​On September 15, East Central College will celebrate its 50th Anniversary from 12 – 4 p.m. at its Union campus, 1964 Prairie Dell Road.
 
“This will be a day full of fun and reminiscing,” said Jay Scherder, director of public relations. “The event is free, and we’ll have lots of activities for families – including food trucks, a petting zoo, inflatables and more.”
 
A big part of the day will include “Class Reunions” for alumni. Space will be set aside in the lobby of the Performing Arts Center for former East Central College athletes, Phi Theta Kappa members, Student Government Association members and other student club members.
 
“This will also be a time for former faculty and staff to meet with one another,” Scherder added. “We also encourage any choir, band or theatre performers to join in on the fun!”
 
Class Reunion Schedule: Phi Theta Kappa, Student Government Association, athletes, coaches and other student clubs – 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Performing arts alumni, faculty and staff – 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
 
A ceremony honoring the people who have impacted the college over the years will be held at 2 p.m. in the theater. A time capsule will also be sealed at the ceremony. Activities will be held in all campus buildings throughout the day. Shuttles will be available for patrons. In the event of rain, activities will be moved indoors.

Changes will become effective in 2020, require 20 acres for free deer and turkey permits, stay at five acres for other uses, add discounted permits for nonresident landowners, and add registry.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Starting in 2020, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will increase the minimum acreage requirement from five to 20 acres for resident landowners and members of their immediate households to receive free permits for deer and turkey hunting.
Resident landowners with five or more acres and members of their immediate households will continue to be allowed to hunt small game, fish on waters of the state, and trap on their qualifying properties without the need of a permit.

Prices not raised in over a decade, adjustments needed to keep up with increasing costs.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will increase the prices for some nonresident hunting and fishing permits starting in 2020. According to MDC, permit prices have not been raised in over a decade and adjustments are needed to help keep up with increasing costs of providing conservation programs and services around the state.
The price increases were given initial approval by the Missouri Conservation Commission at its May 23 meeting. As part of the rulemaking process, MDC asked for public comment on the changes during July. The Commission then considered input received and approved the increases during its Aug. 23 meeting.
The effective date will be Feb. 29, 2020, for these nonresident permit price increases:
NONRESIDENT PERMIT          PREVIOUS PRICE        NEW PRICE   
Daily Fishing (1 Day)                 $7                                  $8                         
Daily Fishing (3 Days)               $21                                $24                       
Annual Fishing                          $42                               $49                       
Furbearer Hunting/Trapping      $130                              $192                     
Annual Small Game Hunting     $80                                $94                       
Daily Small Game (1 Day)         $11                                $14                       
Daily Small Game (3 Days)       $33                                $42                       
Conservation Order                   $40                                $47                       
Spring Turkey Hunting               $190                              $224                   
Fall Turkey Hunting                   $110                              $130                     
Firearm Deer Hunting               $225                              $265                     
Archery Hunting                        $225                              $265                     
Managed Deer Hunting             $225                              $265                       
Nonresidents account for nearly 100% of daily fishing permit purchases and daily small-game hunting permit purchases. As part of the changes, MDC will also limit daily fishing permits and daily hunting permits to 1 and 3 days and eliminate daily fishing permits and daily hunting permits for other numbers of days (2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 days).
MDC permit sales account for about 17 percent of the agency’s annual revenue and help fund numerous conservation efforts around the state. Other significant revenue sources include the Conservation Sales Tax at about 61 percent and federal reimbursements at about 16 percent. Sales and rentals, interest, and other sources make up the remaining 6 percent of MDC revenue. According to MDC, the average Missourian pays about $19 annually for conservation efforts through the Department’s dedicated sales tax revenue. MDC receives no funding from property taxes, tickets or citations (which go to local school districts), or the state’s general revenue budget.

​If you have a car or truck from the 50's, 60's or 70's, East Central College invites you to take part in its 50th Anniversary Celebration Vehicle Display on September 15 from 12 - 4 p.m. at its campus in Union! The first 50 vehicles receive a special 50th Anniversary commemorative plaque.
 
“The vehicles will be showcased in the parking lot next to Buescher Hall,” said Jay Scherder, Director of Public Relations. “It will allow people to see what types of cars and trucks might have been on campus back in the day!”
 
No registration or fees are required for the event. Vehicles on display will be featured on East Central College social media platforms.
 

The East Central College Falcon Invitational will be held September 27 at the Wolf Hollow Golf Club in Labadie, Missouri. All proceeds will help support the East Central College Foundation. 

Check-in and lunch begin at 11:30 a.m. with a shotgun start at 12:30 p.m. Teams can register for the four-person scramble tournament at eastcentra.edu/alumni, by calling 636-584-6506 or by emailing [email protected]. Entry fees include 18 holes of golf, lunch, dinner, beverages and a gift bag. Space is limited!

“Corporate sponsorships are still available for the event,” said Angie Siebert, East Central College Foundation Specialist. “This event is a great way to help fund scholarships for local students and have a lot of fun at the same time.”
 
The East Central College Foundation was established to support the growth and development of East Central College in whatever ways might be beneficial to students and staff. It solicits and receives tax deductible gifts which are managed for the benefit of the college and its students. It is chartered as a non-profit 501 (c)3 organization for educational purposes.

Participants will gain certification to teach the Missouri National Archery in the Schools Program in their schools.
WASHINGTON, Mo.--Teachers, if there was an activity that could help your students keep focus, improve their grades, and boost their self-esteem, would you say “bullseye?” Archery has been proven to do just that for students who participate in the Missouri National Archery in the Schools Program (MoNASP).
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will hold a MoNASP basic archery instructor training for teachers from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7 at St. Gertrude School, 6520 State Highway YY in Washington. The session includes a 30-minute lunch break; however, lunch will not be included.
This is a free training class and is meant for teachers who are interested in incorporating MoNASP instruction into their school’s curriculum. Teachers must attend the entire training session to receive the Basic Archery Instructor (BAI) certification. Volunteers other than teachers may attend but will need to gain approval for their attendance from their prospective school before registration.
BAI training is required for schools to participate in MoNASP and to qualify for related grant money. MoNASP is taught as a two-week unit during the school day and makes the school eligible to compete in National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) tournaments on a local, state, national and international level. Schools must qualify for the NASP competitions.
MoNASP is part of NASP, which provides the BAI certification, and is the national program that teaches international style target archery to students in grades 4-12.
Statistics show school archery programs improve school attendance, increase participants self-esteem and physical activity, helps kids relate to learning subject matter, and gets them outdoors to discover nature. Participants also learn an activity they can enjoy for the rest of their lives in the form of recreational target shooting or bow hunting.
To register for the workshop, visit http://naspbai.org/. For more information, contact MDC Outdoor Skills Specialist Conrad Mallady at [email protected] or call 314-577-9555 ext. 76044. Reservations are required by Aug. 31.
For more information about MoNASP, visit https://goo.gl/SRxq7T.

​East Central College is proud to announce it has received an Arts Engagement in American Communities (AEAC) grant for second year in a row!
 
The $10,000 matching grant from the National Endowment for the Arts will help support the annual concert series for the 2019-2020 school year.
 
“We are proud to host world-renowned acts like the Arianna String Quartet and St. Louis Symphony every year,” said Dr. Jennifer Judd, Concert Series Coordinator and East Central College Professor of Music. “It couldn’t happen without the support of the community, the college and amazing organizations like the National Endowment for the Arts.”
 
The AEAC grant supports arts projects in all artistic disciplines, extending the National Endowment for the Arts’ reach to communities across the United States. These grants engage the public in diverse and excellent art in underrepresented geographic areas.
 
“All Americans should have access to the arts,” said Mary Anne Carter, acting chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. “Grants such as this one to East Central College are an important part of the National Endowment for the Arts’ work to ensure people in communities both large and small across the nation have the opportunity to experience the arts.”

Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities.
 
Information about upcoming concerts can be found at eastcentral.edu/tickets.
 

​For years, the Adult Education and Literacy program at East Central College has provided free classes to improve a students’ skills in math, reading, writing, social studies and science. The goal of the program is to prepare students to pass the High School Equivalency Test (HiSET), formerly the GED.
 
For the first time, students in the program will no longer have to pay for the actual test. It’s all thanks to recent legislation passed in Missouri.
 
“The cost of the test is around 100 dollars,” said Alice Whalen, East Central College Adult Education and Literacy Director. “For some people, it is a real barrier. Now that the test is free, we hope more adults pursue their goals of finishing their high school education.”


The Adult Education and Literacy program hosts High School Equivalency classes in several locations – including Cuba, Hermann, Montgomery City, Owensville, Pacific, Rolla, St. Clair, Sullivan, Union and Washington. Day and evening classes are available.
 
Students interested in obtaining their HiSET must attend an orientation, which are held in Union, Rolla and Hermann. To see a list of orientation dates, please visit eastcentral.edu/ael or call 844-322-4235.
 
Students who have earned their HiSET through the AEL program at East Central College are eligible to receive a tuition waiver for a three hour college credit class at East Central College!

​East Central College is excited to be a recipient of a $47,000 grant from Cornell University as part of the Combat2Careers program! Supported by the Kessler Foundation, the goal of the program is to honor student veterans by helping them gain employment and increase their financial independence.
 
Lorrie Baird, ECC’s Veterans Services and Financial Aid Advisor, will serve as the Combat2Careers Coordinator. “I have a son in the military, and I know it can be a challenge for veterans who are returning to their civilian lives. This program provides career and academic counseling services and helps veterans sharpen their resumes and improve their interviewing skills.”
 
The two-year program is designed to help any disabled veteran find a job that matches his or her occupational preference. Additionally, Combat2Careers develops employment methods specifically tailored to the needs of female disabled veterans, allowing them to overcome academic and employment challenges.
 
“This project gives our student veterans the chance to strengthen their identity, pride, growth and a sense of well-being,” said Baird. “At the same time, it allows East Central College to discover more innovative ways of serving our student veterans with disabilities.”
 
Veterans in the Combat2Careers program will have access to all of ECC’s programs and services, including the Veterans Lounge, which opened in 2017.
 
For more information about the program, contact Lorrie Baird [email protected] or 636.584.6570.
 

​Earning a college certificate or degree can be a life-changing experience for any adult student. However, there can be many obstacles that often stand in the way – including financial barriers.
 
Thanks to the new Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grant through the Missouri Department of Higher Education, a new financial aid funding stream is now available to adults beginning with the 2019-2020 academic year.
 
“More than a third of all East Central College students are adult learners,” said Dr. Jon Bauer, President.  “They make up an important part of our culture. This grant will give more adult students the opportunity to pursue a degree and advance their careers.”
 
The program addresses workforce needs by helping adults pursue a certificate, degree or industry-recognized credential in an area designated as high need. Adults who are 25 or older or individuals who have not been enrolled in any school within the last two years can participate.
 
The application and program list for the grant will be available through the State Student Financial Aid Portal beginning Aug. 5, 2019. Applicants must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to be considered. The Fast Track program is designed to ensure, when combined with other governmental financial aid, that tuition and fee costs are fully covered. Students are eligible for an award of up to $500 to cover education-related expenses.
 
Adults interested in applying for the Fast Track Workforce Initiative Grant can contact Barb Kuelker, East Central College Fast Track liaison, at [email protected] or 636-584-6571.