Campus News
RACE Exhibit at Minnesota West
9/26/18
The Science Museum of Minnesota will bring a slice of the RACE: Are We So Different? exhibition to the Minnesota West this fall! Worthington will be the first community to host a small-scale version of the award-winning exhibit that changed the way we talk about race and racism in America.
The Science Museum of Minnesota has created a small-scale (450 sq. ft.) version of the RACE: Are We So Different? exhibition for communities in greater Minnesota - communities whose residents may not have the opportunity to visit the museum frequently.
Working with community partners to develop complementary events and programs tailored to Worthington’s needs, RACE acts as a catalyst for powerful dialogue that will challenge assumptions and help residents connect with each other in meaningful and constructive ways.
The exhibit opens at the Minnesota West Community & Technical College, Worthington Campus LARC on October 3, 2018 through April 2019. Admission is free and viewing hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., Fridays, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., and Sundays, 1:00-5:00 p.m. (Sunday LARC hours may vary during the exhibit. For more information, see http://www.mnwest.edu/larc/hours)
“Now, more than ever, we need to increase the quantity and quality of conversations about race in each of our communities. The RACE exhibit serves as a launching point to do just that,” said Alison Brown, President & CEO of the Science Museum of Minnesota.
“We are excited to bring this powerful experience out of the museum and into greater Minnesota. Working with our partners at Minnesota West, we will create safe and productive conversations that are relevant to the needs of the Worthington community,” Brown said.
The original RACE: Are We So Different? exhibition has been seen by more than 4 million people in 51 museums across the country since its debut in 2007. Created in partnership with the American Anthropological Society, the RACE exhibit uses photography, multimedia components, interactive activities, and more to help visitors look at race from three different perspectives - biology, history, and contemporary lived experience. The three perspectives are woven together to tell a compelling story of science with deep and lasting social impact.
The impact of the RACE exhibit is amplified when combined with thoughtful community programming - lectures, discussions, theater programs, art exhibits - that is designed to meet the needs of the people it serves.
The small scale exhibit will travel from Minnesota West to the communities of Moorhead and Rochester in the coming year.
RACE Exhibit
Educator's Guide to Race
Additional Resources:
RACE Kickoff Events - You are invited to join the Science Museum of Minnesota to kick off our new exhibit "RACE: Are We So Different?"
Apply for RACE Community Funding - As part of this exhibit, the Science Museum is going to be funding community-led events and programming focusing on race and racism in Worthington.
Campus News
Career Expo 2018
9/17/18
The Southwest Minnesota Workforce Council Career Expo Event will be held from 9:15 a.m. to 12:25 p.m. on:
- Tuesday, September 25, 2018, Minnesota West, Worthington Campus
- Wednesday, September 26, 2018, Southwest Minnesota State University, Marshall
View Career Expo Fact Sheet!
Something for Everyone at Career Expo 2018!
This event will feature over 60 career exhibitors. Students will be able to spend time in the career exhibit area visiting industry professionals and college instructors. Adult Basic Education and Workforce Center Participants are also invited to attend the Career Expo. Students and attendees will explore career fields in the following primary areas:
- Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources
- Arts/Communications & Information Systems
- Business, Management, & Administration
- Engineering Manufacturing & Technology
- Health Science Technology
- Human Services
Last year over 1,500 students from area high schools were in attendance at the Expo, along with college students from Minnesota West Community & Technical College and SMSU.
The 2018 Career Expo once again hopes to give attendees the opportunity to gain information about different careers, investigate careers that align with their interests and skills, to improve job seeking skills and to become more aware of the career opportunities right here in Southwest Minnesota.
Join us and make 2018 our best year yet!
Campus News
Homecoming 2018
9/15/18
Homecoming 2018 is slated for October 8-13, 2018 with a week of fun activities! We have invited all students, faculty and staff to join us on the Worthington Campus for a week of fun!
Activities of Homecoming Week
Monday, October 8, 2018
Royalty Interviews from 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. on Campus.
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
Bluejay Baseball Game at 5:00 p.m. Middle School Field (Double Header).
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Free Food Truck from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Volleyball Game at 6:30 p.m. in the Gym.
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Royalty Reception 6:00 p.m.
Coronation & Entertainment beginnning at 7:00 p.m. in Fine Arts Theater.
Friday, October 12, 2018
Volleyball Game at 6:30 p.m. in the Gym.
Saturday, October 13
Lady Jay Volleyball at 1:00 p.m. in the Gym, Meet the Lady Jays! Free admission for all K-12 students.
Campus News
Collaborative Partnerships Result in Opportunities for Education
9/14/18
A partnership between Minnesota West Community and Technical College, Southwest Minnesota State University, and Worthington District #518 was recently awarded two planning grants: one from the McKnight Foundation ($75,000 planning grant) and one from the Southwest Initiative Foundation ($15,000 gap grant) to develop opportunities for teacher education in the Worthington area. The goal is to assist current high school juniors and seniors by providing them with opportunities to prepare for and successfully complete college-level Education courses.The project target students in Worthington District #518, many of whom would be first generation college students.
The project is intended to meet the changing, challenging educational needs of the southwest Minnesota region, which has had a large influx of immigrants in the past 20 years. The children of these immigrants are now in the K-12 school system and ready to begin their post-secondary experiences, whether in the work place or at a college or university. Our goal is to successfully prepare more of these students to enter post-secondary education, and specifically, teacher preparation pathways. Many of these students want to pursue careers in education but feel limited by opportunity, finances, and geography. The intention of the project is to help remove those barriers and generate pathways to access.
The wide variety of cultures, ethnicities, and nationalities that will be served by this project are what make it innovative. The diversity in ethnicity and nationality dramatically increased in the region due to the influx of immigrants and refugees who sought job opportunities and to re-establish familial connections. This demographic shift is exceptionally prominent within Worthington Public School District 518; over 68% of the high school students are from one of over 40 cultures in the area, and over 78% in the elementary schools are students of color. Because the students of Worthington are very diverse, it is important that the teaching ranks of the district also become more diverse.
“Teaching is very rewarding: you have the opportunity to positively impact hundreds of young people throughout your career. Sharing more about what it means to be a teacher and how to pursue a career in education can help dispel myths and encourage those who are interested in teaching as a profession,” stated Dr. Kayla Westra, Dean of Institutional Effectiveness and Liberal Arts at Minnesota West. “We are excited to be a part of this partnership with Worthington District #518, Southwest Minnesota State University, the Southwest Initiative Foundation, and the McKnight Foundation. Projects like these are impossible to undertake without collaboration and vision for the region and the people who live here.”
Worthington High School Principal, Josh Noble remarks, “We are very honored to be a part of this opportunity. It is clear this partnership is serious about addressing the teacher shortage in our region. We are committed to creating a grow your own pathway for the next generation of educators. Cultivating an excitement around this profession, diversifying our teacher candidates, and building collaborative partnerships like this will have a far reaching positive impact on our region for years to come.”
“We have a critical shortage of teachers,” said SMSU Provost Dr. Dwight Watson. “We have an emerging immigrant and refugee population within the region, and this will bring opportunities to those students who may want to pursue education as a career goal. This program will also be more representative of teacher candidates that will look like the students in the Worthington classrooms."
Subcategories
