Chicago Heights, IL–(ENEWSPF)– Prairie State College (PSC) will host a summer fest for community residents on Saturday, June 21, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., in parking lot A on the college’s main campus, 202 S. Halsted St., Chicago Heights. Admission is free.
Attendees can play games, view a car show, enjoy music from a DJ, and shop craft and food vendors. In addition, representatives from PSC’s admissions, career development services, and English as a second language offices will be available to answer questions about the college and its services.
“We hope community residents will bring their families and find out about the great opportunities Prairie State College has to offer,” said Mildred López, outreach coordinator and bilingual advisor. “Not only are we providing participants with PSC information, fun, and entertainment, but we also are raising money to establish a scholarship for Latino students.”
The event is co-sponsored by Hispanic Empowerment Chicago Heights Organization (H.E.C.H.O.). For more information about Summer Fest, contact López at (708) 709-3567.
Summer Program For Kids
Kids have an opportunity to go to college this summer at Prairie State College (PSC). By combining fun and learning, PSC’s Kids@College program provides students in second through seventh grade a chance to enrich their understanding of science, math, reading, writing, art, and computers on a college campus.
This two-week experience will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, July 14 through 24. The program is based on the goals the State of Illinois has set for each grade level and features a series of rotating classes taught by certified teachers. Each student will read an appropriate grade-level novel.
“Students at Kids@College spend the day engaged in fun and informative classes that will help them become better students,” said Vivian Zimmerman, coordinator of Kids@College. “Parental feedback has told us their children enjoy the classes, plus students get a jump on their education before classes start in the fall.”
Kids@College classes take place throughout the day to fit the schedules of busy parents. The classes are held at the Matteson Area Center, 4821 Southwick Dr., Matteson Early registration is recommended because space is limited. Class fees must be paid at the time of registration.
More information about the Kids@College program is included in the summer schedule, which has been mailed to district residents. The schedule also is available on campus, at area public libraries, and online at prairiestate.edu by clicking on the Matteson Area Center. For more information, call (708) 709-3750; to register, call (708) 709-7701.
Speech Camp for High School Students Returns
High school students with a passion for public speaking have an opportunity to develop their skills and work with experienced coaches this summer at a speech camp held at Prairie State College (PSC).
The PSC Summer Speech Camp is unique among camps of this type because it’s the only commuter college speech camp in the nation. Because it is a commuter camp, local students can start on their preparations for speech competition in the coming year without having the expense of a residential camp.
Now in its 10th year, the college’s Summer Speech Camp runs from July 7 through 17 and is for both varsity and novice competitors. The camp meets Monday through Thursday, from 1:15 to 5:15 p.m., at the college’s main campus at 202 S. Halsted St., Chicago Heights. During the camp, students will develop a variety of interpretative, acting, and public speaking skills.
Students will have full access to the college’s resources and receive expert coaching from dedicated and experienced educators who come from some of the area’s most successful high school speech programs. Members of PSC’s nationally recognized speech team, including national championship winners Favian Apata and three time national champion Felicia Ditmars, also will be coaching at the camp. Speech camp directors are Ed Schwarz, Elighie Wilson, and Dave Naze, full-time faculty in the communication department.
“Many students have taken advantage of PSC’s camp in the past,” said Naze. “It’s one of the reasons that the south suburbs continue to be a powerhouse of successful competitors and teams in Illinois.”
The cost of the camp is $250, which includes a $25 application fee and $225 due on the first day of camp. It is open to students who will be in grades 9 through 12 in fall 2008. For more information, call Schwarz at (708) 709-3772 or e-mail [email protected].
