Online Student Survival Guide

Archive for June, 2009

Western Governors University Announces Scholarship for Aspiring School Principals

WGU on June 19, 2009

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Up to $2,000 Available for Students Enrolling in WGU’s Master’s in Educational Leadership Program

Western Governors University is helping to ease the financial burden for teachers who want to become principals with a new scholarship program. The WGU Aspiring Principals Scholarship Program awards up to $2,000 to selected students who enroll in the online university’s NCATE-approved M.S. in Educational Leadership program.

Western Governors University’s M.S. in Educational Leadership prepares licensed teachers for certification to become a principal, vice principal, or assistant principal. The course of study focuses on the principal as the school’s instructional team leader, or chief learning officer. The program uses a case study format and includes a six-month practicum during which the student works closely with a school administrator at the practicum site. Like all WGU degrees, the M.S. in Educational Leadership program is competency-based, which means that students advance by demonstrating their competence through carefully designed assessments and completion of a capstone project.

WGU is planning to award 10 Aspiring Principals Scholarships. The program is competitive, and awards will be based on the candidate’s academic record, readiness for online study at WGU, and current competency. To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree and a valid teaching license. Scholarships will be awarded at the rate of $500 per six-month term for up to four terms. For more information, go to www.wgu.edu/principal or call 1-866-225-5948 (866-CALL-WGU).

Western Governors University Offers Special Nursing Scholarships for Employees of Hospital Partners

WGU on June 12, 2009

 Western Governors University has announced a new program for nurses working at partner hospitals, the WGU Nursing Partners Scholarship Fund. Registered nurses employed by Cedar-Sinai Hospital, Tenet Healthcare, Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), Kaiser Permanente, Catholic Healthcare West, and Universal Health Services are eligible to receive scholarships valued at up to $3,000 toward one of WGU’s CCNE-accredited bachelor’s or master’s degree nursing programs. 

Scholarships will be awarded at the rate of $600 per six-month term for up to five terms. The scholarship program is competitive, and multiple scholarships will be awarded. Recipients will be selected based on academic record and readiness for online study at WGU. For more information, go to www.wgu.edu/NursingPartners  call 1-866-225-5948 (866-CALL-WGU).

eLearners.com Launches “Career Stimulus Package” in Denver

WGU on June 10, 2009

Lt. Governor Barbara O’Brien to Help Kick Off 40-City Empowerment Tour, Featuring Denver-Based Career Coaches; $4 Million in Full-Tuition Scholarships and Job Shadowing to Educate, Empower and Employ

June 10, 2009 – eLearners.com, a web resource of EducationDynamics, which has successfully connected learners to online education since 1999, announces the Denver launch of a new national program aimed at helping adults kick start their careers through education, entitled “Career Stimulus Package” (http://www.careerstimulus.com). The comprehensive career education program will offer undereducated, underemployed adults access to online education opportunities, including up to $4 million in full-tuition scholarships, and job shadowing programs at some of America’s most innovative companies. At the center of the campaign is a 40-city RV “Empowerment Tour” offering free career coaching services. The tour starts in Denver, Colorado on June 12, 2009 and concludes in Los Angeles on September 9, 2009.

The goal of the Career Stimulus Package and Empowerment Tour is to help Americans improve their lives through higher education and career resources. The Denver Empowerment Tour will begin at 7:00 a.m. on June 12 at Skyline Park at 17th and Arapahoe in downtown Denver, with career coaching sessions, and conclude at 5:00 p.m. At the Denver launch event, a press conference will be held at 10:30 a.m. featuring Lt. Governor Barbara O’Brien. O’Brien will discuss the importance of higher education and Colorado initiatives aimed at improving adult education.

“Colorado needs an educated workforce to move forward with the New Energy Economy, a robust aerospace industry, health care and many other growing segments of our economy,” said Colorado’s Lt. Governor Barbara O’Brien. “Colorado is one of the states best poised to rebound and now is a good time for non-traditional students to prepare themselves for the upswing.”

Alyssa Ohleyer, a Project Working Mom recipient from Idaho Springs, will also speak at the press conference. Project Working Mom is the previous eLearners.com full-tuition scholarship campaign that received more than 400,000 applications during the eighteen month campaign. You can read Alyssa’s winning essay at http://tinyurl.com/Project-Working-Mom-Recipient.
The Career Stimulus Package and Empowerment Tour is the voice designed to help adult Americans overcome the barriers of time, money and confidence in pursuing a college degree. The scholarships provided by the participating schools, and the scholarship funds raised during the tour, is one small but significant step in helping to alleviate the financial burden. By studying online, students can do class work from home, during their lunch hour at work, and at any time of day mitigating the obstacle of time. And through the comprehensive Career Stimulus Package efforts, adults can get the knowledge and information they need to feel confident about returning to school.

“Everyone talks about the crisis in education, but nobody is focusing on the root cause —the lack of college educated adults in the U.S.,” explained Terrence Thomas, EVP Marketing Operations for eLearners.com. “Not only is the fact that more than 70% of Americans aged 25 and older not having a bachelor’s degree debilitating to the competitive status of our nation, but it’s adversely affecting future generations as these adults ultimately become parents and we need them to be education role models for America’s children.”

The tour’s primary ambassador is Flavia Colgan, a passionate advocate for education over the past decade. She served as the first woman and youngest Chief of Staff in the country for Pennsylvania’s Lt. Governor Catherine Baker Knoll. And, most recently she has appeared as a correspondent and commentator on several national TV networks including CBS, MSNBC and FOX.

“While the Career Stimulus Package and Empowerment Tour are a catalyst for discussion and change, they are certainly not enough,” said Colgan. “Funding for non-traditional adult education must become an ongoing national priority. Half of the projected job growth in the United States over the next decade will require a college degree. To truly strengthen America’s workforce, we need to equip adults to take on these jobs. If we can educate, we can empower and employ. It’s the solution to America’s current and future economic woes.”

The components of the Career Stimulus Package include:

Full-Tuition Scholarships

The Career Stimulus Package campaign will award full-tuition scholarships to adults who have applied through http://www.careerstimulus.com. The scholarships will let deserving adults attend an accredited online college or university tuition free. The total value of these scholarships, which range from the associate’s level to the Ph.D. level, is about $4 million. Participating schools providing the scholarships include: American Public University, Ashworth College, Bryant & Stratton College, Capella University, Ellis University, Everest University, Virginia College, and Western Governors University. To apply for a scholarship, applicants must submit a short application and essay describing their goals, why they want to go back to school and past instances of triumph over adversity. The participating schools will select the recipients. The deadline to apply for a scholarship is October 31.

Job Shadowing

The individuals selected to receive scholarships will also receive a one-week, paid job shadowing opportunity with one of the Career Stimulus Package participating companies, including: CareerBuilder.com, Dictionary.com, ZipRealty, Entrepreneur Magazine, eLance, EducationDynamics, Habitat for Humanity, spud! and Orbitek, LLC. This job shadowing opportunity will provide scholarship recipients the chance to learn more about the industries they have interest in and will also provide the opportunity to network with professionals.

The Tour

The “Empowerment Tour: Educate. Empower. Employ.” Will travel to approximately 40 cities across the country by RV. The tour will launch in Denver on June 12 and conclude in Los Angeles on September 9. The tour will offer free career laser coaching sessions to help Americans discover what is holding them back and the strategies needed to move toward success. The two participating career coaches are Denver residents. Michael Cushman is the immediate-past president of the Denver Coach Federation and Ayn Fox is a certified Master Coach by the International Coach Federation. Both Cushman and Fox will be available from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at each tour stop. Reservations are being accepted online for Michael Cushman at http://www.empowermenttour.com; reservations for Ayn Fox will be accepted on location.

In addition to free career coaching sessions, each Empowerment Tour stop will feature an Education Station where people can apply for a full-tuition scholarship. The Empowerment Tour will also include Donation Stations at each stop where people can donate old suits and other interview appropriate attire. Each tour stop will also include complimentary snacks and drinks throughout the day.

For more information on the Career Stimulus Package, The Empowerment Tour and the full-tuition scholarships and job shadowing opportunities, visit http://www.careerstimulus.com. For additional information on the Empowerment Tour, including dates and locations go to http://www.empowermenttour.com.

About eLearners.com®
eLearners.com is one of several high visibility websites operated by EducationDynamics. Since 1999, eLearners.com has been successfully connecting learners to online education, including online degree and certificate programs, specialized career training, and a variety of online courses. For prospective students, eLearners.com provides a powerful search engine for users to find thousands of online program offerings, as well as educational evaluation tools and financial aid resources. For colleges and universities, the eLearners.com website offers a low-cost, performance-based method to provide national exposure and increase enrollments in their online learning programs. For more information on eLearners.com, visit http://www.eLearners.com.
About EducationDynamics
EducationDynamics, a portfolio company of Halyard Capital, is higher education’s leading marketing and information services company dedicated to helping institutions find, enroll and retain more students. Its content-rich and highly visible education websites, including EarnMyDegree.com, eLearners.com, GradSchools.com, StudyAbroad.com and its more than 50 special interest microsites, make EducationDynamics the premier provider of qualified prospective students for colleges and universities. In addition, the company offers a full suite of Web-delivered services proven to drive enrollment growth and reduce student attrition. For more information, visit http://www.educationdynamics.com.

 

Western Governors University Enhances Economic Turnaround Scholarship with Larger Payouts and Longer Terms

WGU on June 5, 2009

Western Governors University has increased the scholarship amount and number of eligible terms for its Economic Turnaround Scholarship. Under the new provisions, scholarship recipients will be eligible to receive up to $1,500 per term for as many as five terms, up to a total of $7,500. The expansion of this scholarship program is aimed at making it easier for unemployed adult learners to retool for success in today’s job market by earning a bachelor’s or master’s degree.

More than 100 scholarships are available through this program, which was launched early last month. To date, more than 65 applications have been received, and the application deadline is June 30, 2009. Because the scholarship program is competitive, interested prospective students should apply as soon as possible.

The scholarships may be used for bachelor’s or master’s degrees in any of WGU’s four colleges: Business, Education, Information Technology, and Health Professions. Scholarship applicants must be able to complete an online degree program in two years or less and currently have an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.

For more details regarding the scholarship program, go to www.wgu.edu/turnaround or call 1-866-225-5948 (866-CALL-WGU).

Best of State Gala

WGU on June 2, 2009

 

Mandi Hudson (Electronic Marketing Manager) & Mara Fineshriber (Director of Marketing) attended the Best of State Gala on May 30,2009. WGU was chosen as Utah’s 2009 Best of State medal recipient in the On-Line Education category.