SC4 fall registration open
St. Clair County Community College’s fall semester schedule is available and registration is open.
“Plan now for fall classes at St. Clair County Community College,” a recent press release states.
Hundreds of classes in 40 disciplines in subjects ranging from chemistry to graphic design are being offered in the fall semester. The schedule of classes is available at sc4.edu/schedule.
“SC4’s outstanding faculty offer options for everyone,” SC4’s registrar Carrie Bearss said in the release. “We have excellent transfer programs for students seeking an affordable start to their bachelor degree alongside focused occupational programs that can be completed in one to two years. We also offer a variety of topics that are perfect for individuals who want to take classes for personal enrichment. Students in high school can take advantage of enrolling in college courses through dual enrollment as well as opportunities through the Career Technical and Blue Water Middle Colleges.”
Current students can register via their Service Center accounts. New and returning students should submit a free application for admission at sc4.edu/apply. Advising assistance is available; schedule appointments at sc4.edu/advising.
The fall semester begins Aug. 19.
For more information and registration assistance, contact SC4’s Enrollment Services office at 810-989-5500 or enrollment@sc4.edu.
Italian Feast to take place at Algonac VFW
VALOR League will host an Italian Feast from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., or until the food is gone, April 27 at Fred Quant VFW Post 3901, located at 1005 Pointe Tremble Road in Algonac.
The meal will include spaghetti, lasagna, chicken parmesan, salad, rolls and dessert, a flyer for the event states.
The cost is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors and $8 for children ages 2 to 10. All proceeds will be donated to veterans.
For more information, call Jan Hofmann at 810-794-3262 or Kathy Fernandez at 810-531-7187.
SC4 participates in Community College Month
The St. Clair County Community College Board of Trustees adopted a resolution at its April 11 meeting recognizing April as Community College Month.
The month is promoted nationally by the Association of Community College and was recognized with a proclamation by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a recent press release states.
“There are over 1,000 public community colleges in the United States, 31 in Michigan and one of the first community colleges is located in Port Huron,” the release states. “SC4 was established in 1923 and is a comprehensive community college offering courses that transfer to four-year colleges/universities, two-year associate degrees and one-year certificates leading to careers and a variety of individual training, skill building and enrichment courses. SC4 provides area communities with a highly qualified and credentialed labor force and serves residents through equitable and local access to higher education.”
SC4 is participating in #CCMonth, a month-long education campaign coordinated by ACCT. The primary goals of #CCMonth are to improve awareness of the economic, academic and equity advantages of attending community colleges, and to celebrate the value of public two-year colleges.
“SC4 is vital to our community and our state,” SC4 President Kirk Kramer said in the release. “#CCMonth is an opportunity to celebrate the importance and value of our college to our community. SC4 has served residents of the community for over 100 years and continues to lead into the future to provide residents with public higher education opportunities.”
The SC4 campus is a hub of activity for the community, providing cultural, athletic and educational events throughout the year such as concerts, plays, art galleries, hands-on science exhibits, Challenger Learning Center simulated space missions, Planetarium Experience, Tournaments, Camps, STEM Fest and the recent Solar Eclipse viewing on campus, the release states.
“The SC4 Board resolution read in part, ‘…renew our passion to offer relevant services committed to educational excellence and our mission to create an academic and cultural environment that empowers students to succeed,’” the release states. “SC4 is proud to provide collegiate level activities in the community to enrich the lives of all residents.”
Woman’s Life Insurance Society to merge with Trusted Fraternal Life
Woman’s Life Insurance Society recently announced its intention to join Trusted Fraternal Life, a fraternal life insurance organization that is leading the way in partnerships and consolidation within the fraternal sector.
“This action marks Woman’s Life’s commitment to help women and their families build financial security for generations to come,” a recent press release states.
“Merging with Trusted Fraternal Life aligns with our commitment to adapt and thrive in today’s evolving life insurance industry,” Woman’s Life National President Chris Martin said in the release. “As part of the Trusted Fraternal Life family, Woman’s Life will have access to more products and services, advanced technology and expanded distribution to help even more women and their families across the country.”
Woman’s Life was founded in 1892 to provide women and their families with financial protection — an idea that few companies would consider at the time, the release states. Joining Trusted Fraternal Life is consistent with that innovative spirit and allows Woman’s Life to maintain its history, identity and mission into the future.
Trusted Fraternal Life is among the oldest and strongest fraternal organizations in the United States, tracing its roots to 1868. It has significant financial strength including record capital and surplus, one of the highest risk-based capital ratios and an A rating from the KBRA rating agency. Trusted Fraternal Life was established with the purpose of facilitating consolidation in the fraternal sector while preserving unique identities and traditions and achieving additional scale to compete, to be relevant and to grow.
“We can’t wait to welcome Woman’s Life to the family,” Trusted Fraternal Life’s President and CEO John Borgen said in the release. “This merger exemplifies our dedication to fostering growth and innovation within the fraternal life insurance sector while allowing fraternals to preserve their rich legacies.”
Upon regulatory approval, Woman’s Life will be the first fraternal to join the Trusted Fraternal Life family.
For more information about Woman’s Life, visit womanslife.org. For more information about Trusted Fraternal Life, visit cfl.org/trustedfraternallife.
Child care crisis impacting employers, employees
A recent study conducted by the Genesee, Lapeer, Shiawassee and St. Clair County Regional Child Care Coalition emphasizes the growing child care crisis that directly impacts employers and employees in the region, a recent press release from the Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County states.
The release states that there is a critical gap in available child care in St. Clair County, as well as many other Michigan counties, and that the conundrum consists of three major issues:
• Parents cannot afford child care (costs should not exceed 7% of a household’s income for affordable care). Many families work multiple jobs, reduce hours, deplete savings, go into debt or leave the workforce entirely.
• Caregivers cannot afford to hire or retain qualified workers due to lower wages and limited benefits.
• Substantial number of children are competing for one slot due to child care shortages
“The Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County and St. Clair County Regional Education Service Agency are working to bring awareness to this problem, which is expected to worsen due to continued child care staffing shortages through their involvement in the GLSCC,” the release states.
The GLSSC Regional Child Care Coalition is also working on implementing its regional action plan to improve access to child care and support child care staff and business owners in the region.
“It’s been proven that without reliable child care, there is lost productivity and increased employee turnover in the workplace,” EDA of St. Clair County Vice President of Business Services Bruce Seymore said in the release. “It benefits employers to prioritize child care and help employees ease the burden, whether that includes flexible workplace policies, child care stipends, backup emergency daycare options or other creative solutions that help reduce child care stresses or costs. It benefits the employer, and even employees without children, to preserve the company’s bottom line. Reduced productivity can result in lost business and customers, leading to job losses, layoffs or business closures.”
He noted that the child care issue is a problem that affects the entire business and community.
“A new study shows that for every $1 spend on child care benefits, employers saw a net gain of between $.90 and $4.25 with reduced absences, less late workers and lower rates of attrition,” the release states. “Based on the median household income in St. Clair County ($62,847), the cost of child care as part of household expenses should not be more than $4,399 (7%). However, the annual costs are ranging from $6,400-$10,000 (10-16%), causing further financial stress at a time when disposable incomes have been drastically reduced due to higher inflation and cost of goods.”
St. Clair County RESA Director of Early Childhood Services Becky Gorinac said that child care is a key driver of economic prosperity in St. Clair County.
“Without affordable, high-quality child care and preschool options, it is difficult for parents to enter the workforce,” Gorinac said in the release. “St. Clair County needs access to more care for children of all ages, especially infant and toddler care. We know that having a quality early childhood experience not only provides families with child care options, but also helps ensure future educational success in school.”
The EDA will continue working with partners and stakeholders in the community to increase affordable child care options in the region, as well as work with employers on innovative solutions, the release states.
For more information about the EDA of St. Clair County, visit edascc.com. For more information about St. Clair County RESA, visit sccresa.org.
