ATEP staff attended several events this month, including Saddleback College and Irvine Valley College graduations, the Chancellor's farewell celebration, and Irvine Valley College Foundation's 25th Anniversary Celebration.
Provost Randy Peebles and CACT Director Bruce Sobczak met with Ray York, Dean of Economic and Workforce Development and other staff at the State Chancellor's office to promote ATEP, discuss the new Environmental Design and Compliance Center and gather information on potential initiatives. They were in Sacramento attending the Economic Development Programs Advisory and Joint Regional Planning Committees. Bruce Sobczak also attended the National Coalition of Advanced Technology Center's summer workshop entitled "Building Green."
Instructor Brett McKim was selected as the full time IVC faculty member for Irvine Valley College's Design Model Making program scheduled at ATEP. He has been teaching in the program since ATEP opened.
The second annual Academic Foundation Summer Institute has begun. A partnership with Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College, the Academic Foundation Summer Institute (AFSI) provides basic skills educational opportunities for a cohort of students who need to take Math, English and ESL classes to improve their study skills and knowledge base prior to enrolling in college level courses. The cohort is composed of residents of the Orange County Rescue Mission's Village of Hope. This year, ATEP Dean Rocky Cifone and Irvine Valley College
Counselor Judy Henmi are meeting twice monthly with Village of Hope case managers to monitor the progress of students during the 12-week intensive program.
In order to promote potential workforce skill development opportunities at ATEP, Dean Cifone and Marketing Director Tere Fluegeman participated in two Industry Summits sponsored by the Orange County Business Council and the OC Workforce Investment Board. On June 9, the Creativity Forum focused on growing and enhancing Orange County firms in the creativity cluster such as Digital Media Arts and Broadcasting. On June 17, the forum focused on Biotechnology, Nanotechnology, and Information Technology. Dr. Wallace Walrod of the Orange County Business Council moderated the discussions among industry leaders and workforce development professionals.
ATEP staff are reviewing early drafts of the Orange County Business Council's Evaluation of the Economic Potential of Career Education and Training Programs, a research report intended for use by the colleges and district as data for strategic planning and decision-making.