gerontology acute care and family; psychiatric-mental health advanced nursing practice for the nurse practitioner; and a population focus for those with a master’s as a nurse educator.

“CSU-Pueblo offers the only dual-emphasis adult/gerontology acute care/family nurse practitioner [specialty] in Colorado,” Franta said. “This new degree is an excellent fit for the increasing health care access needs, especially in Southeastern Colorado.”

Courtesy photo

The degree will be a great step forward for individuals who want to become leaders in advanced nursing roles and make changes at the systems level that will impact health care at the local, regional and national levels.

The university is seeking candidacy for the program with the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.

“The curriculum is designed to incorporate innovative, interprofessional, health care learning experiences and focuses on evidence-based health care in rural settings,” said Susan Belport, CSU-Pueblo associate professor of nursing. “The program maximizes the use of hybrid delivery methods for enhanced learning and increased course accessibility.”

Graduates will be prepared to generate new knowledge through innovation of practice change, translation of evidence, and implementation of quality improvement processes in specific practice settings, systems, or with

specific populations to improve health or health outcomes.

“A Doctor of Nursing Practice will provide additional community health support to the more than five decades of service to health care in the region that CSU-Pueblo nursing graduates have provided,” Belport said.

The demand for nurses and nurse practitioners is a continuing national concern, with Business Insider listing Nurse Practitioners as the one of the best 21 jobs of the future for 2024 with an estimated increased need of 44,700 new positions.

By offering the new degree, “we will be better positioned to address those local and subsequent national needs [and] opening doors to the university leadership, community partners and other schools of nursing,” Franta said. “The School of Nursing will stimulate the local, regional, and university community and be a point of pride for students.”

The CSU-Pueblo School of Nursing has been educating professional nurses to meet the health care needs of diverse populations since 1964. Over the past 50-plus years, the department has accomplished numerous milestones and has become an integral part of the Pueblo community.

CSU-Pueblo has conferred more than 2,500 bachelor’s degrees and 150 master’s degrees over the last five decades.

According to CSU-Pueblo dean of the College of Education, Engineering, and Professional Studies, Sylvester Kalevela, the doctoral program will bring recognition to the community and university that nursing is on the move as a leader.

“Adding the Doctor of Nursing Practice is a status that will not only enhance our nursing program but the academic standing of the university as well,” Kalevela said.

Editor’s note: This story first appeared in the Colorado Springs Business Journal.

Resources: Education benefits counseling is one option From page 3 Similar resources are available at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and Colorado Technical University. At UCCS, students can go to the McCordHerbst Student Veteran Center for counseling referrals, education benefits counseling and certifications, transition and deployment assistance, or just general campus information, according to the university’s website.

Through the Peer Advisors for Veteran Education Program, incoming student veterans at UCCS can connect with student veterans already on campus in order to help them navigate college life, identify any challenges they are facing, refer them to the appropriate resource on or off campus, and provide ongoing support in both

their academic and personal lives, the website states.

The Boots to Suits program at UCCS partners student veterans with mentors in the community who can help them gain a better understanding of the work environments they will enter following the completion of their studies.

Students can get hands-on career preparation, networking opportunities, and help with reintegration into the workforce, according to the UCCS website.

Online degree programs are covered as part of the Post 9-11/GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon Program, and the courses offered at Colorado Technical University in Colorado Springs are designed to help military students achieve a balance between school, family and military service, the school’s website states.

These programs allow students

Specialized advisors and counselors are on hand to walk students through their Veterans Affairs education benefits and other military funding, as well as help with applications, placement testing, tutoring and academic support, and evaluating prior training and work experience for college credit. to pursue their degree from any location while attending to their military responsibilities or pursue an online education during their transition back to civilian life, according to the website. Online degree programs also allow students to study at any time of the day — a benefit for military students who may be accustomed to unconventional hours.

CTU also uses the American Council on Education Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services to determine transfer eligibility for all newly enrolled military students, according to its website. Service members can order joint service transcripts – the Air Force issues its own through the Community College of the Air Force — which

the university’s Prior Learning Assessment can then review to determine how many eligible transfer credits can be applied toward the student’s degree requirements.

Military specialists also are on hand at CTU to help veterans, active-duty service members and dependents explore the available education benefits and financial aid options.

Education Guide

Dec. 13-14, 2018 11B

An advertising supplement to the Fort Carson Mountaineer, the Peterson Space Observer, the Schriever Sentinel and the Colorado Springs Business Journal

New initiative unifies school districts, businesses

A

By Jessica Kuhn

new initiative among local school districts and employers aims to create a talent pipeline in Colorado Springs.

The Pikes Peak Business & Education Alliance is a workforce development collaboration between 12 school districts in the Pikes Peak region and local businesses, said Bob Gemignani, the workplace learning manager for El Paso County School District 49 and PPBEA co-chairperson.

“The problem our education community realized in the last three or four years is that because of the number of school districts in El Paso County, our ability to communicate effectively to businesses is very fragmented,” Gemignani said. “And it causes businesses in the community to become extremely fatigued when approached by all the districts.”

The alliance formed unofficially about a year ago out of informal gatherings of local school districts’ career technical directors, Gemignani said.

“The conversations were about trying to find ways we could work together because of these redundancies and fragmentation between districts and businesses,” he said.

Gemignani said the catalyst for creating the alliance was his being hired in July of last year to develop D49’s workplace learning program.

“When I started attending those informal meetings, the conversations accelerated and deepened because now there was somebody within the districts highly focused on the business-facing aspect of things,” he said.

One of Gemignani’s initial tasks was creating D49’s workplace learning marketplace, which is an online platform similar to Indeed.com, where businesses can share employment-based opportunities, such as field trips and internships.

“It’s a really effective, repeatable and scalable platform for us to communicate between our business partners and our classrooms,” Gemignani said. “And basically, D49 leadership realized that the workplace learning program and marketplace we developed were too valuable to not share.”

The school district is allowing the alliance to use the program and website during its soft-launch period while a memorandum of understanding is developed and signed to make PPBEA official.

“We have 12 school districts that have verbally committed to the collaboration but that’s from director-level folks,” Gemignani said. “In order for PPBEA to become a real thing, the superintendents from all the districts are going to have to sign on to a memorandum of understanding.”

Ideally, he said the memorandum will be done in the next two to three months and then the alliance can officially launch at the start of the next school year.

“We will need to rebrand or build a new website because the one we are using right now during the soft launch is the D49 site, but that’s going to cost some money,” Gemignani said. “We need to have that official sign-on or memorandum. We need to be funded.”

The goal is for the alliance to be hosted under the Pikes Peak Board of Cooperative Educational Services, Gemignani said.

“That’s an educational structure or tax structure, which is a nonprofit, that allows the collaboration of school districts to operate programs in partnership with each other,” he said.

The primary strategy of the alliance is the consolidation of workplace learning and training programs throughout the districts, Gemignani said.

“Instead of having 14 school districts contacting multiple businesses and industries in the Colorado Springs area, we will have

one organization that is the point of contact between all of the school districts and all of our business partners,” he said.

The alliance plans to consolidate the advisory councils that are a requirement of each district’s career pathway programs into unified community boards.

“Right now, each one of those pathways and career tech ed programs at each district has to have a business advisory council that meets twice per year,” Gemignani said. “We are going to combine that all into a single advisory council, which is going to help improve businesses’ ability to inform curriculum throughout the entire community. The goal is to construct our own talent pipeline in Colorado Springs.”

Yemi Mobolade, the vice president of business retention and expansion for the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC, said it was an easy decision for the organization to partner with PPBEA. “When I discovered this alliance, I just knew it would help solve a lot of problems,” he said. “A big part of my work is helping businesses work on the obstacles that hinder their growth, and as you can imagine, the workforce remains their No. 1 obstacle.”

Mobolade said last year that the organization received feedback from an outside consultant that the area’s hefty number of school districts is potentially a hindrance for its workforce development efforts.

“Most communities do not have as many school districts as we do,” he said. “We have begun to share information about the alliance with our stakeholders, and the response has been beyond favorable because that’s what business people like to do. They cut through the noise and get to the heart of the issue and do something about it.”

Initially, PPBEA is focusing on four industries that have high workforce demand in the area: registered nurses and related

“D49 leadership realized that the workplace learning program and marketplace we developed were too valuable to not share.“ health care positions; IT, computer science and cybersecurity; skilled crafts and trades; and culinary and hospitality.

“The fact that we have decided to initially target these top demanded occupations in industries in our community is a real key component of our success right now because we are helping those businesses solve a problem,” Gemignani said. “They can’t solve their talent shortage problem alone so they are very attracted to our initiative because we are helping them connect with students to attract them into those careers.”

Doug Rhoda, the CEO of Diversified Machine Systems, said the success of the advanced manufacturing company hinges on having a good workforce.

“Things like this alliance and the relationships we have with UCCS and Pikes Peak Community College are really key to getting pipelines of talent,” he said. “We intend to grow the business and in my opinion the key constraint to growth is having enough of the right people to hire.”

Rhoda wants to start small by creating a few internships for area high school students at the company.

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12B Dec. 13-14, 2018

An advertising supplement to the Fort Carson Mountaineer, the Peterson Space Observer, the Schriever Sentinel and the Colorado Springs Business Journal

Education Guide

Education Guide

An advertising supplement to the Fort Carson Mountaineer, the Peterson Space Observer, the Schriever Sentinel and the Colorado Springs Business Journal

Dec. 13-14, 2018 13B

INSPIRING STUDENTS THROUGH THE WONDERS OF SPACE Photo essay by Scott Prater

A

brams Elementary School students undoubtedly had a long story to tell their parents the night of Nov. 29. That was the day they met a NASA astronaut, learned about space travel and even performed some science experiments.

In a visit coordinated by Colorado Springs’ own Space Foundation and sponsored by aerospace defense contractor Harris Corporation, former astronaut, Lt. Col. Duane G. Carey (Ret.) showed students what it was like blasting off into space and conducting science experiments while in orbit around Earth.

Dressed in a blue flight suit, “Digger” Carey took students through his space experience aboard the space shuttle, from the launch pad in Florida to orbit around our planet and back to land. The students then watched a video of Carey’s space shuttle mission before heading back to their classrooms, where Space Foundation teachers led them through experiments involving solids, gasses and rockets.

“The point behind efforts like this is that we hope these students can see themselves in the presentation,” said Colleen Parith, Space Foundation coordinator of social media and public relations. “We’re trying to inspire the next generation of space leaders.”

Parith said scientists are noticing a lack of people currently entering the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics career fields and so the Space Foundation and Harris are hoping to fill that gap.

“We’re visiting local schools in the Fountain Fort Carson and Academy School districts this week, but we visit schools around the world and we also offer presentations to community members and host teacher workshops.”

At Abrams, Beth Ortiz and her fellow Space Foundation teachers taught interactive lessons about the makeup of planets in our solar system — how some planets are made of rock (solid) like Earth, while others are made up of gas.

Meanwhile, a few other Space Foundation teachers taught Abrams students about rocket technology.

“If we look to the future, our very best rocket scientist might be sitting in one of these classrooms today,” said Ellen Mitchell, senior communications manager of space and intelligence systems at Harris.

“We want to foster an interest in young students toward math and science careers. If we can foster that interest by the time these students reach high school then that might set them on a track to studying math and science at the college level. We need to continue to fill a pipeline of talent toward an industry that contributes products and programs that help people all over the world.”

Abrams Elementary School second-grade students blow bubbles during a science experiment in their classroom Nov. 29. Space Foundation teachers visited the school Nov. 29 as part of a community effort to inspire students toward careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

Courtesy The Space Foundation

SkyView Middle School students perform an experiment that helps them understand rocket technology during a visit from Space Foundation teachers Nov. 28.

Former NASA astronaut Lt. Col. Duane G. Carey, USAF (Ret.) informs Abrams Elementary School students about space flight during an assembly at the school Nov. 29. Carey joined Space Foundation teachers for a presentation at the school in hopes of guiding young students toward an interest in science, technology, engineering and math studies.

Abrams Elementary School second-grade students blow bubbles during a science experiment in their classroom Nov. 29. Space Foundation teachers visited the school Nov. 29 as part of a community effort to inspire students toward careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

Background from Shutterstock (elements of this image furnished by NASA)

14B Dec. 13-14, 2018

An advertising supplement to the Fort Carson Mountaineer, the Peterson Space Observer, the Schriever Sentinel and the Colorado Springs Business Journal

Education Guide

Unify: High school-level business internships now possible From page 11 “But I could imagine it becoming like 10 students a year and even more as we grow as a business,” he said.

Having a unified organization of area school districts for the business community to coordinate with makes having high schoollevel internships more feasible, Rhoda said.

“Running businesses, you are very busy all the time,” he said. “When you can minimize and clarify the interfaces, it just makes everything more efficient.”

Moving forward, Gemignani said the alliance wants to add Harrison School District 2 and Woodland Park School District Re-2 as well.

“I don’t think they’re not collaborating because they don’t like the idea; those districts are going through a lot of change right now,” he said. “But, the goal is to bring all of them on board and then who knows how far something like this can go. There are 17 school districts that can see Pikes Peak.”

Right now, the D49 marketplace has about 45 active businesses with roughly 150 unique sponsored workplace learning opportunities, Gemignani said.

“And that’s growing every week,” he said, adding those businesses already have agreed to partner with PPBEA as well.

Recently, the alliance had its first crossdistrict placement with an Academy School District 20 student receiving an internship at Tri-Lakes Cares, which previously was just a Lewis-Palmer School District 38 business partner.

Lori Benton, executive director of learning services for D38, said the district’s communications department also has a paid internship posted on the D49 marketplace.

“Students from other districts can apply for that and work in our district, which is a great learning opportunity for them to see how another district does things,” she said. “By

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High school students will have the opportunity to earn more than minimum wage thanks to internship opportunities with local busiinesses. doing PPBEA, it basically opens up a variety of opportunities across district boundaries.”

Additionally, the alliance gives students options beyond a minimum-wage job while in high school, Benton said.

“This allows us as a region to support our own workforce development “ she said. “It

also let kids see what these different industries look like, because they are changing rapidly.”

Gemignani said other businesses interested in joining PPBEA can visit d49.org to submit an online application.

“If a business is interested, we would love

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to hear from them,” he said. “I think this is a really cool development in our community that can only help economic vitality here. It’s really something that’s going to help businesses attract and train the talent they need.”

Editor’s note: This story first appeared in the Colorado Springs Business Journal.

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Education Guide

Dec. 13-14, 2018 15B

An advertising supplement to the Fort Carson Mountaineer, the Peterson Space Observer, the Schriever Sentinel and the Colorado Springs Business Journal

Automated: Student-to-device learning is on the rise From page 9

Computers provide a platform for Learner Pathways, present resources and give students access to data to help them make the best choices.

Teachers create the pathways that provide individualized instruction, share data to help students identify their needed path and supply additional resources and choice points as they move through their pathways.

Other classrooms have a more traditional look and feel.

“We recognize that, to be a well-rounded person for the workforce, you need to develop abilities, skills and the disposition to tackle various kinds of work, solve problems and interact with people,” Fuller said. “So we don’t use screens all the time.”

Sean Wybrant, a career and technical education teacher at Palmer High School, is using virtual reality as a learning tool.

“One of the projects his class did last year was re-creating the Salem witch trials,” Fuller said.

Wybrant’s students created a digital simulation of the courtroom in painstaking detail.

When a user donned virtual reality goggles, he could look around and move as if in a physical room. As the user touched an artifact such as a dais, information would pop up about the role it played in the trials.

In fact, technology opens up the world.

“In previous years, to get real-world expertise, you had to organize a field trip or get a guest speaker,” Fuller said. “Now we can Skype with somebody in Australia for 10 minutes to get that expertise.”

Nationally, Fuller said, there are a lot of one-to-one student-to-device initiatives, where every student has a laptop, tablet or other device for personal use.

District 11 decided not to pursue that strategy, instead choosing to fit the number of devices available to the needs of each school.

Technology also is helping schools to ensure students’ safety.

“We are experimenting at Doherty High School with scan cards to automate attendance and know where everyone is at all times,” Fuller said.

Technology is even being used to teach students about online behavior.

“I work with a teacher who is using online simulations, almost like role playing, to teach digital citizenship,” Fuller said. “The kids are making decisions in an online, safe environment where they can see what the consequences and dangers are.”

Virtual learning at CC More than 80 percent of the classrooms at Colorado College are smart, meaning that they have equipment such as a flat-screen TV to which a computer or other peripherals can be connected.

That’s nothing new; what is unique is that the college is starting to send data through a campus-wide network that enables students to access material anywhere.

“The quality difference is amazing when it’s high definition and on the network” rather than viewed on traditional audiovisual equipment, said Dave Ziemba, CC’s infrastructure manager.

Enhanced connectivity on and off campus was achieved when the college upgraded its network four years ago. One of the greatest benefits for students has been virtual labs.

“We started building apps they can use, some very expensive, very academic and very powerful,” Ziemba said.

More than 50 applications have been developed for use in math, computer science, the physical and social sciences and the humanities, Ziemba said.

Some enable students to do virtually what cannot be done physically. One such app, Virtual Human Dissector, promotes an understanding of anatomy by letting students view the human body slice by slice.

Other apps allow students to listen to a symphony for a music class, view paintings for an art history session or look at digitized slides of historic photos. Mathrelated programs help students perform massive amounts of statistical analysis or solve complex algebra problems.

Some of these apps currently are available only in physical labs, but about a dozen can be accessed through any browser by students who have appropriate permissions, a username and password.

Ziemba said the college is looking to hire a tech expert whose job will be to expand virtual access to nearly all of the available apps.

“The goal is removing the physical labs and

repurposing the physical spaces,” Ziemba said. “I see resources we could give back to the college, knowing that we found as much power and productivity as possible.”

Students can connect to virtual labs from their own devices to use specialized software even when the corresponding physical labs are closed or they are off campus.

“One of the big ones we’re looking to install is GIS,” Ziemba said. Currently, students must use the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson GIS Lab in the new Tutt Library.

“There are classes in that lab as well, and students have to wait until it’s unoccupied to use that lab,” he said.

On the faculty side, the enhanced network gives professors the ability to access courses, grades and applications they use, on any device they own.

“We can make it look like we’re in our office — the same icons and the same wallpaper follows you throughout all devices,” Ziemba said.

Ziemba doubts that virtual apps are going to put any CC teachers out of work.

“A lot of our tradition is small classrooms, very professor-driven learning and individualized learning built around that interaction,” he said. “I wouldn’t ever see the traditional, in-person classroom changing.”

He expects virtual connections to enhance classroom learning with supplemental activities and collaboration between students, which is already taking place.

Colorado College is bucking the current trend toward universities offering open courseware that enables one professor to reach hundreds of students everywhere through exclusively digital classes.

“We don’t have true distance education,” Ziemba said. “I’m not sure where that’s going now, but I would see the same amount of faculty even if we had distance learning. Maybe in another school, it might be different.”

Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the Colorado Springs Business Journal.

SPONSORED CONTENT

University of Northern Colorado Extended Campus

Online & Across Colorado in Colorado Springs, Denver, Greeley and Loveland Public Universities with more than 10000 enrolled students | State: Colorado About University of Northern Colorado The University of Northern Colorado proudly supports the military affiliated community by assisting in the transition process and providing a stand-alone space with a strong inclusive community. The acceptance of military credit and VA education benefits, awareness events, and the unlimited contributions and uncapped opportunities for the Yellow Ribbon program are just a few reasons why students choose UNC. Our undergraduate, graduate, extended campus and online programs are all designed to help you pursue your goals and find your career path with expert faculty, outstanding resources and hands-on educational experiences.

UNC offers 100+ undergraduate and 100+ graduate programs of study including our nationally recognized business school, health and human science programs and award-winning theater arts and teacher education programs, all which are supported by a cornerstone curriculum in the humanities and social sciences. Our student to faculty ration is 17:1 and students will experience hands-on learning, research opportunities and faculty who are passionate about their areas of expertise. Students also benefit from an academic network that includes honors programs, learning communities, academic clubs, research and internship opportunities, renowned libraries, study abroad opportunities, veterans’ services and tutoring assistance.

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Education Guide

Building Foundations for Success Careers In Construction

@careersinconstruction

@GoBuildCO

Have Your Kid Talk To Their School Counselor About Careers in Construction TODAY!

The Housing & Building Association of Colorado Springs (CSHBA) and the Associated General ContractorsColorado (AGC-C) partnered with regional educators to launch the Careers in Construction (CIC) program in 2015.

The program was launched to connect young people with the construction trade education in the Pikes Peak and Southern Colorado regions. The program started with fewer than 30 students in one high school in 2015 and now includes over 450 students enrolled in four participating districts and ten high schools in the Colorado Springs area. Students are learning to use their hands and minds while using the nationally-recognized curriculum from the Home Builders Institute, which allows them to work their way towards Pre-Apprenticeship Training Certificates recognized by US DOL. These are portable certificates highlighting students’ skills in a particular trade- certifying them as work-ready in that trade.

CIC GROWTH UPDATE • The Careers in Construction program is now in TEN area high schools across FOUR districts.

• Show teens across the Pikes Peak region – as well as their families, educators and community leaders – the value of learning a trade, both for the satisfaction of building something and the career and educational opportunities it can lead to later in life.

• Since the launch of Careers in Construction in 2015, OVER 930 local high school students have learned basic construction skills and have been exposed to jobs in our industry.

• Offer job, internship, and apprentice opportunities for young people interested in the trades.

• In the 2017 - 2018 academic year, 177 students earned a Pre-Apprenticeship Training Certificate, which certifies students have learned the necessary skills to begin work in a specific trade.

• Engage our fellow businesses in supporting this valuable program, addressing the shortage of skilled tradespeople in Colorado, and helping the construction industry grow.

Learn more at:

> GoBuildCO.com POWERED BY:

Contact Info: 4585 Hilton Parkway Colorado Springs, CO 80907 719-592-1800 x 100 Se Habla Español 719-592-1800 x 125 Email: info@gobuildco.com

The CIC program is currently in the following schools: • Sierra High School • Career Readiness Academy • Atlas Preparatory Academy • Harrison High School • Widefield High School • Mesa Ridge High School • Mitchell High School • Coronado High School • Patriot Learning Center • Power Technical Early College

Education Guide

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Dec. 13-14, 2018 17B

Gallegos-Pardo a higher-ed advocate

B

By Bryan Grossman

en Gallegos-Pardo, 32, wants what’s best for his state. After all, he’s had relatives living in what is now Colorado for the past 400 years.

Coordinator of multicultural retention at Pikes Peak Community College, Gallegos-Pardo displays his Colorado pride alongside that for his immigrant heritage — his father is a native of Bogotá, Colombia.

His position was implemented this year to help all PPCC students, and especially underrepresented students, connect with resources at the college with the end goal of making it to graduation day or a four-year college.

Gallegos-Pardo spoke with the Business Journal this week about his push for educational equity and giving back to the city he calls his own.

Where are you from?

I’m proud to say I’m local. I was born in Greeley but moved here when I was 6 months old and grew up on the Westside. There are a bunch of quirky people over there. But I’m the first in my family who is a local. My father is from Bogotá and he moved to northern Colorado in the early to mid-’80s.

On my mom’s side we’re MexicanAmerican, Chicano-American.

They’ve been in New Mexico and the San Luis Valley for 400-plus years.

How did you get into education?

I went to CSU originally wanting to go into immigration and international law. I got my degree in social science with a political science emphasis. In school I fell in love with community activism and education in general. I worked with different groups within the community in Fort Collins and growing up here. My goals definitely shifted. Education is a huge passion of mine and my family.

My mom’s side of the family is all educators, teachers. But I also come from entrepreneurs. My dad came to this country with no formal higher education and he started a business and chased the American dream with his printing shop.

I saw myself in both worlds.

Education is fantastic and a key to success, but I also wanted to work with youth and find out what education means to them. You don’t need to become a lawyer or a doctor or whatever to be successful. If you have a skill, let’s build that skill.

What did you do after graduating from college?

I moved back to Colorado Springs. I had a young family at the time. I have three kids and I had my first daughter when I was a junior in college. … I moved back here and immediately began working with [Colorado Springs School] District 11 as a community liaison for [English as a second language] learners. I worked out of Monroe Elementary School and was in charge of all elementary schools as far as the ESL population. The population isn’t all Spanish speaking, but because I’m bilingual and that was their largest [foreign] language population, I was hired to translate everything from parentteacher conferences, … [Individual

Photo courtesy of CSBJ

Education Programs] and be part of behavioral interventions. Even then I was working with students who had the most barriers to staying in school.

I did that for 3½ years. The crazy thing is, there are students I helped as first-graders now enrolling as freshmen in college. Even though I’m not old, I’m seeing a whole new cycle — kids I saw early in my career when they were 8 and now they’re 18 and going to college.

That’s a cool feeling.

What happened after District 11?

My wife and I decided we wanted to go into the business side of things and we opened a restaurant. It was downtown behind The Famous [steakhouse] called Café Corto. It was a great experience and we won seven or eight awards [from local publications].

That was a whole new world. [My wife and I] worked every position in the restaurant business growing up. It’s a whole new beast owning it and by then we’d had our second daughter. We were young, owned a business and with great successes there were also lessons learned.

After three years we finished our lease … and the building was going through a sale so we didn’t renew it. ... It was a humbling experience but we loved it.

Part of it showed me I wanted to stick with education and share the lessons I learned from my entrepreneurial endeavors... . We finished with the restaurant in 2014 and, at the time, I said I knew I wanted to be in education. I did some higher education outreach and then was with Big Brothers Big Sisters for three years where I worked with high schoolers and creating curriculum. ... Then there was an opportunity to come here

to Pikes Peak Community College, which is a direct carryover of what I’ve been doing. I started at the elementary school level, moved up to high school and now I’m at the college level.

Talk about your position at PPCC. I’m the coordinator of multicultural retention. I work within the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. It’s a brand new position.

We do a fantastic job getting students to Pikes Peak Community College, but we want to keep them here. It’s not enough to get them through the doors. My role is to help students figure out what their goal is and then complete that goal — not leave in the first semester or the first year. In college and especially community college, students might be the first in their family [to pursue higher education] and might find a little culture shock or it’s a little out of the norm and uncomfortable, so they leave in the first year.

They come here for a reason and have goals and aspirations. We don’t want them to come out of here with a bad taste in their mouth. We want to work with students to find out how to support them and keep them here.

Do you focus on certain student populations?

Our best practices are for all students but the realities of the data for K-through-12 education, and higher education specifically, is that male students of color aren’t performing at the level we’d like them to be at. My whole career’s been working with underrepresented communities which is what I’m looking at here — Hispanic, Latino, African-American as well as our Native American population.

“The crazy thing is, there are students I helped as first-graders now enrolling as freshmen in college.”

What are the challenges to graduation?

This is not just a Pikes Peak Community College thing. If you look at higher education in general, there are these equity gaps. I think what causes these gaps is a onesize-fits-all approach — just assuming that everybody has this issue or this deficit. Really it’s a holistic approach. There are socioeconomic issues. Like within our Hispanic community there may be some individuals who have issues with [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals] and legal status issues.

But also within our communities — I grew up blue collar. When I was looking at programs to help, they were looking for the poorest or those from the worst conditions.

But that’s not necessarily the same story for everybody. There are just some challenges students have who are in the middle of the road. I’m not poor. I’m not dumb. I don’t have a sob story about why I need support. I just need help navigating the waters.

There are so many things going on on campus where students aren’t connecting and my job is coordinating those with students’ exact needs — a mentoring program, a social service program. We have a huge military population [in need of resources].

What’s your assessment of educational equity in the Springs?

Demographics have been changing here over time and we’re in such a unique position now for the

Springs historically. I think some of our leaders and longtime institutions are having a hard time figuring out what this change means. …

I’ve been impressed though with the steps the city’s taking to become a vibrant and more accepting and welcoming city than we were in the early 2000s. It has changed and I think it’s fantastic.

One thing I try to message to youth here is that it’s worth investing your time. I know you want to get out of Colorado Springs and experience the world. I’ve traveled a lot and have been lucky enough to have family outside the country.

It’s the whole ‘grass is greener on the other side’ concept and people don’t realize how great Colorado Springs is until they leave. … I think Colorado Springs is welcoming and understanding and is a diverse place, but what I still think Colorado Springs has a hard time doing is embracing that from a systemic level and embracing those conversations.

With changing demographics we need leadership across the board — from government to nonprofits to education and economics — to be leaders of brave conversations about what change means. Because one group is doing well or we’re focusing on closing a gap does not take away from another group.

It doesn’t mean this other group isn’t as important.

Editor’s note: This story first appeared in the Colorado Springs Business Journal.

18B Dec. 13-14, 2018

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Education Guide

Murray Security Services is a Colorado Springs based Information and Cyber Security, Environmental, Safety and Engineering company serving clients across the globe.

MSS has two primary lines of business; professional training and certification and consulting.

Our customers range from several small businesses locally to large international corporations and federal, state & county governments. We provide custom training curriculum and design courses for clients in areas of information technology, cyber security awareness, environmental management and safety.

We provide expertise in many industries to include: • Hospitality • Medical and Insurance • Small Business • Retail • Manufacturing • Government • Defense • Banking and Finance

Our instructors bring practical experience and are certified in the disciplines they teach. We have our own academy where we run courses and we have the ability to bring the training to our client’s location to reduce travel costs and other related expenses.

We provide training in the following areas: • HIPAA (assessment training & employee awareness) • PCI-DSS • FERPA • ISO 2700 Series • NIST – Risk Management Framework (Federal Track and DoD Track) • 1 – Day Intro Class • 3 – Day Advanced Class • Mainframe Security • Active Shooter (tailored) • Physical Security • HAZWOPER (1-day refresher & 5-day certifications) We provide professional certifications in the following IT and Cyber Security areas: • CISM • C|HFI • CISSP • MCSA • CRISC • Security + • MCSE • C|ND • C|CISO • CISA • C|EH

Please check our website for more information or to check on class dates.

www.murraysecurityservices.com Or contact us at: info@murraysecurityservices.com

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Dec. 13-14, 2018 19B

SPONSORED CONTENT

CSU-Pueblo Provides Top Value For Veterans And Active Duty Military And Dependents CSU-Pueblo has a long history of providing the services necessary for veterans, active duty military, and dependents of military to attend and succeed in college and has been nationally recognized as a military friendly school.

• G.I Jobs magazine names Colorado State University-Pueblo to the Military Friendly Schools list of the top 15% of all U.S. colleges, universities and trade schools doing the most to embrace America’s veterans and active-duty military pursing an education.

• Military Advanced Education included Colorado State University-Pueblo in their 2014 Guide to Top Military –Friendly Colleges and Universities.

• In addition, CSU-Pueblo participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program, which provides enhanced GI Bill benefits to veterans who have served post- 9/11.

• Colorado State University-Pueblo’s Master of Business Administration degree was ranked among the top 64 in the country by Military Times’ Best for Vets: Business Schools 2014 rankings.

“It is our mission to provide our veteran and active duty military students with every opportunity to achieve the first-rate education they deserve to advance their career goals,” says Dana Rocha, Director Military & Veteran Success Center (MVSC), “We provide military-specific training and curriculum support to our faculty to

ensure they are able to address the unique needs of our military students.”

Because military members can have nontraditional work schedules, Colorado State University-Pueblo has a full-time office presence at the Fort Carson Education Center operating under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of the Army to more effectively serve veterans and active duty members. The University holds convenient evening classes in Social Work, Sociology, and Sociology with an emphasis in Criminology at the Fort Carson location. In addition, admissions staff members visit Peterson and Schriever Air Force Base as events demand.

To further support veterans and active military, CSU-Pueblo leadership provides additional training for instructors and staff to support students who have been deployed and/or served in combat zones. CSU-Pueblo recognizes the need for transitional services and instruction for those who have served our great nation and provides priority enrollment for veterans.

The MVSC at CSU-Pueblo also offers the “Veteran Ambassadors” tour program, “Vet2Vet” tutoring program, “My Battle” peer to peer mentor program, “Ambassadors” faculty based mentoring program, and “V.A.L.O.R.” the veteran orientation response.

Financial hardship should never be a barrier to achieving a University degree. That is why the MVSC offers a textbook library for free checkout

as well as a wealth of military-specific scholarship opportunities including: • An endowed Wounded Veteran Scholarship; • A Veteran Scholarship through Student Financial Services; • Home of Heroes scholarship through the CSU Pueblo Student Veterans of America; • The Daniels Military scholarship; • CSU Pueblo Veteran Graduate Award; • VA Yellow Ribbon program which provides $5,000 per student for up to 100 students annually; • Pueblo GI Forum provides a $1,000 match per year for a CSU-Pueblo Hispanic Veteran student; • Marine Core League Scholarship; • My CAA-Military Spouse scholarship up to $4,000; • Army ROTC scholarship can provide up to $80,000.

“As a medically retired veteran myself,” CSUPueblo graduate and MBA student Benjamin Buckland says, “I’ve found CSU-Pueblo to be exactly what I needed, with the MVSC, faculty, and staff all dedicated to my success. The whole campus has allowed me an environment to relax and grow. CSU-P has really helped me transition into a more civilian friendly version of myself.”

Find out if CSU-Pueblo is right for you. Visit www.csupueblo.edu, email veteransuccess@ csupueblo.edu or call the Military and Veteran Success Center at (719)549-2910 to learn more about specific military programs.

20B Dec. 13-14, 2018

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Global VillaGe academy Looking for Kindergarten Options?

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Education Guide

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Dec. 13-14, 2018 21B

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DISTRICT 11:

The Heart of Colorado Springs For over 145 years, Colorado Springs School District 11 has been the leader in excellent education. As the center city school district, D11 is committed to providing students with excellent, distinctive educational experiences that equip them for success today and in the future.

Our alumni list of D11 graduates include award-winning scientists, physicians, lawmakers, athletes, and professionals in fields around the world. We are proud to produce students who are not only academically prepared for success, but also who are critical thinkers prepared to work in culturally diverse global markets.

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We employ over 3,700 staff members and are blessed to have over 19,000 volunteers who work with our school district.

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School District 11 Preparing Future Community Leaders Public schools are the heart of our communities. As the most experienced school district in Colorado Springs, D11 produces the best community leaders.

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• Infants / Toddlers • Montessori Preschool • Private Kindergarten • Before / After School Programs www.montessorichild.com

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Montessori Philosophy and How It Benefits the Child

By Jessica Coleman, M.Ed.

What is the Montessori philosophy? How does Montessori benefit my child?

These are often questions received from parents that are looking into a Montessori program. I am an educator in a Montessori Primary classroom. I am a Montessorian that has moved towards this philosophy after seeing the benefits from a parent’s perspective as well as that of an educator. Having my background in traditional Elementary education and Montessori has allowed me to see these benefits more clearly.

Montessori is a philosophy of teaching young children that was created by Maria Montessori. It is an inclusive academic program that was developed by astute observation of children and how they learn best. Maria Montessori developed her philosophy in the early 1900’s and it is still applicable today. The Montessori method of teaching children has been shown to suit the needs of children by employing developmentally appropriate practices that are supported by modern day research on young children.

As an educator with a background in Elementary education, I have come to believe wholeheartedly in the Montessori approach to learning versus the tradition approach taken in other school settings. This is because I have personally witnessed the transformation of children’s educational experiences when they are in the Montessori environment. They can accomplish so much more in a Montessori environment because of the way that the environment is designed.

The Montessori philosophy is centered on the child. It is based on their interests and how they learn best. The educational path is based on the individual child and what they are ready to learn. Montessori focuses on independence of the child to prepare them for real world applications. This is accomplished in a variety of ways within the Montessori classroom.

The Montessori approach creates a prepared environment in which the child will find success. The teacher is a part of that prepared environment. The teacher acts more as a guide in this environment, by providing the initial lessons on the materials in the classroom. Observations are conducted by the teacher so the teacher knows what the child needs. During the academic work cycle the teacher observes each child and records what they are working on, how they are doing it, where their sensitive period is, and what the next step may be. Having a trained Montessori teacher benefits the child by providing them consistent lessons. If a child’s sensitive period is missed it will be harder for the child to learn the material. Sensitive periods are the term used in Montessori to describe the windows of development that children experience. By close observation conducted by the teacher, the child benefits greatly because the Montessori teacher is aware of what the child needs to learn next.

The Montessori teacher is also responsible for maintaining the prepared environment. They do this by keeping the shelves neat and clean, not cluttered. Each work has a purpose and all its pieces, nothing is broken, missing, or out of place. The classroom is maintained each day and prepared for the next day. The benefits of this type of environment for the young child are that is appeals to their sense of order and helps them to refine these senses. In addition, they are drawn to the materials on the shelves and they are not overwhelmed by the classroom environment.

Follow the child is what Maria Montessori said. What this means is to follow the child’s interests and what they are drawn to in the prepared environment. In my experience this means giving lessons within their sensitive periods and not before or after they are ready for something. An example of this is one of my previous students who was four and just missed the cut off for traditional kindergarten by a week. She was ready to read, she could blend all her letter sounds and form

words and knew several sight words. She read every day and practiced sight words every day. This desire to learn came from within her, not from me telling her she needed to. By the end of the school year she knew 220 sight words (kindergartners should know 100 by the end of the school year) and was reading at a mid-first grade reading level. She also excelled in math areas and was able to master her addition and subtraction facts from 1-9. This child wanted to do all these things and the environment in her Montessori classroom enabled her to accomplish this. By the end of the year she was able to test into first grade, because of her drive, the support she received from me, and by providing a prepared environment.

Montessori materials are specific to the Montessori approach and reinforce the philosophy that the child should be able to do the work independently after receiving direction from the teacher. Many of the Montessori materials are self-correcting and have control of errors. This allows the child to discover their mistakes and correct them without asking the teacher if it right or not. This strengthens the child’s ability to be intrinsically motivated and builds self-esteem. Another benefit of Montessori materials is that they are designed to allow the child to learn concepts beginning with a concrete foundation before moving to abstraction. An example of this is the math materials found in the Montessori classroom. Children are able to work with and see math concepts in a touchable, tangible form which provides them the foundation needed to move on to more abstract math concepts.

The Montessori classroom is well rounded with a focus on academics, social skills, and emotional stability. We utilize positive redirection to develop the children’s abilities to problem solve and resolve conflicts in a socially acceptable manner. The areas of the Montessori classroom are carefully constructed to help a child build upon their emerging skills and advance at their own pace. Some of the areas in our classroom environment are: Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, and Math.

Practical Life is especially appealing to the young child as it gives them opportunity to practice skills to advance their independence. It also enables the child to refine their abilities so that they are prepared for more complex activities as they get older.

Children learn to concentrate on the task at hand in a supportive environment, laying the foundation to prepare their mathematical mind. In Sensorial, children have their first true exposure to classification and invites exploration and discovery. The language area helps children to recognize letter sounds and letters and to express their thoughts through written word. Math is introduced so children become comfortable and familiar with both counting and number symbols. In addition to these core areas, we enrich the environment further with Geography, Culture, and Science.

Children in the Montessori classroom are of mixed ages, in the Primary classroom children are aged 2.5 to six. Having mixed ages allows the children to learn from their peers. Students love watching others do more advanced work and it inspires them to work to achieve the ability to do advanced work. Mixed age classrooms allow for creating a pro-social community within the classroom environment.

The young children are guided by the older children and once they become the older child, they are able to become leaders in their environment. By staying in one classroom for a longer period of time, transitions are lessened so there is less disruption to the child’s learning.

The Montessori philosophy is all these things combined. One cannot function without the other. Each piece goes with one another and provides what is the Montessori philosophy or approach. These all benefit the child in so many ways.

Montessori benefits the child developmentally because it is based on where they are at in their development, in all areas of the classroom academically, socially, and emotionally. Hope Montessori Academy strives to provide this rich environment of learning to all of the children who attend.

24B Dec. 13-14, 2018

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Education Guide

2019 MILITARY SPOUSE MENTORING EVENT

YOUR JOURNEY STARTS HERE

Military spouses have one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. At this event, local spouses from five military bases will have the chance to meet local business leaders, discuss job opportunities, have professional photos taken for LinkedIn and get tips about how to land their next positions. Childcare will be available.

Save the date: May 16, 2019 2019

FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT EVENT The family who plays together, stays together.

Join the Colorado Springs Military Newspaper Goup for a night at the park, complete with a family friendly movie, food trucks and local marketing booths. Support military families through this fun event.

Save the date: Aug. 9, 2019