EWC College Day for Area Fifth Graders

TORRINGTON, WY –

Eastern Wyoming College, in conjunction with the Goshen County School District, is sponsoring “College for a Day”. This program will be held on the Eastern Wyoming College campus in Torrington on Thursday – May 19th from 9:00 am -1:30 pm. The purpose of this program is to spark interest in young children about attending college after high school, and familiarize these students and their parents with college life. It will provide information to students about the possibility of attaining a college degree regardless of income or other life circumstances.

The conference is funded by Eastern Wyoming College with assistance from the EWC Board of Trustees and the College’s President, Dr. Tom Armstrong. Fifth graders in the Goshen County School District along with their parents have been invited to the program and an attendance rate of around 175 is expected for the day. The conference will have academic presentations designed for children with separate sessions for parents on ways they can become effective partners in their child’s academic success.

Keynote Speaker, Mary Jo Huelle will start the day with the presentation “Instead of Why? Why Not” in which she will discuss the positives and negatives of going to college. Ms. Huelle has taught in Nebraska and Tanzania (Africa) and will discuss, among other things, opportunities for volunteering in college including service in the Peace Corps.

Student sessions include individuals/organizations from both EWC and outside the local area. Therapy Dog, Inc., a national organization with corporate headquarters located in Cheyenne, WY, will present “Reading to Your Pet”. The goal of this session is to present students with the idea that reading to their pets can be fun (both for them and their pet) while, at the same time, helping the student increase confidence in their reading skills.

Another presenter will be Aimee Summers who is a former zookeeper. Ms. Summers’ topic “Cryptozoology : Fact or Fiction” addresses the subject area (the search for animal whose existence has not been proven) and related stories.

Topics discussed by EWC faculty include “The World of Welding” (Leland Vetter – Machine Tooling/ Welding Instructor); Education and Athletics (Verl Petsch – Athletic Director); and “The Art of Collage” (John Cline – Art Instructor).

Presentations for parents include “Exploring Financial Options to Meet the Cost of Higher Education” presented by the Education Opportunity Center of Southeast Wyoming; “Social Networking” by Brian Hale from Hale Media in Gering, NE; and “Preparing Your Student for College” by the EWC Enrollment Management staff. Parents are encouraged to attend any or all events and have been invited to stay and have lunch with their students.

The day will conclude with a presentation from Laure Sinn who is the Director of Student Activities at Chadron State College located in Chadron, NE.

In addition to a snack and lunch, students will receive an EWC book bag and other academically related items to remind them of the day and help them start on the road to a college education.

For more information concerning “College for a Day” or to pre-register, please call Molly Williams, EWC Director of Financial Aid, (307) 532-8325 or email: molly.williams@ewc.wy.edu