Partnership with Dixie is beneficial to both grad and high school students
The Master of Social Work program at Northern Kentucky University started a new partnership with Dixie Heights High School during the fall 2011 semester called the Dixie Mentorship program. The 15 Master of Social Work graduate students were paired with at-risk high school students to provide direction in overcoming barriers holding them back from their education. Through this partnership, the NKU students receive a firsthand look at the problems at-risk students face daily. They will also have the chance to address Dixie administrators and influence future policy making at the school. The NKU students also implemented a new technique called “photovoice” to help the high school students tell their stories.
Environmental education program receives largest grant in Ky.
Northern Kentucky University received the largest grant in the state from the AT&T Foundation. The foundation is presenting NKU with $22,000 to support environmental education in local middle schools, specifically school-based and field-based programs in waste management. The grant will go toward the total cost of the School- and Field-Based Environmental Education Program which is $280,000 over the next 5-7 years. According to NKU, “the funding, which begins in this month, will provide critical start-up costs such as personnel, operating, instructional supplies and local travel.” The waste management component of environmental issues is a main part of the Kentucky Core Content Standards for Assessment. Steve Kerlin, director of NKU’s Center for Environmental Education, said the “programs in this content area for students of this age range have the largest chance of creating an impact on academic performance and student engagement.”
Alumna makes a name as notable
Ky. “stylemaker”
Northern Kentucky University alumna Juliet Dillion was recently named a stylemaker by the Louisville Courier-Journal. Dillion, currently a hair stylist, has a trendy style with a touch of vintage. According to the Courier, one of Dillion’s signature outfits is a dress with leggings and boots, as well as statement necklaces. Dillion also likes to pair basic pieces with “shoes that scream at you” or other statement jewelry, she said.
Fast-paced opportunity for future
entreprenuers to introduce ideas
StartUp weekend at Northern Kentucky University will give prospective entrepreneurs the chance to pitch an idea, put a student team together, develop the proof of concept and present the final product to a judging panel of local entrepreneurs. Participants will have 54 hours to complete their presentations on Jan. 13-15. For more information about StartUp weekend, visit http://northernkentucky.startupweekend.org/.