Outreach is offering NEW community education classes for the spring!

Self-Hypnosis, Film Studies and Adobe Illustrator are just a few of our newest offerings, all open to the general public.

Registration for spring course offerings is open now. Find a course that interests you!

New Spring Courses:

Introduction to Film Studies/Film History
A very in-depth course on understanding how films produce meaning and elicit responses through the recognition and analysis of film language and reviews and discussion of various films within the history of motion pictures. Taught by UCA and Hendrix professor, Dr. Glenn Jellenik.

Self-Hypnosis for Self-Help
Uncover the myths and discover the many benefits of self-hypnosis. With expert instruction, you will learn the basic mechanics and techniques that can help contribute to an improved quality of life.

Entrepreneurship-Becoming a Businessperson
Gain the tools and skills necessary for starting a new business, including analyzing factors associating with success, developing a business plan, and the importance of marketing, insurance, accounting and management for a small business.

Introduction to Adobe Illustrator
In this hands-on, instructor-led course, you will learn the fundamental tools of Adobe Illustrator to complete a finished digital illustration, logo or design. Taught by UCA alumni, Jasmine Greer.

Introduction to Computer Programming Using Python
Learn the basics of computer programing; including formal and informal languages, various functions, executions and lists. By the end of the course, you will have practiced programming tasks and created two functioning computer programs.

Charcoal Drawing
An introduction to using charcoal as a drawing medium. Translate three-dimensional information onto a two-dimensional surface while working from a still-life set up.

Mirror Design Art
With just a mirror and a hammer, recognized artist Jimmy McDonald will teach you how to create beautiful art abstracts.

Homeopathic Stress Remedies
A three-part session designed to help educate those seeking emotional enrichment. Part one focuses on anxiety, depression, fear and anger. Part two is centered around guilt, worry, gratitude and stress. Part three covers communication and defining success. All sessions emphasize ways to change those states of being.

View all the spring courses!

The award honors groups in the state striving for performance excellence.

The Division of Outreach and Community Engagement and the Community Development Institute-Central were presented the award by Governor Beebe at the 2012 Governor’s Quality Awards Celebration on Sept. 24.

“Excellence is one of Outreach’s core values and we are committed to being the best we can be, and we’re happy to be recognized at this level,” said Kristy Carter, director of Outreach and Community Engagement.

The Governor Quality Challenge Award is the starting point for any organization interested in adopting and applying quality principles to attain performance excellence.

“Even though we’re just at the beginning of the process, we’ve benefited greatly from the experience. UCA is a steward of a valuable state and regional resource and this will help us safeguard its future.” said Kelly Lyon, director of CDI. “Bill Craddock, a leader in the state and national quality process as well as an instructor for CDI, suggested this is a way to help CDI grow to the next level.”

The Governor’s Quality Award program is operated by the Arkansas Institute for Performance Excellence, Inc. Developed by a team of volunteers, the program is designed to provide opportunities for all organizations in the state to measure their progress in the journey of performance excellence.

“I am very happy that our Outreach and Community Engagement and Community Development Institute-Central have been recognized for their work and contributions to the people of Arkansas and beyond,” said Dr. Steve Runge, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. “UCA was the only four-year public institution recognized at the awards dinner; a remarkable accomplishment for our people and programs. I look forward to see the work of the people in OCE and CDI-Central and the level of recognition continues to rise moving forward.”

AT&T Arkansas was honored with the Friend of Community Development Award, offered each year to an individual or organization that demonstrates strong support for community development and CDI. Additionally, CDI Advisory Board Member Dr. Mark Peterson received the esteemed Bill Miller Award as recognition for his decades of conducting scholarly research and working with communities to help them realize transformative change.

Kelly Lyon, CDI Director, said, “In addition to the training provided at the institute, we celebrate individual leaders from each class. CDI is about learning and networking, but it’s also about our network supporting the participants’ and graduates’ efforts to apply that training in their own communities. Those who receive awards have demonstrated exemplary leadership here and are well positioned to be leaders in their organizations and home towns. ”

Craig Lindholm, Executive Director for Community Redevelopment and Grants for the City of Texarkana, Texas, and a student in the Ph.D. in Leadership program at UCA was awarded the Ernest Whitelaw Award. The Whitelaw Award recipient is chosen by his peers for dedication to the practice of community development, involvement in the CDI experience, and personal leadership and integrity. After the awards ceremony, 25 community and economic professionals graduated from CDI 2012.

The Community Development Institute Central, established in 1987 at the University of Central Arkansas, in Conway, Arkansas, trains community and economic development professionals in Arkansas and surrounding states. For more information about CDI, visit www.uca.edu/cdi.

With the rising popularity of iPads in the classroom, Outreach is excited to offer a workshop blending iPads and the Common Core, iPads in the Classroom: Common Core and E-books.

Additional technology workshops will be offered online starting September 19th. Build your own classroom site with Creating Web Pages, learn how to better interact, share ideas and facilitate collaboration with Web 2.0: Blogs, Wikis and Podcasts, or engage your learners through creative multimedia lessons with Teaching Smarter with SMART Boards.

Plus, to ensure all your lessons and activities are free of copyright infringement, Outreach is offering a free, workshop to address the common copyright issues faced by educators, Copyright, Fair Use & Digital Media: What to Know and Where to Go.

Fall Tech Course Offerings:

• Copyright, Fair Use & Digital Media: What to Know and Where to Go
• iPads in the Classroom: Common Core & E-books
• Integrating Technology Into the Classroom (online)
• Teaching Smarter with SMART Boards (online)
• Microsoft Excel 2007 in the Classroom (online)
• Creating a Classroom Web Site (online)
• Web 2.0: Blogs, Wikis & Podcasts (online)

For more information about our Fall Tech Series or any of our professional development workshops, visit our Professional Development webpage or call 501.450.5261.

Improve your fiscal health too with Personal Finance and Entrepreneurship courses.

With a variety of Art Classes and courses on everything from Web Development, to improving Communication Skills, Photography, Cake Decorating and Sewing Classes, there’s something for everyone!

View our full course listings or download the latest catalog!

An Arkansas Studies Bouquet: Mix of Free Resources and History Topics is a free workshop for educators focusing on Arkansas studies. It covers a wide variety of topics and helpful resources that will facilitate the teaching of Arkansas studies frameworks. More information can be found on the Educator Development Page.

It’s never too late to learn something new; take a community education class and enrich your life! Learn more about Community Education!

Exploring Innovation 2012 was attended by community and economic developers, lenders, investors and others community leaders. The annual conference strives to illustrate how innovation can result in new finance models, highlight industry best practices and serves as a catalyst for future discussions around topics of significant importance to community development.

The series kicks off April 5th with Conway’s Creative Approach to Battling Obesity Through Active Infrastructure Projects and Programs. Dr. Duston Morris, Assistant Faculty in the Department of Sciences at UCA, will share information on current projects within the Conway community designed to stimulate physical activity through the utilization of active infrastructure. Topics of discussions include: the impact of active infrastructure on healthy lifestyle characteristics, developing active infrastructure plans, and how to promote that infrastructure to Conway residents.

All lectures within the Exploring Our World series are open to the public and no cost to attend. For more information, visit uca.edu/world or call 501.450.5261. Participants are advised to sign up early.