Foundation grants aim to help college programs

The Daily Inter Lake

TheFlathead Valley Community College Foundation has awarded $9,520 for projects enhancing the college this year.

Proposals were required to address improving recruitment and increasing retention two of the colleges top priorities this year.

Projects selected and their awards include:using clickers to increase student participation, $3,020; a first-year culinary arts internship for $1,500; and an infrared bio-diesel ceramic kiln for $5,000.

The first grant purchases a system including hand-held clicker remotes for students, a central receiver and software that allows instructors to survey and assess student understanding as material is presented.

The culinary arts grant provides internship experience to first-year students by having them rotate through various positions and functions of food preparation and service under the direction of a chef instructor.

Students will prepare and serve three-course meals to 30 people every Friday evening over a 14-week period to accumulate 140 hours.The idea is to build confidence and culinary skills to better prepare first-year students for their second internships in restaurants or food businesses in the local community.

The third award pays for an experimental kiln to study efficiency of green energy sources and to expand green energy use in the community.

Physics students will gain direct engineering and practical application experience building the infrared bio-diesel ceramic kiln while ceramics students study and explore ceramic processes and methods.

For more information or to make a gift to the college foundation, contact Susan Evans at 756-3963 or sevans@fvcc.edu.