Month: September 2022

Free Learning Opportunities Available and Volunteers Needed for the South Suburban College Literacy Tutoring Program

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SOUTH HOLLAND, IL – South Suburban College (SSC) is seeking participants for the Adult Volunteer Literacy Tutoring Program. The program is structured to train volunteers to become one-on-one tutors for adults in need of basic literacy skills. Instruction in basic literacy includes the development of phonetic reading skills, whole language experience, combined with effective communication skills. Residents are welcome to volunteer as tutors and encourage others to take advantage of this free professional development opportunity.

Once certified, SSC’s volunteer literacy tutors visit adult learners at locations in or near their neighborhoods. Tutoring is flexibly scheduled based on the availability of tutors, learners, and tutoring sites. The following locations have been established as tutoring sites: Acorn Public Library, Oak Forest; Glenwood-Lynwood Library; Harvey Public Library; Phoenix Public Library; Calumet City Public Library; Grande Prairie Library, Hazel Crest; Homewood Public Library; South Holland Public Library; South Suburban College Library, Main Campus; South Suburban College Oak Forest Center Library, Oak Forest; Lansing Public Library; Dolton Public Library; Riverdale Public Library; Blue Island Public Library; Dixmoor Public Library; Tinley Park Public Library; Markham Public Library and Midlothian Public Library.

Illiteracy can be debilitating in many ways for adults who never received the proper instruction. Adults who are unable to read experience difficulty completing many daily activities that others may take for granted, along with a disadvantage in today’s competitive job market.

SSC’s Office of Adult Education administers the Adult Volunteer Literacy (AVL) Tutoring Program in addition to High School Equivalency (HSE), English as a Second Language (ESL), and Adult Basic Education (ABE). These opportunities are made possible by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library (ISL), a division of the Office of the Secretary of State, using state funds designated for literacy.

Tutor training will take place at the South Suburban College Main Campus, located at 15800 South State Street, South Holland, Illinois on Tuesdays and Thursdays from October 4 through October 20, 2022 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Training will also take place at the South Suburban College Oak Forest Center, located at 16333 South Kilbourn Avenue, Oak Forest, Illinois on Tuesdays and Thursdays from November 1 through November 17, 2022 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. This 12-hour program culminates with literacy training certification. Tutors will continue to receive free professional development services throughout this program. Successful tutors are also eligible for letters of support or recommendation for jobs, scholarships, educational opportunities, and more. For additional information, or to register, please contact David Stephens, Adult Literacy Grants Manager, at (708) 596-2000, ext. 2558, or email DStephens@ssc.edu.

Graduates of the South Suburban College Highway Construction Careers Training Program Attended the Groundbreaking for the $94 Million Wood Street and Ashland Avenue Modernization Project

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OAK FOREST, IL–On September 8, 2022, Governor JB Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), local officials, and the community announced the reconstruction of Wood Street and Ashland Avenue, which runs through Harvey, Dixmoor, and Riverdale. This 94-million-dollar reconstruction project, set to begin in the spring of 2023, will modernize the 90-year-old infrastructure. Graduates of the South Suburban College (SSC) Highway Construction Careers Training Program (HCCTP), an IDOT initiative, will have the opportunity to be recruited for the project to fulfill the workforce goals of the project.
 
“The twelve-week Highway Construction Careers Training Program was launched in 2008. The program provides opportunities for minorities, women, and disadvantaged individuals by helping them gain skills that can lead to employment in the trades with high-income potential,” said SSC President Dr. Lynette D Stokes. “Our graduates can start careers as iron workers, electricians, pipefitters, carpenters, laborers, equipment operators, and so much more. The recent corridor project, announced by Governor JB Pritzker, highlights the many opportunities this program can provide students.”
 
SSC’s pre-apprenticeship program, fully funded through a partnership with IDOT, runs Monday through Friday. Students are paid a stipend for each completed hour of training. “The HCCTP at South Suburban College is now in its twenty-seventh cohort since entering the partnership. The last cohort, who graduated in May 2022, had 100% placement into union apprenticeship programs – that’s something to be proud of! It shows the dedication of our students, South Suburban College, and the many contractors and apprenticeship programs striving to meet the workforce demand to fulfill the goals of Rebuild Illinois, Governor Pritzker’s infrastructure plan,” said HCCTP Coordinator Rebecca Garcia.
 
The project will revitalize a three-mile stretch between 161st and 138th streets to rebuild the four-lane road, including new gutters, lighting, and curbs. The project will also include the bridge over the Little Calumet River, bike and pedestrian accommodations, a new storm sewer system, and the replacement of municipal water mains. In a previous press release, Gov. Pritzker stated, “This project in the South Suburbs gets right at the heart of a major throughway for the community: Wood Street and Ashland Avenue.”
 
For information about the program, please visit www.ssc.edu/hcctp or reach the HCCTP Coordinator Rebecca Garcia at (708)225-6004 or via email at RGarcia@ssc.edu. The program is held at SSC’s Oak Forest Center, 16333 South Kilbourn Avenue, Oak Forest, Illinois. For details about SSC’s programs, admissions and registration, please visit ssc.edu or call the Admissions Office at (708) 210-5718, or email AdmissionsQuestions@ssc.edu. Para Información En Español Llame: (708) 210-5740. 
 

Governor JB Pritzker with future apprentices and current students in the South Suburban College (SSC) Highway Construction Careers Training Program.
PICTURED: Governor JB Pritzker with future apprentices and current students in the South Suburban College (SSC) Highway Construction Careers Training Program (HCCTP).

PAC Rats Theatre Company of South Suburban College Presents Performances of Bleacher Bums

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SOUTH HOLLAND, IL – It’s game day and die-hard baseball fans are suiting up for Bleacher Bums, a play to be performed in the South Suburban College (SSC) Kindig Performing Arts Center. Performances will take place on September 16, 17 and 23, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. and September 24 and 25, 2022 at 2 p.m.

Bleacher Bums is a play collaboratively written in 1977 by members of Chicago’s Organic Theater Company from an idea by actor Joe Mantegna. A performance of the play was recorded for PBS television, and in 2002 a made-for-TV movie adaptation was produced. Win or lose, the cast of characters remain undaunted and will root for their team no matter what.

The nine-inning comedy focuses on an eclectic group in the bleachers at Chicago’s Wrigley Field. The cast includes Jennifer Balbuena of Gary, IN as Melody, an avid sunbather; Jim Andricopulos of Mokena as Zig, a loudmouthed middle-aged man; Carol Melendez of Glenwood as Zig’s wife Rose; Brandon Alexander of Glenwood as Decker, a businessman with a thirst for success; Jon Becker of Oak Forest, as Marvin, an inveterate gambler; Ashley Orendorff of Thornton, a young cheerleader of fanatic proportions; Kevin Hathaway of Park Forest as Richie; Charlie Furtek of Lansing as Greg, a gentle soul and serious fan; Veronica Stewart of Hazel Crest as the Wrigley Field guard trying to keep the group in line, and Pat Nevins of Homewood as the off stage announcer.

Adding talent to the production are director Paul Braun of Munster, IN, stage manager, sound designer and set designer Sandra Wagner of Lansing, scenic artist and prop designer Heather Young of Chicago and set designer Pat Nevins of Homewood.

Tickets are only $8 for adults, $6 for seniors (55+), and $6 for students. SSC students and staff can enjoy a buy one, get one free offer with an I.D. Tickets may be reserved via the 24/7 box office voicemail at (708) 210-5741 or via email at boxoffice@ssc.edu. Group rates are available.

The Kindig Performing Arts Center on SSC’s Main Campus is located at 15800 S. State Street in South Holland, Illinois, between Sibley Boulevard and 159th Street. The campus is convenient to Routes 94, 80, 57, and 294. Free, ample, well-lit parking is available.
 

A photo of the cast and crew of "Bleacher Bums"
PICTURED: The cast and crew of Bleacher Bums. Front row, left to right: Veronica Stewart (Hazel Crest), Jennifer Balbuena (Gary, IN), Kevin Hathaway (Park Forest), Jim Andricopulos (Mokena), Carol Melendez (Glenwood) and Sandra Wagner (Lansing). Back row, left to right: Charlie Furtek (Lansing), Brandon Alexander (Glenwood), Pat Nevins (Homewood), Jon Becker (Oak Forest) and Paul Braun (Munster, IN). Not pictured: Ashley Orendorff (Thornton).

Exhibition of Photographs by Jamilah Adebesin Mason on Display at South Suburban College

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SOUTH HOLLAND, IL–The Art & Design Department of South Suburban College (SSC) is pleased to announce a guest artist exhibition entitled “Sink or Swim: Navigating My Mental Health” by Jamilah Adebesin Mason. The series of photographs is on display at South Suburban College in the Photo Four Gallery on the fourth floor of the Main Campus from Monday, September 12 through Thursday, October 13, 2022. A special artist talk will be held in the Photo Four Gallery on Wednesday, September 14, 2022 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Adebesin Mason graduated in 2009 from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Secondary Art Education. She then returned to her alma mater, Hillcrest High School, as the fine arts teacher, and went on to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in Digital Imaging and Independent Film at Governors State University. Much of her time is spent encouraging teenagers and creating a safe place for artistry to blossom.

Adebesin Mason’s current body of work is based on the need to move past mental barriers and facilitate psychological awareness rather than merely existing. Each piece is related to a specific emotion and depicts emotional trauma or a mental breakthrough. 

“Photographs of me are incorporated into mixed media abstract environments, comprised of found and handmade objects incased in resin,” Adebesin Mason remarked. “This work serves as a passage to exploring my mental health and becoming more present in the healing process.” 

The SSC Photo Four Gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. All SSC galleries are closed on weekends and holidays. The public is welcome to visit art exhibitions at no charge. For more information, please call Pamela Planera (708) 596-2000, ext. 2211 or email at pplanera@ssc.edu. SSC is located at 15800 South State Street, South Holland, Illinois. 
 
"Dread"

John Gutierrez’ “A Borrowed Distant View” Art Exhibit Now Open at South Suburban College

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SOUTH HOLLAND, IL–The Art & Design Department of South Suburban College (SSC) is pleased to present an exhibition entitled “A Borrowed Distant View” by artist John Gutierrez on display in the Dorothea Thiel Gallery from September 1-30, 2022, with an artist reception on Wednesday, September 28, 2022 at 1:00 p.m.

Gutierrez believes an intimate and accurate interpretation of a subject can only be rendered after it has been filtered through the mind and soul of the artist. These feelings and energy then flow from the mind through the hand of the artist in order to create the sculpture or painting. The result is a reflected impression to the viewer who embraces the feelings and emotions dictated by the artist through his work.

The Dorothea Thiel Gallery is located on the fourth floor of the South Suburban College Main Campus. It is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. All SSC galleries are closed on weekends and holidays. The galleries are supported in part by the SSC Foundation. SSC is located at 15800 South State Street, South Holland, Illinois. For more information, please email etucker@ssc.edu or call (708) 596-2000, ext. 2300.
 

It’s Not Too Late to Register for Fall 12-Week Classes Coming to South Suburban College September 19 and Later

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SOUTH HOLLAND, IL–Registration for the Fall Semester at South Suburban College (SSC) is still in progress for a wide range of “Late Start” classes. Current and prospective students are encouraged to register soon for these 12-week courses, set to begin the week of September 19th and later. SSC provides flexibility to college degree seekers with flexible class delivery options through the in-person, virtual, online, simulcast, and blended delivery styles. The class schedules, registration services, and a new “live chat” with staff are available online from ssc.edu. 
 
The Late Start classes are offered in a variety of subject areas, including Accounting, Art, Basic Nurse Assistant Training, Biology, Business, Community Health Worker, Computer Information Sciences, Court Reporting, Drama, Emergency Medical Services, English, First Aid, Health Information Technology, Management Information Systems, Mathematics, Music, Office Administration Technology, Overview of College Success, Pharmacy Technician, Physical Education, Psychology, Reading, Sociology, Spanish, Speech, Speech-Language Pathology, Welding and more.  
 
SSC continues its free laptop application process to assist students with the virtual learning environment from https://www.ssc.edu/technology-relief-fund/. 
 
Students are encouraged to register soon – space is limited, and classes may be subject to change. For more information about SSC’s programs, admissions and registration, please visit ssc.edu or contact the Admissions Office at (708) 210-5718 or AdmissionsQuestions@ssc.edu. Para Información En Español Llame: (708) 210-5740. SSC is located at 15800 South State Street, South Holland, Illinois. The college’s extension site, the Oak Forest Center, is located at 16333 S. Kilbourn, Oak Forest, Illinois.