Performing Arts Awarded South Arts Grant

AVON PARK, Fla. – May 28, 2020 – South Florida State College’s (SFSC) Performing Arts was recently awarded a $3,700 Performing Arts Touring Grant from South Arts, an organization that supports artists and arts presenters in nine Southern states—Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

SFSC Performing Arts has been awarded grants from South Arts in the past, including last year’s Artist Series performance of “The Nutcracker,” presented by the South Carolina Ballet. The recent grant will be used to book “Sail On: The Beach Boys Tribute” from Nashville, Tenn. for the Matinee Series in March 2021.

“SFSC Performing Arts is thrilled to be awarded one of these limited and competitive grants from South Arts,” said Cindy Garren, director of Cultural Programs. “It helps us present Southern artists to our community.”

AVON PARK, Fla. — May 26, 2020 — South Florida State College (SFSC) student, Erika Cruz, was recently awarded a $300 SFSC Performing Arts and Culture for Students (PACS) educational stipend.

PACS is a partnership between the SFSC Division of Arts and Sciences and the Cultural Programs Department and funded by the SFSC Foundation. The PACS project was established to promote SFSC students’ awareness, experiences, and a deep appreciation of the diverse cultural landscape in Florida. Student participants are asked to attend at least three arts or cultural activities at museums, theaters, art festivals, cultural landmarks, or concert venues anywhere within Florida. They are then asked to submit photos of themselves at the venue, along with a two-page reflection paper about their experiences at the venues. At the end of each College term, qualifying students are entered into a lottery to win a $300 stipend.

“This voluntary program for SFSC students introduces them to the arts and culture in our community—its value and meaning,” said Cindy Garren, director of SFSC Cultural Programs. “We hope to ignite a student’s interest in the arts, enhance their critical thinking skills, and foster attendance at cultural events.”

The $300 PACS stipend can be used in any way a student chooses. Cruz plans to use her stipend on supplies, books, or testing fees she may have next fall term. She would like to save the remainder and use it toward moving expenses after she graduates from SFSC with her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education (BSEE) in May 2021.

Cruz credits Art Professor Karla Respress’ course in “Integrating the Arts in Elementary School” with her growing interest in the arts. “Throughout the course, my instructor informed me and my classmates of any upcoming art-related events,” Cruz said. “I took advantage of as many opportunities as I could, especially since I have been eager to try new things that encourage bliss and positivity.”

For the PACS project, Cruz’s art and cultural journey took her to Bok Tower Gardens in Winter Haven, Fla. for a tour of this landscaped masterpiece that features the 1930s-built Pinewood Estate mansion and the Singing Tower carillon. She visited the Florida Art and Heritage Festival in Avon Park, Fla. which presented a cornucopia of wood carvings, handmade jewelry, photography, paintings, and other works of art inspired by Florida’s ecosystem, agriculture, and beaches. The Avon Park Depot Museum in Avon Park, Fla. took her back in time to see an early typesetting machine, telephone switchboard, and photographs of the town’s points of historical interest. To add to her Florida cultural experience, Cruz stopped for homemade orange ice cream at Maxwell’s House of Fruit in Avon Park, Fla., which has orange groves and started an Old Florida-style country store over 84 years ago.

“I would encourage other students to participate in the PACS project, because a lot can be taken from the experience,” Cruz said. “Participants learn about different art-related events that require them to get out of their comfort zone and think outside of the box. It’s also a great opportunity to learn about the community and get to know local artists. Most importantly, participants engage in something positive that could have a great impact on their lives.”

For more details about the PACS project or to participate, SFSC students should email PACS@southflorida.edu.

AVON PARK, Fla. – May 19, 2020 – South Florida State College (SFSC) is offering 10 free, non-credit online courses in partnership with ed2go, an educational company that offers online tutorial and instructor-led courses in a variety of disciplines. These free courses can aid individuals in achieving their personal and professional goals in job hunting, personal finance, communications, website development, management, and marketing.

The 10 courses are: “Twelve Steps to a Successful Job Search,” “Individual Excellence,” “Personal Finance,” “Keys to Effective Communication,” “Creating Web Pages,” “Creating WordPress Websites,” “Managing Customer Service,” “Fundamentals of Supervision and Management,” “Small Business Marketing on a Shoestring,” and “Marketing Your Business on the Internet.”

These self-paced, tutorial courses are available 24 hours a day, 7 days week. Students may begin a course anytime through Wednesday, July 1, 2020. However, once the student has enrolled in a course, it is available to the student for up to three months. To learn more about any of these free, online courses, visit ed2go.com/sfsc/ and in the Search box, type “Free.” To enroll in a course, click the course and click “Add to Cart.” For more information, contact the SFSC Corporate and Community Education Department at CommunityEducation@southflorida.edu or call 863-784-7388.

Applicants for South Florida State College’s Nursing Programs can now take the ATI TEAS® exam online in a remote-proctored format. 

AVON PARK, Fla. – May 7, 2020 – South Florida State College’s (SFSC) Corporate Education Department is offering “Introduction to Basic Construction,” a course to enhance skills in residential carpentry, electricity, plumbing, and masonry. This five-hour course has been rescheduled from Friday, May 15 to be held Friday, July 10, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Students will learn how to use basic hand and power tools, how to use a tape measure, about safety, and more in the four trades. In carpentry, students will learn to build a stud wall, repair drywall, and install roof shingles. In the electrical segment, they will learn safety and types of gauge wire used in lighting and outlets in residential construction. In plumbing, they will measure, cut, and join PVC pipe. They will learn to replace a sink faucet and install a new flapper in the toilet tank. In masonry, students will discover the difference between concrete and mortar. They will also learn the importance of footers and how a footer is dug and what goes into it. Further, they will learn to mix a batch of mortar and how block walls are laid.

“This class is a prelude to construction trades classes at SFSC,” said Fred Hayes, coordinator of construction trades and previously the owner of a construction company for 35 years. “The presentation of this course is an opportunity to make a massive change in people’s lives. The construction trades are always busy. And this introductory class will provide a preview of what the four trade classes are all about. In five hours, the students will get a taste of what the different areas of construction do. Training and knowledge can never be taken away from you.”

To register for this class, call 865-863-784-7405. For more information, call 863-201-7195 or email corporatetraining@southflorida.edu. The course number is CRN 30736. The cost of the course is $130. SFSC’s Corporate Education Department also offers in-depth, eight-week training courses that could lead to employment.