SOUTH HOLLAND, IL –South Suburban College (SSC) is offering Community College District 510 residents the opportunity to start the 1000-hour Barbering Instructor Program. The program will begin July 10th and run Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am – 3:30 pm. The ten-month program will run through SSC’s Office of Continuing, Corporate, and Community Education (C3) office. The program will occur at SSC’s central South Holland, Illinois campus. The Workforce Equity Initiative (WEI) Department will provide funding opportunities for participants in the program.
“The barber instructor program is designed to professionally take our graduates and all local licensed barbers to the next level. This program prepares SSC students to be the future Barber instructors for the region,” said Matt Beasland, Executive Director of Extension Services & Workforce Development.
The WEI project is designed to create, support, and expand short-term workforce training opportunities in SSC District #510 high-need areas. The Barber Instructor Program will aid in developing qualified staff to yield impactful outcomes for barbering students attending SSC.
For more information on the Barber Instructor Program, please call Leslie Glenn, Salon Manager, at (708) 596-2000, ext. 2269, or email lglenn@ssc.edu. For details on the WEI program at SSC, please visit www.ssc.edu/wei.
SOUTH HOLLAND, IL – Former South Suburban College (SSC) Board Chairman Frank M. Zuccarelli will be honored with a new park in his name. The Park dedication event will be held on Wednesday, June 28, 2023, at 11 a.m. on the north end of the Main Campus. The public is invited to attend this event free of charge.
The SSC community was profoundly saddened by the news of the passing of longtime Board Chairman Zuccarelli on January 3, 2022, at 70. Zuccarelli, a South Holland resident, has served as a member of the SSC Board of Trustees since 1978. In 2014, he received a service award from the Illinois Community College Trustees Association, recognizing his 35 years of service as a community college trustee. During his tenure, Zuccarelli witnessed SSC and the Illinois community college system grow from temporary buildings into the third largest community college system in the United States (US). He is only the fifth person out of more than 2,200 current and former trustees to reach this level of success in Illinois.
Zuccarelli previously enrolled at SSC, then Thornton Community College, in 1974 after he completed his enlistment in the US Air Force, where he served as a medic. He earned an Associate of Science degree in 1976 and an Associate of Arts degree in 1978 from SSC. Zuccarelli was elected to the unpaid post on the Board of Trustees in 1978 and was chosen by his peers to be the Chairman of the Board in 1987, a position he maintained until his passing. Zuccarelli also served as Thornton Township Supervisor since 1993, among other public service roles.
In life, Zuccarelli established one of the SSC Foundation’s most significant annual scholarships to assist students passionate about public or community service. Upon his passing, he and his partner, Carmen Canales, earmarked an additional $20,000 for the Frank M. Zuccarelli memorial fund, which was utilized to revitalize the gazebo park area, where many classes and events were held during his early years at SSC. Preparations for Zuccarelli Park were partly funded by Friends of Frank and the SSC Foundation. Revitalizations include 22 new trees, flowers, and bushes, an LED walkway, gazebo lights, a fountain, new benches, signage, and a plaque. The Village of South Holland also donated 12 picnic tables for use.
Charitable gifts to support Zuccarelli’s legacy in perpetuity can be made online at https://www.ssc.edu/foundation. To learn more about the SSC Foundation or Frank M. Zuccarelli Park, please contact Zanetta Miller, SSC Executive Director of Public Relations and Resource Development, at (708) 225-5846 or email zmiller@ssc.edu. The SSC Main Campus is located at 15800 South State Street, South Holland, Illinois.
PICTURED: Former Chairman Frank M. Zuccarelli during a meeting of the South Suburban College Board of Trustees.
SOUTH HOLLAND, IL – The Office of Continuing, Corporate, and Community Education (C3) at South Suburban College (SSC) will offer the College for Kids program at the main campus in South Holland. The program will begin on Monday, June 26, 2023, and conclude on Thursday, July 27, 2023. Classes will not be offered on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, as the campus will be closed for the holiday. Children going into 2nd -12th grade are invited to participate. This program will explore reading, study skills, grammar and writing, math, Spanish, arts & crafts, step aerobics, and game creation.
The materials covered in the sessions do not repeat but enhance your child’s learning method of reviewing and introducing new course materials. All of our instructors are certified teachers who are looking forward to adding to your child’s development. Most classes require a minimum of five students, and some courses have a maximum limit. All registration is on a “first-come, first serve” basis. We ask that students enroll at least one week before the start of class.
“Children in this program have the opportunity to learn in a variety of academic arenas. It will help keep their educational tools sharp during the summer months when school is not in session,” said Gervaise Edwards, Manager of C3. “This experience can lead participants to have better, brighter futures.”
SSC’s Main Campus will offer this program at 15800 S. State St., South Holland, IL 60473. Contact the C3 department at (708) 596-2000, ext. 2231, or ext. 5723 for more information or to enroll a child in College for Kids. Visit ssc.edu for a complete listing of non-credit classes for youth and adults.
PICTURED: The South Suburban College Main Campus located in South Holland, Illinois.
SOUTH HOLLAND, IL – Ruth Johnson Colvin, a graduate of South Suburban College (SSC), formerly known as Thornton Junior College (TJC), was selected as the 2023 recipient of the Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA) Distinguished Alumnus Award. Johnson Colvin attended the College from 1934 to 1936. This centenarian (born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 16, 1916) has trailblazed a unique path in her field and is commonly referred to as the mother of Adult Literacy.
SSC President Dr. Lynette D. Stokes attended the ICCTA annual awards banquet at the Bloomington-Normal Marriott Hotel and Conference Center on Friday, June 2, 2023. “It is an honor to accept this recognition on behalf of an extraordinary alumna who has dedicated her life to serving her community, this country, and the world at large through her literacy efforts,” Stokes remarked. “Her unwavering dedication to her passion for helping others is truly inspiring.” While Johnson Colvin could not attend the awards banquet, she did send brief remarks about receiving the award, “As you know, Chicago, Illinois, was my childhood home, so I was honored to be given such an outstanding award from the ICCTA. A big thanks, and I hope to help all to be able to read and write. I believe being literate is most important. ”
Upon earning an associate’s degree, Johnson Colvin studied at Moser Business College and Northwestern University before earning a bachelor’s degree in 1959 from Syracuse University. After reading about the illiteracy rate of citizens living in Syracuse, New York (NY) during the 1961 Census Data Report, Johnson Colvin became an agent of change and launched Literacy Volunteers of America (LVA) in 1962. In 2002, LVA merged with Laubach Literacy International and became ProLiteracy Worldwide. This non-profit organization has served more than 300,000 adult learners.
Johnson Colvin’s early literacy work aided in recruiting volunteers to be trained as tutors to teach the illiterate population. Her undertaking produced partnerships with various colleges and organizations worldwide in training to eradicate illiteracy. Her curriculum encouraged the autonomy of adult learners while building a profile based on the individual needs of each learner.
While Johnson Colvin’s work began in NY, her literacy efforts have expanded internationally. She worked to eradicate illiteracy from more than 26 developing countries during her travels to train others and spearhead grassroots ventures focused on literacy education. Her passion for literacy is also evident through her publication of tutoring books and the pedagogical teachings of English to adult learners.
Currently, Tutor 8, one of 15 books authored by Johnson Colvin, is used in the Adult Education department at South Suburban College. “Ruth’s Tutor curriculum has shaped how volunteer literacy programs are run nationwide for decades,” stated Dr. Matthew Beasland, SSC Executive Director of Extension Services & Workforce Development.
Former President Ronald Regan acknowledged the efforts of Johnson Colvin’s advocacy for literacy as she earned the President’s Volunteer Action Award in 1987. She was also inducted into the Women’s Hall of Fame in 1993 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from former President George W. Bush 13 years later. The former President noted, “Ruth Colvin is a person of intelligence, vision, and heart. And she has earned the gratitude of many and the admiration of us all.”
“Ruth has received some of the highest honors and awards that can be bestowed upon an individual,” SSC Board of Trustees Chairman Terry R. Wells wrote in his letter of support to the ICCTA. “However, the most important title one can call her is an alumna of SSC. She truly represents SSC’s mission of serving through lifelong learning.”
“I met my husband, Bob Colvin, while attending TJC, who was the love of my life,” Johnson Colvin remarked. “My time at TJC was an excellent two years, I had outstanding teachers, and while attending community college, I developed a passion for wanting more. I’ll always remember the community college experience.”
The South Suburban College Main Campus is located at 15800 South State Street in South Holland, IL. Registration is underway for the Summer and Fall 2023 Semesters. Courses for the Summer 2023 Semester begin the week of Monday, June 5. Classes for the Fall 2023 Semester begin the week of Monday, August 21. Call the Office of Admissions at (708) 210-5718 or email admissions@ssc.edu for information about the enrollment process at SSC.
PICTURED: 2023 Illinois Community College Trustees Association Distinguished Alumnus Award Recipient, Ruth Johnson Colvin.
