“We need to create new avenues for students who have previously fallen between the cracks, unnoticed by distinguished academics. Science is for everyone willing to put in the effort!” Eric M. Welsh, Executive Director of G.E.M. Environmental

Although the information is somewhat sketchy, it appears that G.E.M. Environmental, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit, has successfully concluded the first semester of its Field Experience Program with Yavapai Community College, which it calls “pilot.” As described, the program offers hands-on science education for underserved students in Yavapai County.

G.E.M. Environmental works with government agencies to conserve public lands through data collection, environmental monitoring, and remediation. Starting in spring 2019, a field experience program was offered to select science classes at Yavapai College and Prescott College.

The program involves students in geoscience activities, including field trips. The Field Experience Program gives students an opportunity to spend extended time contemplating ideas encountered in the classroom during the semester, while learning about potential career opportunities in their fields of interest.

As further described by reporter Amie Winters, in her article in the Prescottenews.com, “the program initiated in the spring 2019 semester, starting with a series of classroom lectures in Dr. Beth Boyd’s Environmental Geology and Historical Geology courses. The lectures were given by local professors and STEM graduate students, who visited these classrooms bi-weekly to offer engaging scientific curriculum in a variety of areas including geography, seismology, mineralogy, and more—helping students explore the relationship of these disciplines and how they relate to their everyday lives. A field trip was then taken to the Drake Cement Mine, giving students an opportunity to spend extended time contemplating ideas encountered in the classroom, and learning about potential career opportunities in their fields of interest.”

The College apparently has not issued a press release describing the program. It is also not clear that a similar program is being offered on the Verde Valley Campus in the East Region of Yavapai County.

You may read all of Amie Winters April 16, 2019 article by clicking here. You may learn more about scholarships and the G.E.M. Environmental program by clicking here.

Why shouldn’t the meal plan concept be expanded to Verde Campus and Sedona Center? 

Yavapai Community College has a great commuter meal plan that is available to students other than resident hall occupants on the Prescott Campus.  As stated by the College in its marketing statement, these meal plans are a “great value” for those students who choose to purchase them.  And they are!

The question is this:  Why shouldn’t students on the east side of the County at the Verde Campus and Sedona Center have an equal opportunity to purchases similar plans?  Why should they have the same or similar benefits as those students on the Prescott Campus?

Hopefully, the new College president and/or the Governing Board will expand the program throughout the District.

Shown below is the advertisement for the Commuter Meal Plan on the Prescott Campus.

College provides huge public service to Prescott/Prescott Valley area; little to Verde Valley as discriminatory treatment in public service continues as between the east and west sides of the County

2017 was a banner year for public service by Yavapai Community College to the residents living in the Prescott/Prescott Valley area. It paid little attention to the one-third of the County population living on the east side of Mingus Mountain. Here, for example, is a sampling of the over 100 events held at the Performing Arts Center for West County residents:

National touring performances such as Art Garfunkel, Rita Rudner, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, the Glenn Miller Orchestra and Wynona Judd.

Home of the Prescott Pops, Yavapai Symphony Association (featuring the Phoenix
Symphony), the annual Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering, and the Prescott Film Festival.

Satellite broadcast events from The National Theater of London, The Bolshoi Ballet, and
The Metropolitan Opera Live from New York City.

A school matinee series that presents live educational entertainment shows, at no cost, to Yavapai County school children living on the West side of the County. An estimated 8,719 students attended performances in 2016-17.

Meanwhile, there were three live performances of national touring artists in the Verde Valley/Sedona.  In addition, there were two school matinee series that presented live educational entertainment shows at no cost to Verde Valley school children.

Says education conditions in Ashfork “extremely sad;” affluent using technology to “grow” while poor use technology “for games”

President Penelope Wills urged the Governing Board at the March 7, 2017 meeting to focus on the underserved in the County. She said that they should read books such as Robert Putnam’s “Our Kids” and view a videotape on the condition of education and poverty in a videotape she was providing to them.

In Ashfork she said that citizens in a small discussion group told her that “we need Yavapai college because our children are going to be lost.”  She also remarked that “affluent [students] use smartphones to access information to make decisions and grow.”  In contrast, “underserved and lower social economic [students] use it for entertainment and games.”

Wills also said that the citizens she met felt that the teachers in the Ashfork School District needed to be educated on how to use technology in the classroom. She agreed to help with this problem.

You may view President Penelope Wills remarks to the Governing Board on this issue by clicking on the seven minute video that follows.