Archive for category: Announcements

Big Stone Gap – Mountain Empire Community College will hold a series of “Meet and Greet” sessions with President Kristen Westover this fall.

Dr. Westover will be soliciting feedback on the future vision and mission of the college. Students, staff, alumni, community members, and business leaders are invited to attend. Participants are asked to pre-register by visiting www.mecc.edu/meetgreet and selecting one of the scheduled events.

• MECC Campus – Goodloe Center Monday, September 11, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. 
  3441 Mountain Empire Road, Big Stone Gap, VA  24219

• Town of Pennington Gap Community Center
  Monday, September 25, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. 41670 West Morgan Ave, Pennington Gap, VA 24277

• Scott County Career & Technical Center Auditorium
  Monday, October 16, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. 387 Broadwater Ave., Gate City, VA 24251
• J.I. Burton High School Auditorium
  Tuesday, October 17, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. 109 11^th Street SW, Norton, VA  24273
• Ridgeview High School Auditorium
  Wednesday, October 18, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. 310 Wolfpack Way, Clintwood, VA  24228

For more information, contact Peggy Gibson, Administrative Assistant, at 276.523.7490 or by email at pgibson@mecc.edu.

Big Stone Gap, VA –Mountain Empire Community College is currently accepting applications for the 16th annual Mountain Music School, to be held at the Center for Workforce and Innovation of Appalachia, July 26-30.

MECC’s Mountain Music School is a week-long event dedicated to the preservation and continuation of Appalachian music and culture. Student’s age 10 and up learn to play an instrument of their choice, including beginning and advanced options in “old-time” fiddle, claw-hammer banjo, autoharp, guitar, mandolin, dulcimer, and doghouse bass. In addition, a string-band class for intermediate/advanced musicians is offered for students who want to expand their skills in a group setting. A limited number of instruments are available to loan during the week.

 “After cancelling in 2020 due to COVID-19 concerns, we are thrilled to bring back MECC’s Mountain Music School. This event brings participants from throughout the nation, and even international students. We are excited to host the school at a new facility which will allow for social distancing. We look forward to a great week with students of all ages,” announced co-directors Dr. Mike Gilley and Lee Davis.

Registration for Mountain Music School is $150 for the week and $25 for youth, which includes lunch each day, and a t-shirt. Classes are held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Scholarships are also available for students 17 years and younger.

To register for the Mountain Music School, or to apply for a scholarship, please visit the Mountain Music School website at www.mountainmusicschool.org or call (276) 523-2400 ext. 640267.

-MECC-

Big Stone Gap, VA – Mountain Empire Community College is pleased to announce the 2016 Gathering of the Sweet Folk Instruments on Saturday, March 19 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The fourth annual gathering will introduce and promote the autoharp, lap dulcimers, penny whistle, and bodhran (Irish drum) to beginning musicians and extend the knowledge and skills of seasoned musicians.  The goal of the festival is to preserve the traditional performance of the autoharp and lap dulcimer by attracting and teaching youth and adults the culture and musical heritage of the region.  The autoharp and lap dulcimer have a long tradition with musical performance in the Appalachian region.  The autoharp was an instrument featured in early country music and the recording sessions in Bristol.  These two instruments came to our region through German ancestors. 

While Mountain Empire Community College (MECC) has long supported musical heritage programs, such as the college’s Home Craft Days Festival and annual Mountain Music School, music faculty saw a need to dedicate a program to sweet folk instruments.  “The festival began in March of 2013 because the music faculty at MECC were concerned with the low participation in performance classes for the autoharp and lap dulcimer,” said Gathering Organizer Michael Gilley.  “Fewer students, especially our youth students, were registering for autoharp and lap or mountain dulcimer classes.  In an effort to promote these instruments, we decided to start this the Sweet Folk Instruments Gathering to promote instruments which might be overlooked.”

Gilley noted that since the event’s inception, the festival has grown in the number of attendees.  “We doubled the number of attendees, particularly younger musicians, over the first three years.  Our goal for this year is to again double our youth participation,” Gilley said.  “We are offering the instrument workshops at half price to youth, ages 6-18 who have participated in the Wise County Jams program and/or MECC’s Mountain Music School.”

Workshop students do not have to own an instrument to attend.  Autoharps, lap dulcimers, and a few bodhrans will be available to loan for the day at no cost.  Penny whistle kits (penny whistle with instructional songbook) will also be available for purchase with advanced online workshop registration.  Instructors for the workshops include Dexter Ramey of Abingdon, VA for beginning autoharp; Anne Lough of Asheville, NC for intermediate and advanced autoharp, Rhodyjane Meadows of Roan Mountain, TN for beginning lap dulcimer; Butch Ross of Chattanooga, TN for intermediate and advanced lap dulcimer; and Lonny Finley of Erwin, TN for penny whistle and bodhran.

Participants may enroll in three-hour workshops scheduled in the morning and afternoon.  Each workshop is $30 per person.  Instrument workshops are limited to 14 students.  Workshop attendees who register for a full day of workshops will receive a free concert ticket. 

This year, the public concert will be a lunchtime concert, scheduled from 12:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.  The concert will feature Dexter Ramey and Friends, Anne Lough, Butch Ross, Lonnie Finley, and Rhodyjane Meadows.  The concert is open to the public.  Concert tickets are $10 per adult at the door and $5 in advance if ordered online.  Concert tickets are free for all youth under 18 years of age and for adult students who register for more than one instrument workshop.  Box lunches, turkey wrap or vegetarian wrap, are available for the afternoon concert if purchased in advance. 

Pre-registration is required for the instrument workshops, penny whistle kits, reduced concert tickets, and box lunches with application and fees due by Monday, March 14, 2016.  

Big Stone Gap – The Mountain Empire Community College Foundation will host the first-ever reunion of registered nursing students and faculty, celebrating the program’s 40^th anniversary.

The Virginia Appalachian Tricollege Nursing Program (VATNP) at MECC 40^th Anniversary Celebration will be held Saturday, August 15 beginning at 4 p.m.  All MECC RN graduates and VATNP faculty will be honored at this event in the Goodloe Center on the MECC campus.  VATNP enrolled the first MECC Registered Nursing students in the fall of 1975 and the program has grown significantly since its inception.

The celebration will include a special presentation of “Florence Nightingale: A Medical Revolutionary” performed by Kathy Kay Duckett at 4 p.m.  A reception for alumni, faculty, and guests will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner and a recognition program honoring distinguished alumni.

For more information about the celebration or to update your current contact information, visit www.mecc.edu/alumni, email alumni@mecc.edu, or call 276.523.2400, ext. 292.

Proceeds of the celebration will benefit the Alice Stallings Scholarship.  This scholarship was established in memory of one of the first MECC nursing faculty to provide assistance to second year nursing students.

“Florence Nightingale: A Medical Revolutionary” has been submitted to the Virginia Nurses Association for approval to award contact hours. The Virginia Nurses Association is accredited as an approver of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Big Stone Gap — The Mountain Empire Community College Foundation and Auto World of Big Stone Gap will conduct the Auto World – MECC Golf Classic on Friday, April 28^th at Lonesome Pine Country Club to benefit scholarships at MECC.  

Registration for the captain’s choice tournament begins at 8 a.m., with a shotgun start at 9:15 a.m. The tournament will feature two flights and will have “most accurate drive” and “closest to the pin” prizes, as well as chipping and putting contests. Mulligan packages will be available for $10 each.

All players hitting a hole-in-one on hole #10 will win a 2017 Jeep Cherokee sponsored by Auto World of Big Stone Gap. There is also a prize of $1,000 for hitting to within 12 inches of the pin on hole #10. If more than one player accomplishes this feat, they will divide the prize money.

Following the tournament, there will be a cocktail reception featuring delicious heavy hors d’oeuvres. During that time, golfers may bid on some great items during the live auction. There will also be a silent auction which will be ongoing throughout the event.

The entry fee of $100 per person includes a continental breakfast, golf shirt, cart and green fees, post-tournament reception, most accurate drive and closest to the pin contests.

Tournament Sponsorships are available at three levels – Bronze, Silver, and Gold for financial support in the amounts of $500, $1,000, and $1,500 respectively. All tournament sponsors will receive a complimentary team and will be recognized during the tournament welcome and in the printed materials for the tournament.

Hole sponsorships are available for a $100 gift to the MECC Foundation. Hole sponsors will be recognized in the golf tournament program and by signs erected on the golf course.

Individuals or businesses who would like to sponsor the tournament in any way, provide an item for the auction, or provide a door prize may contact Jeri Bledsoe, Tournament Coordinator, by e-mail at jbledsoe@mecc.edu, or by telephone at 276-523-2400, extension 287.

Registrations may also be faxed to 276-523-7485, e-mailed to Jeri Bledsoe at jbledsoe@mecc.edu, or called in to Jeri at 276-523-2400, extension 287. For questions, please contact Jeri at the previously mentioned telephone number or e-mail address.

All proceeds from the event will help provide scholarships for Mountain Empire Community College students.

-MECC Foundation-

BIG STONE GAP — Mountain Empire Community College and The National Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education (EntreEd) are partnering to bring the ESTEAM Pitch Series to local middle- and high-school students.

The live virtual event will take place on Wednesday, March 17 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm EST. The competition encourages students in the Appalachian region to develop and pitch ideas for business development, emphasizing the development of creativity and entrepreneurial innovation.

“At EntreEd, our goal is entrepreneurship education for every student. Our vision for this ESTEAM Pitch Series is to encourage the entrepreneurial creativity of students across Appalachia. We know there are great ideas just waiting to be brought forward, and we want this ARC POWER-funded initiative to be an engaging activity that will encourage teachers and students to develop and pitch those ideas in a competitive environment. As the region begins to recover from the hardships brought on by the pandemic, there will be a great need for entrepreneurial thinking and new ideas. Let’s get started here and now,” said EntreEd’s Executive Director, Dr. Gene Coulson.

Eligible teams include middle- and high-school students within Lee, Wise, Buchanan, and Dickenson counties. To compete, a team must have a minimum of two students and a teacher identified. Instructors must declare Intent to Compete by January 31. Each competition will have two rounds. Round 1, due February 17, 2021 includes a Business Model Canvas submission and a 90-second elevator pitch. Upon internal review, 10 teams will be invited to compete in Round 2, March 17, a live pitch via Zoom to a panel of local judges. Student teams can earn up to $1,000 for their idea, and students aren’t the only winners! The three top teams will also receive $500 for their classroom.

The ESTEAM Pitch Series is an initiative of EntreEd’s Fostering Self ESTEAM in Appalachia’s Emerging Workforce project, funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The project helps middle and high school programs in a seven-state region infuse Entrepreneurship into academic classrooms with a focus on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) initiatives. To learn more about the project and the ESTEAM Pitch Series, contact Amber Ravenscroft, ESTEAM Project Director, at aravenscroft@edvgroup.org

Big Stone Gap — Mountain Empire Community College, in partnership with VFP of Duffield and the Town of Big Stone Gap, will host a free 50th Anniversary Community Concert featuring Grammy©-nominated, multi-instrumentalist and Singer-Songwriter Darrell Scott and the Darrell Scott Electrifying Trio, with local favorites If Birds Could Fly on Saturday, May 14 on the college’s campus.

This special free community event will celebrate MECC’s 50th year of serving the region. Students, alumni, faculty, staff, retirees, and the public are invited to attend. Food and beverage vendors will be on site, along with a beer garden provided by the Town of Big Stone Gap. VFP of Duffield, a communications shelter manufacturer in the Southwest Virginia region, is the major sponsor for this event. The event will begin under the tent on MECC’s campus at 6 p.m., with If Birds Could Fly scheduled to perform at 7 p.m., followed by Darrell Scott at 8 p.m.

For almost half a century, Mountain Empire Community College has served as the primary career training center for residents of Wise, Lee, Scott, and Dickenson County and the City of Norton. Thousands of students have furthered their education and skillsets to provide a better life for their family and community by earning credentials at MECC. 

From humble beginnings, MECC first opened in 1972. Today, more than 1,300 students are enrolled full-time, and more than 3,000 students are enrolled part-time at MECC. The Big Stone Gap campus has expanded to include five buildings accommodating more than 100 academic programs of study in traditional classroom formats, as well as online and hybrid offerings. In 2019, MECC opened the Center for Workforce and Innovation of Appalachia (CWIA) in Appalachia to house its power lineman, commercial driving license, smart farming, advanced manufacturing, and dental assisting programs.

MECC is celebrating its 50^th anniversary October 2021 – December 2022. Activities and events are planned throughout the year. Additional scheduled events include the 50^th Anniversary Gala October 22, 2022, featuring John McCutcheon. The MECC Foundation, which exists to support the mission of the college, has set a goal to raise $2M to support scholarships, infrastructure improvements, and other needs to commemorate this special anniversary. In lieu of ticket sales for the concert event, the MECC Foundation encourages donations to its 50^th Anniversary Fund to support scholarships, infrastructure development, and unrestricted needs at www.meccfoundation.org/give.

Founded in 1965 VFP Inc. develops customized enclosure solutions for protecting critical communication components that can withstand a wide range of environmental and physical extremes. The company’s products include concrete and metal shelters.  VFP is an employee-owned company with over 200 employee owners.

Award winning and successful touring Nashville songwriter, the multi-talented Scott brings a brand-new trio. Darrell’s best-known songs include “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive”, “It’s A Great Day To Be Alive” and “Long Time Gone” – all hits familiar to music fans. Besides touring solo and with his bands for more than 25 years, Scott has opened and been a member of Zac Brown Band and Robert Plant’s Band Of Joy. It’s not unusual for Darrell to plug in, but he’s never had a band devoted to playing his music in this way. This newly formed trio consists of Bryn Davies on bass and Jeff Sipe on drums. Bryn is a talented bassist and long time collaborator with Darrell. She has also toured with Peter Rowan, Tony Rice, and Guy Clark. Jeff Sipe brings a new and exciting interpretation to Darrell’s music. Sipe, who lives in Brevard North Carolina is known to many as a founding member of Aquarium Rescue Unit and has toured with Jimmy Herring, Warren Haynes and Trey Anastasio.

If Birds Could Fly is a band for people that like real country music. They are not a product of the over produced contemporary country scene. Instead, they represent the kind of soul-driven authentic country music that drives a genre. The lead vocals, provided by Brittany Carter, are in a class all of their own. Their music presents a mixture of classic country sounds and top-of-the-class female lead vocals. 

Approximately 600 covered seats will be available for this event. Attendees may also bring lawn chairs if preferred. Attendees are restricted from bringing food and drink to the venue. No firearms are allowed on campus.

For more information on MECC’s 50^th anniversary, please visit www.mecc.edu/mecc50.

-MECC-

Mountain Empire Community College will host an information session on Thursday, October 12 at 1 p.m. in Dalton Cantrell Hall Room 242 for those interested in enrolling in the college’s Power Lineman Program. The Power Line Worker Program is a 15-week course that trains workers for careers in the power/cable industry. Applicants must weigh less than 270 lbs., be in good physical condition, have a valid driver’s license, and pass a DOT Physical/Drug Test. The class will be held on MECC’s Big Stone Gap campus and in the former National Guard Armory in Big Stone Gap, Monday through Fridays, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., beginning November 2017. For more information, contact Lee Davis at 276.523.2400 ext. 211 or by email at leedavis@mecc.edu.

Big Stone Gap – Mountain Empire Community College will host a lecture by Dr. Robi Stark, CEO of Sensilize, an Israeli-based company using a sensor mounted on an drone. The technology has the potential to revolutionize coal mine reclamation efforts in the Appalachian Mountains.

Stark’s lecture is open to the public and will be held on Thursday, July 28 at 10 a.m. in Dalton Cantrell Hall. Congressman Morgan Griffith will also be present to discuss how drones can be used in land reclamation in the future. Dr. Stark will present his findings on the data collected from a drone flyer-over of reclaimed mine lands in Wise County.

“Mountain Empire Community College is pleased to be partnering with Virginia Tech’s Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership, Sensilize, and Hazon Solutions to commence this innovative and creative study of mine reclamation. Because of the ongoing support of the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority, and the Wise County Industrial Development Authority, our region will be a leader in unmanned aerial systems applications,” said MECC President Scott Hamilton.

Representatives of Sensilize, Hazon Solutions, and the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership have been in Wise County this week conducting research and development efforts to enhance coal mine land reclamation by using multispectral sensors to measure the health of vegetation. Sensilize uses an autonomous octocopter outfitted with a sensor called ‘Robin Eye’ to fly over one thousand acres of mined real estate.

Mountain Empire Community College is playing a leading role in unmanned aerial system pilot education in Virginia.

For more information, contact the Mountain Empire Community College Office of Public Relations at 276.523.7480.

-MECC-

Big Stone Gap, Va. — MECC will offer a continuing education class for  Surface Retraining on Saturday, February 17th. The class will be held in Phillips-Taylor Hall Room 231 from 7 am to 4 pm. The class will be instructed by Greg Baker. The class registration fee is $50. For more information or to register, contact the Center for Workforce Development at 276.523.2400 ext. 372 or 225.

Big Stone Gap, VA – Mountain Empire Community College will hold a Career & Transfer Fair on Tuesday, February 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Goodloe Center, Phillips-Taylor Hall. More than 35 representatives for regional employers and local transfer institutions will be on campus.

Attend the fair to ask questions regarding employment or transfer requirements; learn about job placement services or internships; discuss the opportunities that may be available to you; learn about your marketability; talk to employers about job openings; and speak with transfer representatives about course requirements.

Even those who are not immediately seeking employment have plenty to learn from the Career & Transfer Fair. Representatives can provide valuable insight to what employers are looking for when screening new hires. This insight can assist students and community members in refining their resumes and help them know which skills to focus on improving. Those attending are invited to bring copies of their resume and be prepared to complete job applications for those representatives that may be hiring. Transfer institutions will be available to speak to current students or recent graduates about admissions requirements and program options.  

For more information on MECC’s Career & Transfer Fair, contact Beth Boggs, Career and Transfer Counselor, at 276.523.2400 ext. 324 or bboggs@mecc.edu, or visit www.mecc.edu/career-services

-MECC-

Big Stone Gap — Mountain Empire Community College is partnering with Southwest Virginia, Virginia Highlands and Wytheville Community Colleges to offer a Virtual Transfer Fair on Wednesday, February 17 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Big Stone Gap – Mountain Empire Community College will host a meeting of the Wise County Historical Society in the Wampler Library at 1 p.m. on Saturday, August 13.  The featured speaker will be acclaimed Civil War Historian and Author Randall Osborne who will speak about the Civil War in Wise County and Southeastern Kentucky. The public is invited to attend and learn more about becoming a member and volunteer of the Wise County Historical Society. For more information, contact Wanda Rose, Wise County Historical Society Treasurer, at 276.328.6569.

Big Stone Gap – Mountain Empire Community College will offer an Advanced First Aid Recertification class on Saturday, December 16 from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. The class will be led by Instructor Greg Baker. The cost is $40. For more information, contact MECC’s Workforce Development Office at 276.523.2400 ext. 372 or 255.

Big Stone Gap – Mountain Empire Community College will offer a beginning class in network security this summer. ITN 260 Network Security Basics provides in-depth instruction in the basics of network security, including security objectives, security architecture, security models, and security layers. Topics such as risk management, network security policy, and security training will also be covered. The class will focus on the five security keys – confidential, integrity, availability, accountability, and auditability. ITN 260 will be offered Wednesday evenings from 6 to 8:45 p.m., June 8 to August 3. To register, contact MECC’s Enrollment Service Office at 276.523.7474 or visit www.mecc.edu/apply.

Big Stone Gap – Mountain Empire Community College is seeking small business owners/operators who are interested in learning more about how Unmanned Aerial Systems (drones) can be used to improve their business operations. UAVs are enabling construction, agriculture, real estate, reclamation, surveying, videography, security, EMS, and many more businesses to carry out operations more efficiently. Businesses can utilize UAVs to offer clients new and exciting services, to attract new clientele, and to stay on top of their competition. MECC will offer a college credit course in drone technology focusing on UAV use in business operations. AVI-195 Introduction to Unmanned Aerial Systems will cover the UAV history, uses, design, assembly, programming, legality, mission planning and operations, maintenance, and flight. The class will be held on Tuesday evenings from 6 to 8:45 p.m. For more information, or to register, contact MECC’s Enrollment Service Office at 276.523.7474 or visit www.mecc.edu/apply.

Pennington Gap – Mountain Empire Community College will offer a Spring 2017 course to become a Certified Nurse Assistant at MECC’s Pennington Gap satellite campus located in the Pennington Gap Mini-Mall. An informational meeting will be held at the Lee Nursing & Rehab Center on Thursday, December 1 at 6:30 p.m. Those interested in enrolling in the summer course, or future CNA classes, are invited to attend. For more information, or to register for the course, contact Kim Dorton, MECC’s Assistant Dean of Health Science, at 276.523.7456.

Big Stone Gap – Mountain Empire Community College will offer a Saturday-only Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) courses this summer. Classes will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Big Stone Gap campus beginning May 20 through August 19. Financial aid is available, but students should apply now. Employers will be interviewing students who successfully complete the course to fill open positions. For more information or to register, please contact Mitzi Jones at mjones@mecc.edu, or call 276.523.7456.

Big Stone Gap – Mountain Empire Community College will introduce new courses this spring in cyber security. Individuals interested in obtaining a credential in cyber security are encouraged to enroll in up to five courses to be offered during day and evening hours. ITN 101-H1 Introduction to Network Concepts provides instruction in networking media, physical and logical topologies, common networking standards and popular networking protocols. The class will be offered in 8 weeks on Tuesdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. beginning January 17. ITN 260-H1 Network Security Basics will provide instruction in the backs of network security. The 8 week class will be offered on Tuesdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. beginning March 14. ITE 105-H1 Careers and Cyber Ethics will begin March 14 and will be held on Tuesdays from 3 p.m. to 3:50 p.m. ITN 171-01 Unix 1, which instructs students on the installation, configuration and administration of the Linux operating system, will be offered as a 16-week course beginning January 16 on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:40 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. ITN 111-01, covering the installation, configuration, administration and maintenance of a server in a networked environment, will be offered as a 16-week course beginning January 16 on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:15 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. For more information, or to enroll, visit www.mecc.edu/cyber-security or call 276.523.2400 ext. 313.

Big Stone Gap – Mountain Empire Community College will offer the region’s only college credit course in drone technology this fall. AVI-195 Introduction to Unmanned Aerial Systems will cover the principles of building, programming and flying drones. Students will receive hands-on training in quadcopter design and construction as well as learn to fly both assisted and unassisted FPV (First Person View) quadcopters. The class will be held on Tuesday evenings from 6 to 8:45 p.m., August 31 to December 15. To register, contact MECC’s Enrollment Service Office at 276.523.7474 or visit www.mecc.edu/apply.

MECC will offer a variety of music courses this fall designed for beginning to advanced musicians at the Big Stone Gap campus and at Gate City High School. Classes offered at MECC’s main campus in Big Stone Gap include: beginning percussion, guitar, blues guitar, fiddle, mandolin, keyboard, and clawhammer banjo; recording systems; introduction to lyric writing, music theory, 3-finger picking banjo, intermediate lead guitar, intermediate and advanced percussion ensemble. Courses offered in Gate City include evening offerings in Old Time String Band and beginning upright base. Online courses in music appreciation are also available. For more information on music course offerings, contact MECC’s Workforce Development Center at 276.523.7464.

Big Stone Gap – Enrollment is now open for Mountain Empire Community College’s free Quick Start to College class. The class is designed for individuals who have considered enrolling in college, but are unsure about what is required. The class will be held on Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. beginning September 26 through October 26. Topics such as success skills and career options are covered. Students are also able to refresh their computer, math, and English skills with one-on-one assistance. To qualify, students must have a high school diploma or equivalent (GED). For more information on the Quick Start program, or to enroll, contact Beth Boggs, MECC Career and Transfer Counselor, at 276.523.7438 or by email at bboggs@mecc.edu. Visit the program website at www.mecc.edu/quickstart.

-MECC-

American History and military enthusiasts are encouraged to enroll this fall in Mountain Empire Community College’s History 266– Military History of the Civil War, to be offered Tuesday evenings from 6 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. Students will be introduced not only to the military aspects of the war between the states, but also to how other factors, such as violence on the home front or the attitudes of civilians, affected the outcome. Topics include the causes of the secession of the Southern states and the first shots of the war; Union and Confederate beliefs and attitudes; decisive battles of the war; what brought the war to an end, and what the nation looked like in its aftermath. For more information, or to register, contact the MECC Office of Enrollment Services at 276.523.7474.

Big Stone Gap – Mountain Empire Community College will offer online training in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) this spring. Individuals, municipal and regional government organizations, and public service workers interested in furthering their training in GIS are encouraged to enroll. Courses offered this spring include GIS 200 & 201 Geographic Information Systems I and II, GIS 205 GIS 3-Dimensional Analysis and GIS 210 Understanding Geographic Data. Participants can learn about geospatial technologies, applying GIS into business operations and can earn certifications in the GIS field. Classes begin January 30. For more information, or to register, contact Jake Gilly, GIS Instructor, at 276.523.2400 ext. 280, or visit www.mecc.edu/programs/gis. 

Big Stone Gap – Enrollment is now open for Mountain Empire Community College’s free Quick Start to College class. The six-week class is designed for individuals who have considered college, but have hesitated to enroll. The class will be held on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons beginning October 27 to December 10, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Quick Start allows students to earn college credit while learning the basics of attending MECC. Topics such as success skills, programs and degrees, and career counseling are covered. Students are also able to refresh their computer, math, and English skills with one-on-one assistance. To qualify, students must have a high school diploma or equivalent (GED). For more information on the Quick Start program, or to enroll, contact Beth Boggs, MECC Career and Transfer Counselor, at 276.523.7438 or by email at bboggs@mecc.edu. Visit the program website at www.mecc.edu/quickstart.