Unemployment Laughter
Laughter is the best medicine, and Harper College has a healthy dose ready to ease the unemployment blues. The College’s December edition of its popular “Career Stimulus” career-boosting support group will feature a Second City graduate as the keynote speaker – a comedic program aimed at putting a more lighthearted spin on the economic downturn and its ongoing side effects. Richard Oberbruner, a career coach for workNet DuPage who jokingly lists a B.S. in Sarcasm from Hard Knocks University among his credentials, titles his presentation “Lighten Up – It’s Only Unemployment,” with a guarantee of injecting a little laughter into a typically disheartening topic. The event also will include appetizers, dessert and musical entertainment. It runs from 9:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Friday, December 18 in the Wojcik Conference Center on Harper’s main campus, 1200 W. Algonquin Road in Palatine. All are welcome. “We’ve tackled a lot of tough topics in the course of this program so far, and we thought laughter would be the perfect approach to round out the year,” Adult Learning Special Assistant Nancy Wajler says. “Many of our participants have been pushing through the unemployment dilemma for months, and have been so focused on networking, interviewing and updating their resumes that they deserve a humor break.” The event still will include the usual Career Stimulus breakout discussions, focusing on an array of job hunt-related topics. Harper’s Career Stimulus program, launched this year to provide the post-layoff help that many workers needed, features a monthly menu of information on everything from acing interviews to managing stress amid hard times, as well as “NetWorthing” groups focused on actually making networking work in a career transition. The sessions have drawn hundreds, some of whom have reported back that it helped them find jobs. Career Stimulus is free for first-timers. Subsequent sessions are $10. Memberships also are available for $85; they include a year of meetings, free one-on-one sessions with Harper’s career coach, free workshops, and materials for and admission to an intensive NetWorthing session. For more information and other upcoming dates, visit www.harpercollege.edu. Or, call 847.925.6438.
Media Note: Some previous Career Stimulus attendees have successfully landed jobs. Others simply have left prepared to energize their job hunt in a rough-and-tumble economy. Previous participants are available for interviews. Nancy Wajler also is available for comment on the success rate of today’s job club programs and why they work – or don’t. To book interviews, contact Erin Brooks, Media Relations Specialist, 847.925.6159, [email protected].
Honored Student
Two years ago, Alaine Garcia was doing well at her job and earning a good living. But she knew she still needed something more. Garcia’s journey took her to Harper College, where she’s since earned a certificate in Electronic Maintenance, worked as editor in chief of the student newspaper and served the campus on the Student Senate and as the elected student representative to the College’s Board of Trustees. Her efforts have earned Garcia, 34, a 2009 Winning Women Award from Congresswoman Melissa Bean – an honor that lauds outstanding women for leadership, vision and commitment in the 8th Congressional District, which serves Chicago’s northern suburbs. “It was a great honor to be nominated by Harper’s faculty and to be selected by the committee,” says Garcia, whose on-campus involvement also has included a stint on the Campus Activities Board and membership in Phi Theta Kappa and Latinos Unidos. “My entire Harper journey has been an amazing experience. I’ve learned to find my strengths and inspire others to act from their hearts.” Garcia, who earned money for college years earlier by serving inner-city Chicago Public Schools children through an AmeriCorps program, said she’d never found the time for higher education in the past, but knew that finishing college was crucial. She’s now working on earning a welding certification at Harper. Winning Bean’s award, she says, “tells me that I’m on the right path.” The Winning Women Awards Program was created by Bean to honor outstanding 8th Congressional District women who tirelessly work to improve their community, better the lives of others or expand the scope and mission for an organization they serve. Numerous community services, professional organizations and local colleges are contacted annually to nominate an exceptional woman who should be considered for the recognition. A full list of Winning Women for 2009 can be found at www.melissabean.com.
Media Note: A picture of Alaine Garcia is available. Contact Erin Brooks, Media Relations Specialist, 847.925.6159 or [email protected].
Arts Celebration
Students and instructors from a variety of Harper College arts classes – from improv to fencing – will take the stage on Wednesday, December 16 for a free celebratory end-of-semester variety show. The performers, who include actors, jazz ensembles and a banjo instructor, all are part of Harper’s Continuing Education department, which offers an eclectic blend of non-credit courses for community members of all ages. The show, in its second year, also will feature a speech monologue, piano performances, comedy, an onstage fencing demonstration and a slideshow presentation of visual artwork produced during fall Continuing Education courses. Calligraphy students also will be available to create handmade bookmarks for audience members. “This event showcases a sampling of the kinds of learning opportunities that Harper Continuing Education offers,” Continuing Education Manager Scott Cashman says. “It also allows our hardworking students and instructors to show off the product of all their hard work, and, at the same time, offers the community a free evening of great entertainment.” The Continuing Education Celebration of the Arts runs from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 16 in the Building J Theatre on the main campus, 1200 W. Algonquin Road in Palatine. The free event is open to the public and no advance registration is necessary. Harper’s Continuing Education department provides a variety of classes in music, foreign language, computers, career training and more every semester. Certifications in a wide range of subjects, including event planning, sustainable living and office administration, also are available through the department and open to all. Visit www.harpercollege.edu or call 847.925.6300 for a course schedule or for more information or to enroll.
Press Contact: Erin Brooks, Media Relations Specialist, 847.925.6159, [email protected].
Small Business Help
Planning for a potential disaster that might not even happen isn’t typically at the top of a small business’ priority list – but “a disaster can put you out of business faster than any recession,” warns Bonnie Richter, Director of the Illinois Small Business Development Center at Harper College. With an eye on the potential risks facing businesses that are ill-prepared, Harper is hosting a series of free “Survive and Thrive” workshops aimed at teaching owners, managers and entrepreneurs how to assess the likelihood of disasters, determine the potential impact and lessen the negative effects. The next workshop is from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, January 20 in the Small Business Development Center Office at the Harper Professional Center, 650 E. Higgins Road in Schaumburg. The College also is offering one-on-one disaster preparedness advising for entrepreneurs seeking help through Harper’s Small Business Development Center. “Most small business owners don’t want to deal with this, and most small businesses don’t have a plan in place,” Richter says. “We really want them to have one – particularly as winter, and the threat of storms, again approaches – and we’re here to help them in that capacity.” Business owners need to know, she says, what they’ll do if they lose power, how they’ll get in touch with employees in the case of an emergency, and where they’ll operate from if their office is unavailable. Statistics show that one-quarter of businesses that close because of a disaster never reopen, and 80 percent of those that don’t recover within a month are likely to out of business. Harper’s disaster preparedness workshops and advising are being funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. To register for the workshop, call 847.925.6520 or send an email to [email protected]. Space is limited. For an advising appointment, call 847.925.6520.
Press Contact: Erin Brooks, Media Relations Specialist, 847.925.6159, [email protected].
Animal Food Drive
As part of her work to help the homeless this holiday season, Jennifer Pitek again is asking for donations of canned food – and collars, leashes and chew toys. The beneficiaries of her annual Harper College-based effort, dubbed “Santa Claus for Paws,” are the four-legged residents of
Press Contacts: Jennifer Pitek, Administrative Assistant, 847.925.6314, [email protected]; Erin Brooks, Media Relations Specialist, 847.925.6159, [email protected].