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CODY CUTTER

ccutter@shawmedia.com MORRISON – Colleges with 2-year degree programs have two main disciplines: arts and science.

The Morrison Institute of Technology leans more into the science aspect of learning. However, there is a creative side to the curriculum at the college.

The institute lived up to its reputation as an innovator in 2019 when it opened its aptly named Innovation Center, a facility it touts as “fulfilling a need, and a dream,” doing both by providing a place where ideas and concepts become reality all under one roof that’s supported by three of the college’s key pillars: students, community members, and businesses. The “crown jewel” of the campus, the Center gives students an opportunity for hands-on learning, community members a venue where they can tap into their creativity, and businesses a place where they can get help with projects, prototypes and production.

It also gives people a place where they can invest in the college and the community by buying products that are uniquely Morrison.

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Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@shawmedia.com

Morrison Tech President Christopher Scott shows off a height-adjustable desk designed and manufactured at the college’s Innovation Center. What makes the desk distinctive, beyond just its design, is its lack of metal or permanent fasteners.

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Innovation and education ...

Morrison Tech students are encouraged to think outside the box – or the chair, or the wind turbines. BELOW: One of the projects students were tasked with was designing a chair using the least amount of wood and no glue or metal fasteners.

RIGHT: For this project, they were challenged to come up with a vertical wind turbine.

The Made@Morrison Tech Marketplace sells students’ and staffs’ handiwork, homemade in the institute’s hometown, with proceeds put back into students’ educational experiences.

Products begin with a concept, followed by a design generated by computer-aided design (CAD) software. Prototypes are made using 3D printers, computer numerical control (CNC) machinery, or both. The last step is to bring this design into reality.

“Our goal is that not only do the students get to take it home, but we can make extras to sell them in the marketplace to help raise money for additional equipment for this facility,” Morrison Tech President Christopher Scott said.

Products range from smaller items such as picture frames, bird feeders, clocks and Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired lamps, to larger items such as tables, chairs, desks, and adjustable shelving.

The products employ – and teach students – a variety of woodworking techniques, from traditional,in which no metal fasteners and glue are used, to more modern techniques where students learn to master machinery.

Clock work teaches the basics of planning, joinery, table and bandsaw skills, and mortising. Desk lamps provide lessons in laser cutting and electrical work. Bee houses are made with CNC routing. Disc-shaped smart phone speakers and amplifiers also are among the projects.

“Our curriculum is all engineering and design work, but we want our students to have that hands-on experience so they can become better designers,” Scott said. “We also want to give them lifelong skills that can help them with using the equipment and techniques here.”

Photos: Alex T. Paschal/ apaschal@shawmedia.com

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MORRISON cont’d from page 4 An increasingly global economy has increased demand for American-made products at home, but they’re not always easy to find. People also put a premium on distinctive, handmade products with a personal touch, Scott said. Another added benefit: showcasing student projects helps bring a piece of Morrison Tech to homes and businesses throughout the community.

The Innovation Center gives entrepreneurs, students, artisans and local businesses a technological playground to help turn their ideas into reality. It was completed after nearly 10 years from concept, and done through a collaborative effort with the Morrison Area Development Corp., Whiteside County Economic Development, Blackhawk Hills Regional Council, and the local Rural Development office of the United States Department of Agriculture. Grants from the Timken Foundation of Canton, Ohio, and the USDA also aided in the Center’s development.

Morrison Tech has a lot to be proud of lately; it recently was ranked as the No. 1 twoyear college in the Midwest for return on investment for students by Georgetown University’s Career on Education and the Workforce. The college has a 97% career placement rate, with an average starting salary of $48,000.

“Of course the building should be for our students, but it also should be for the local artisan,” Scott said. “It should be for the local industry, and it should be for the entrepre-

These accent lamps are inspired by the distinctive style of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The designs on the right are adapted from one of the art glass windows in Wright’s Frederick C. Robie House. The lamp on the left is based on Wright’s Dana Thomas Home in Springfield, Illinois. The lamps can be made of cherry or oak from a detailed laser-cut design, and features a rice paper shade.

Alex T. Paschal/ apaschal@shawmedia.com

neur. Taking those four groups of people, how can we let them interact with each other and gain experience and knowledge along the way? Made@Morrison Tech is one of those programs that helps with that.”

The campus has plans to grow in the future.

A sawmill, for example, is in the works.

“We really want to try and get this secret out to the public about who we are,” Scott said.

“We’ve been doing some incredible things here for 50 years now, and we’re really, really good at what we do. Hopefully more and more people can see that as we move forward.” n

More info The Morrison Institute of Technology is at 701 Portland Ave. Call 815-722-7218, go to morrisontech.edu or find it on Facebook for more information on the school and the Morrison Tech Innovation Center.

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Whether you’re looking for a new job, a new start, or a new direction, a local employment agency can help find the best fit for its clients 6

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BY CODY CUTTER

ccutter@shawmedia.com STERLING – When it comes to getting help to find a job, a local employment agency has a simple rule: Everyone deserves the best.

Whether someone needs a new job, a new direction, or even help overcoming the challenges of a pandemic or epidemic, BEST Inc. has a host of services designed to get people back on their feet and taking steps in a new direction.

The Business Employment Skills Team, based in Oglesby with offices throughout the Sauk Valley, helps clients gain meaningful employment with job search assistance, on-the-job training and paid work experience. It also has services for those affected by the opioid epidemic, as well as apprenticeship programs.

BEST, a federally funded agency, began in 1984 to administer the Job Training Partnership Act in Bureau, La Salle, Lee and Putnam counties; it expanded to Carroll, Jo Daviess, Ogle and Whiteside counties in 2013 and today has offices in Dixon, Sterling, Mount Carroll and Oregon.

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Need help?

The following resources are available for free at each BEST office (turn to page 9 for a list of local offices): Job board: Access to local newspapers are available. You may also review current job postings from local employers.

Internet access: A resource room provides internet access to conduct a job search. A listing of job- and career-related sites is also posted. Instructions on how to access the internet are available or staff assistance is available.

Job search assistance: Information packets, books, videos, and software programs are available to help with applications, interviewing, resumé writing and provide tips on conducting a successful job search. We also offer group and individual workshops.

Labor market and career information: Learn what jobs are available in the local area as well as job growth trends and forecasts.

Illinois JobLink: Illinois JobLink is an Internet-based job search tool that features current job openings. Illinois JobLink searches for open jobs by job category. Both statewide and nationwide job banks are included.

Illinois workNet (IWN)– Available 24/7 atillinoisworknet.com, IWN provides assistance and information about career planning, college admission, financial aid, education/training options, job search and other services.

Helping job seekers attain skills to increase their likelihood of being the best candidate for the job, BEST can provide people with skills such as resume writing, filling out online applications, brushing up on interviewing skills or “upskilling” through college certificates or degrees.

“The primary mission is to assist eligible individuals get the skills they need to become self sufficient,” BEST Executive Director Carrie Folken said.

The agency can also help employers find the right fit for the right job, working with businesses to assess their needs and come up with a plan to fill them.

“For the business communities it is helping with whatever workforce needs they may have, and some of those services could include: helping with recruitment, prescreening applications, upskilling current workforce or assisting with labor market information,” said Folken.

Added Business Services Manager Dianna Schuler: “We have a multitude of free services to help business with training, hiring and retention.”

Like countless other businesses and agencies, BEST has had to adapt to the new pandemic reality.

“Keeping individuals safe and healthy was, and is, a top priority,” Folken said. “We have introduced new podcasts and electronic workshops to help individuals get the services they need at their own time and safety.”

Apprenticeship programs can help businesses increase employee retention rates, get a positive return on their investment in an employee, customize a company’s training resources, and can be cost-effective alternative to funding a college education. Through the “earn-and-learn” system, apprentices get on-the-job training while earning a wage.

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BEST cont’d from page 7 Nikelle Tellier is in charge of conducting outreach to businesses, informing them of the benefits of apprenticeship training programs and helping them start a federally designed and approved program.

The apprenticeship initiative is open to all businesses in BEST’s territory, except for Ogle County, and is also available to those in Rock Island, Mercer and Henry counties.

“We have conducted outreach to health care, manufacturing, education and economic development, and have plans to do the same with logistics and hospitality,” Tellier said. “Thus far we have had conversations with 120 entities and are conducting follow-ups with those that have expressed interest in developing their own program.”

Not all of BEST’s clients are people in need of a job – some are just in need of a change. They’re burned out at their current job or just want to find something new, and BEST can help them navigate that sometimes tricky 180-degree career turn.

For some, landing a job can be tough when they feel like they’re in a holding pattern, something that’s become more common this past year. BEST Program Manager Joel Torbeck has helped some of those people, but he hopes to meet more and invites people to learn about the services BEST offers.

“We have seen some people who have been laid off coming to us for assistance with their job search or to change careers,” BEST Torbeck said. “The numbers have been less than we might have anticipated. Whether it’s because of needing to stay home with kids while schools were closed, fear of going back into the workplace during the pandemic, or just hoping that their previous employer calls them back, it seems that many who lost their jobs are just in a holding pattern.”

Added Torbeck: “BEST may be able to financially assist you with tuition, books, fees, childcare, travel, etc. to help you gain new skills.”

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BEST cont’d from page 8 Eligibility for retraining assistance is based on employment status, or on household income. Tuition assistance is limited to $13,500 per enrollment.

A pandemic isn’t the only thing that’s changed the way employment agencies like BEST do business. An epidemic has, too.

Among the many casualties of the opioid epidemic are people’s jobs. BEST has programs to help those people gain training, traction and employment.

The Opioid Dislocated Workers BEST Inc. has offices in Bureau, Grant is for those who’ve been Carroll, Jo Daviess, LaSalle, Lee, impacted by the crisis, either themOgle, Putnam and Whiteside selves or by a family member or counties. Offices in the Sauk friend. Participants must also be Valley are located in ... unemployed or underemployed to Dixon at the Old Lee County meet the qualifications of the proCourthouse, 112 E. Second St. gram. Eligible candidates can be Mount Carroll, placed into a paid work experience 301 N. Main St. program. The grant can also help with transportation services and training.

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“It’s an opportunity that’s helped to Call 815-625-9648 to make open doors for many individuals,” an appointment or go to bestcoordinator Kerri Hicks said. “They inc.org for more information. are able to gain skills or add to the skills they currently have in order to find their full-time position.”

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ith every successful business comes a story about how it came to fruition.

For more than 30 students in the Whiteside Area Career Center’s Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities program, those stories are just beginning.

The dreams of Rock Falls High School juniors Katie Witherow and Meg Frank are developing in their minds this spring: Witherow is thinking about creating her own line of self-care products, and Frank is trying to find her fit in the clothing business.

Those stories, and those of the rest of the students in their class, started with casseroles and soups.

As much of an odd combination as that may sound like, there’s one important aspect tying it all together: Learning the best way to catch people with their sales pitches for the delicious dishes and baskets is an important step in helping them sell their products and services to the public.

That’s where the CEO program comes in. It gives students a crash course in how businesses operate and how they might own one, or even start one,

BY CODY CUTTER themselves – and that’s what the program’s two recent classes did: They ccutter@shawmedia.com raised seed money that will help each students’ business develop and grow in time for their public revealing later this year.

Witherow and Frank, part of the instructor Le Hartman’s CEO West class, whipped up soups and casseroles. The CEO East class, taught by Emily Zimmerman, sold gift baskets consisting of coffees, chocolates, gift cards and massage candles to come up with their seed money.

The nearly $8,000 raised by both classes will be available for each student to tap into – sort of like money for a bank loan – to help get their individual business going.

Throughout March, students worked on a business plan and gave a pitch to designated “CEO bankers” among their class to request seed money for their business. .

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Delicious dishes When Witherow was trying to figure out back in October what food would be a good seller, she tapped classmate Sydney Minssen of Prophetstown High School to be the operations director and Frank the marketing director of the Savory CEO brand.

The team decided on soups and casseroles, which freeze well and are a quick fix for people on the go.

The casseroles were million-dollar chicken, lasagna, baked mac and cheese, cheesy broccoli and rice, and tator-tot. Soups were chili and chicken tortilla.

“When brainstorming ideas for our class business, we all leaned toward food from the start,” Witherow said. “We wanted to create something that would be both successful for us and help out our community, and Savory CEO did just that. It was an affordable, quick, and easy meal for families in our community.”

Minssen’s team spent hours and hours in the kitchen whipping up enough casseroles for about 800 people. The class made a visit to The Kitchen Incubator of Northwest Illinois in Sterling to learn about food preparation, safety and marketing.

“Being in charge of the operations side of things, it was very difficult trying to figure out a timeline for our business plan,” Minssen said. “There were so many aspects to think about and consider. We had to create timelines for when we wanted to decide on a menu, when we would be able to start taking orders, how and when we would make the orders, how we would store all the orders, and when the orders would be available for pick-up or delivery.”

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WACC CEO class Facebook page

Savory CEO’s student-powered assembly line cranks out pans of lasagna – 170 of them for this batch – for the CEO West class project. The lasagna was among the line of products the class whipped up to raise seed money to help with the CEO program’s business projects. Rock Falls High School junior Katie Witherow said Savory CEO’s food line offered “affordable, quick, and easy meal for families in our community.”

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CEO cont’d from page 12 Frank was in charge of a team tasked to get the word out about the project. That involved creating the Savory CEO name, organizing fundraisers, making flyers, drafting press releases, updating social media accounts and connecting with local businesses to promote the project.

Frank’s team also contacted area Chambers of Commerce and local media to help promote sales.

“I’ve learned so many lessons from being in a leadership position,” Frank said. “I had to learn to delegate tasks. I wasn’t used to being a class where everyone wanted to participate and give it their all, so learning to take a step back was really difficult for me.”

The CEO East class made and sold baskets to raise seed money for student businesses. The “self care” basket (top) consisted of a $10 gift certificate to Cloud 9 Massage in downtown Dixon, a soy candle and pillow spray from Asterisk Boutique in Dixon, shower steamers from Bock Bath Co. of Dixon, honey from Lincolnway Inn in Franklin Grove, and “CEO Blend” coffee from Curate Kitchen in Dixon. The “date night” basket (bottom) consisted of gourmet chocolates from The Crystal Cork in Dixon, soy candles from Asterisk Boutique in Dixon, a $20 gift card to The Crystal Cork, a $20 gift card to the Palmyra Pub in Dixon or Candlelight Inn locations in Sterling and Rock Falls, and random “love notes” made by the students and kept in a keepsake mason jar.

Beautiful baskets When the CEO East team was coming up with their plan to get seed money, they put all their eggs in one basket. The class bundled several locally based items together into two different types of baskets: one for self-care, valued at $50, and another more appropriate for a “date night” at $60.

The self-care baskets consisted of a $10 gift certificate to Cloud 9 Massage in downtown Dixon, a soy candle and pillow spray from Asterisk Boutique in Dixon, shower steamers from Bock Bath Co. of Dixon, honey from Lincolnway Inn in Franklin Grove, and CEO Blend coffee from Curate Kitchen in Dixon. The “date night” baskets had gourmet chocolates from The Crystal Cork in Dixon, soy candles from Asterisk Boutique in Dixon, a $20 gift card to The Crystal Cork, a $20 gift card to the Palmyra Pub in Dixon or Candlelight Inn locations in Sterling and Rock Falls, and random “love notes” made by the students and kept in a keepsake mason jar.

Submitted photos

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What was the most rewarding part of the process of raising money for your class projects?

Working alongside peers my age in order to create a profitable business. It is truly amazing to think that a group of 16- to 18-year-olds created and ran a business from start to finish. We all have different personalities, opinions, and ideas, but we were able to work together to create something as large as we did.

The importance of understanding everyone involved. Teamwork is crucial and sometimes it can be hard to trust others with doing work when you have a vision of it yourself. Baskets Adore had a lot of moving parts and it would have been impossible to do without all of the help from my classmates, my instructor, our mentors, and all the local businesses and leaders who were involved.

Although this may sound crazy, it was all the mistakes I personally, and we as a group, made. If we were to do it again, I would do so many things differently, but I would not wish that it went any differently as it did. From the mistakes, we were all able to learn so much. The lessons I learned from this were amazing! There were times where we did not communicate as well as we should have, so we were able to see how much communication among a large group can affect something.

Personally, the most rewarding part of being involved was seeing the growth of others and myself as the business took off. Before CEO, I wasn’t very outgoing so taking on a leadership role was a big deal for me, and because of it I have grown confident in myself and my own decisions.

It is very rewarding to see people buying our product that we put a lot of effort into creating!

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CEO cont’d from page 13 Gathering the baskets up proved to be a bit tough, Dixon High School senior Grace Smith said, as the initial theme was to revolve it around Valentine’s Day. However, the class rebounded to create the twothemed approach, and Smith also got her mother, who owns Cloud 9 Massage, to chip in to the project with the donation of gift cards from her business.

Then came getting the word out about the baskets.

“There were many different ways we used to market our product,” Smith said. “We had flyers, a radio ad, we had been putting stuff on our Instagram and Facebook pages and have been sharing by word-ofmouth.”

Smith’s senior classmate, Connor Colby, was in charge of marketing the baskets. He and project manager Ashley Crawford, also a Dixon High senior, wrote a script for a local radio ad, which Colby got to perform. He also worked with the participating businesses to have them promote the baskets by inserting small advertisements in their shopping bags.

The project also needed a name. Colby came up with it: Baskets Adore.

“This was extremely thrilling as I got to meet many of the local entrepreneurs personally and introduce myself to them,” Colby said. “I enjoy presenting creative ideas and I love to think outside of the box, so I was constantly coming up with different solutions to try out when we were struggling. I learned a lot about leadership throughout this whole experience and I look forward to building on that as I move forward.”

Sales of the baskets ended after the first week of March.

Successful students The CEO program, modeled after a pilot program

More info To learn more about the Whiteside Area Career Center’s CEO program, go to wacc-ceo.com or find WACC CEO Class on Facebook. in downstate Effingham County, started in 2013 at the Career Center, and split 2 years ago into geographical divisions as its popularity, and the number of students, began to grow. Classes meet at businesses throughout the Sauk Valley, where students can speak to owners, company presidents and employees.

Before the end of the school year, students also will have written a business plan and met with prospective investors for their business.

Prospective juniors or seniors must apply to become a part of the class by the March before the next school year; junior students also can apply to remain in the class for their senior year. This year’s group of CEO’s consists of 31 students from the 16 school districts and two private schools that the Whiteside Area Career Center serves, with an instructor for each of the two classes. More than 75 businesses and individuals throughout the area invest at least $1,000 into the program annually to keep it going, and so do CEO classes from previous years.

The Trade Show is the annual “Super Bowl” of the class, where student businesses, that can typically range from handmade products to decor to air fresheners to food, are presented to the public during a 2-day event; it was held at Northland Mall in Sterling in years past, and last year was at the outdoor Sterling Marketplace. The class also has held “Taste of CEO,” where students helped bring local food vendors to a sampling event.

The pandemic has presented several challenges to the program, but like their counterparts in the business world, students are making the best of a bad situation.

For upcoming projects, Minssen still is working on setting her idea in stone, but said she plans to donate half of the profits of whatever she comes up with to a foundation of some sort. Smith and senior classmate Ashley Crawford are teaming up for their project of making charcuterie (cold cooked meats) boxes. Colby’s business idea is making do-it-yourself cookie and brownie kits.

Some developing dreams pan out after students’ time in the program is through, and some don’t.

More than a dozen projects that originated in the CEO program have established businesses, be it brick-and-mortar or home-based, in the Sauk Valley. They have their knowledge from CEO class to thank for that.

“There are several goals, from teamwork, creative thinking, problem solving, to failing,” said Hartman, who has been with the program since its beginning. “We let students figure out how to execute their plan and even let them fall a little short and struggle a bit, as that is a great way to learn.

They also learn a lot about leadership, personalities, accountability, and more. Not to mention they have to figure out the operations, marketing, and finance of the business; but a main goal is that they turn a profit of some kind.” n

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