December 2020 - Southwestern Illinois College
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Class of 2022

Health Science Class of 2022

Nursing Class of 2022

HSE Class of 2022

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Experience breathtaking Alaska, coastal Maine or an island cruise with PSOP

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Dreaming of your next big adventure? Let Southwestern Illinois College Programs and Services for Older Persons help make it a reality! PSOP is hosting three excursions in 2021 and 2022 that will create memories to last a lifetime.

Alaska by Land & Sea – Aug. 9-20, 2021
Explore the Alaskan “final frontier.” The seven-night cruise and four-night land adventure leaves Belleville, Monday, Aug. 9. 2021. Highlights of the adventure include visiting Denali National Park; taking a ride on the Alaska Railroad; experiencing a wilderness dogsled ride; viewing the gigantic Hubbard Glacier; visiting the Icy Strait Point; watching whales on the waters of Port Frederick; and all the amenities of the world-class Celebrity Cruises’ Millennium ship at night and much more!

The tour includes airfare, transportation, activities, meals, lodging on land, cruise accommodations as selected, entertainment on the ship, port charges, taxes, government fees, travel insurance and gratuities. Prices start at $5,023 per person, with double occupancy.

Landscapes & Lighthouses of Coastal Maine – Oct. 9-15, 2021
Experience all the beauty coastal Maine has to offer. The six-night trip leaves St. Louis on Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021. Highlights of the trip include tours of historic Boston and America’s oldest ballpark, Fenway Park; taking a scenic Casco Bay Cruise and seeing lighthouses, forts, lobster boats and seals; visiting one of America’s oldest and most photographed lighthouses, Portland Head Lighthouse; experiencing a traditional lobster clambake; traveling to the tallest peak in the Northeastern U.S., Mount Washington and much more!

The excursion includes roundtrip airfare from St. Louis, six-nights lodging in first-class hotels, nine meals, motorcoach transportation, admissions per itinerary, sightseeing, hotel transfers, baggage handling at hotels, a travel protection plan and a professional tour director. Prices start at $3,599 per person, with double occupancy and the booking discount.

Eastern Caribbean Cruise – Feb. 20 to March 3, 2022                 
This unique island winter escape is jam-packed with things to do and features something for everyone. The 10-night journey leaves Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022 and will explore what Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, the eastern Caribbean islands, and Celebrity Cruises Millennium cruise ship have to offer. There are many excursion options to choose from including:  exploring vibrant coastal villages and white-sandy beaches; navigating the El Yunque rainforest; tasting local cuisine; shopping at local shops filled with artisanal batik clothing, leatherwork and textiles; riding a narrow-gauge train through breathtaking scenery; snorkeling to view sunken shipwrecked ships; viewing the magnificient Mount Liamuiga, a 3,792-foot-high dormant volcano and more!

The trip includes rountrip airfare and airport transfers; one-night lodging in Ft. Lauderdale with breakfast; 10-night cruise in selected accomodations; all meals and entertainment on the ship; baggage handling throughout the trip; customary shipboard gratuities; all port charges, taxes and government fees; tour-related taxes and gratuities for drivers and bellman and services of a PSOP representative. Guests also get to choose two of the following perks, at no extra cost: classic beverage package, unlimited internet package or an onboard credit of $150 per person for dining, spa, shore excursions and other onboard purchases.       

The deposit to reserve your spot for this excitement-packed excursion is only $500. Prices begin at only $2,999 per person. A passport is required and must be valid through Sept. 5, 2022. A passport card is not acceptable for this trip.

For more information or a brochure, call Group Travel Specialist Nancy Bauer at 618-234-4410, ext. 7020 or nancy.bauer@swic.edu.

Experience spring training with the Cardinals, discover the heart of Texas or explore captivating Iceland with PSOP in 2021

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Dreaming of your next big adventure? Let Southwestern Illinois College Programs and Services for Older Persons help make it a reality! PSOP is hosting three excursions in 2021 that will create memories to last a lifetime.

Spring Training with the Cardinals in Jupiter, Florida – March. 16-19, 2021
Enjoy the beginning of spring with the “boys of summer.” The four-day trip leaves on Tuesday, March 16, 2021. Highlights of the trip include a tour of Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse; two Cardinals games at Roger Dean Stadium; exploring old-world architecture, beautiful fountains and sidewalk cafes in West Palm Beach; viewing celebrity mansions; looking for alligators while riding through the Everglades Holiday Park on an airboat; enjoying a “Gator” show by the Gator Boys Alligator Rescue Team of “Animal Planet” and more!   

The trip includes roundtrip local airport transfers and airfare; deluxe motor coach transportation; three-nights lodging near the beach; three breakfasts and two dinners; all activities and admissions as listed in the itinerary; all tour-related taxes and gratuities and baggage handling. Prices start at $2,229 per person, with double occupancy.  

The Magnolia Trail & The Heart of Texas – April 24-28, 2021
Experience all the heartland of Texas has offer! This four-night trip leaves Saturday, April 24, 2021. Highlights of the trip include tours of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, President John F. Kennedy sites and locations, Perot Museum, AT&T Stadium, the western historic Fort Worth Stockyard District, Waco City and a guided tour of homes featured on the HGTV series “Fixer Upper.” Also included is shopping at the Magnolia Market at the Silos, viewing a cattle drive and much more!

The tour includes roundtrip airfare from St. Louis, four-nights lodging infirst-class hotels, six meals, motorcoach transportation, admissions per itinerary, comprehensive sightseeing, hotel transfers, baggage handling at hotels, a travel protection plan and a professional tour director. Prices start at $2,699 per person, with double occupancy and the booking discount.
    
Iceland Explorer – June 2-8, 2021
Discover picturesque landscapes created by volcanoes and glaciers, and learn about Viking heritage. The trip includes roundtrip airfare from St. Louis, motorcoach transportation, eight meals, sightseeing and admissions per itinerary, five nights lodging, hotel transfers, travel insurance, international air departure taxes and fuel, baggage handling at the hotel and a professional tour director. A valid passport is required.

Highlights of the adventure include visiting several museums such as Iceland’s National Museum, Skogar Folk Museum and the Viking Ship Museum. Also, view the Skogafoss, one of the biggest waterfalls in the country; swim in a geothermal pool in the center of a large lava field called the Blue Lagoon; explore Thingvellir National Park; view hot springs and mud pots; explore five original Viking ships from the 11th century and visit Bessastadir, an ancient site and home to Iceland’s president. Taste “Hot Spring Bread” which is cooked using the heat from geothermal activity; learn Viking history and culture; and much more. The cost starts at $4,799 per person, based on double occupancy and with the booking discount.  

For more information or a brochure, call Group Travel Specialist Nancy Bauer at 618-234-4410, ext. 7020 or nancy.bauer@swic.edu.

SWIC Receives $1.2 Million Workforce Equity Grant for 2021

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A $1.2 million Workforce Equity Initiative Grant from the Illinois Community College Board will enable Southwestern Illinois College to continue offering its one-year career training programs in East St. Louis.

“We’re able to continue the incredible work we’ve been doing at the East St. Louis Higher Education Campus,” said SWIC Executive Director of Enrollment Development Bob Tebbe. “We look forward to expanding career pathway programs and helping students achieve their educational and career goals.”

SWIC received a $1.4 million WEI grant in 2020 to develop employment training programs to assist minorities in underserved communities. Those programs include certificates in Welding, Nurse Assistant, Food Service, Forklift Training, and Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration. This year, 274 students completed certificate programs at ESLHEC.

Additional certificate programs for 2021 include Phlebotomy, Practical Nursing, and Help Desk.

“The goal is to provide underserved residents of the East St. Louis area with vital job skills so they can earn a prevailing wage,” Tebbe said.

The 2020 grant also allowed SWIC to purchase a food truck to teach a food service class and a mobile technical education trailer to teach precision machining in that community.

To help students start their new careers, SWIC has earmarked funds from the 2021 grant to provide a stipend to students who complete a certificate program and secure employment.

“Southwestern Illinois College is developing relationships with community programs and businesses to create a pathway for students once they complete the program to enter into employment,” said Programs Outreach Coordinator/ESLHEC Site Administrator Gary Cruise. “We are excited to receive the $1.2 million training grant and looking forward to SWIC being a part of changing lives.”

The award to SWIC is part of an $18.7 million ICCB grant to 17 community colleges throughout the state that serve larger African American and other minority populations.

While the first year of the initiative was impacted by the current health crisis, demand remained high with 1,840 Illinoisans enrolling in WEI programs in the spring of 2020.

With the support of Illinois’ Legislative Black Caucus and House Deputy Majority Leader Jehan Gordon-Booth, funding from the WEI allows participating colleges to develop or enhance training and career pathway programs in primarily five high demand employment sectors – health care, manufacturing and construction, transportation, information technology, and emergency services.

For the full WEI report visit:  http://www.illinoiswei.org/.

To find out how you can sign up for one of the WEI career training programs, contact Cruise at 618-874-6595 or leonard.cruise@swic.edu.