KVCC Hires New Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator

​FAIRFIELD—Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) has named Benjamin Crockett instructor and coordinator for its Sustainable Agriculture program, which gives students the opportunity to run a working farm.

A Maine native, Crockett graduated from Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School in South Paris and has spent the past 11 years learning and mastering his trade in Vermont and New York.

“Having grown up in Maine, I have been in search of opportunities that would allow me to move back and continue pursuing an agricultural profession in a meaningful way,” Crockett said. “I’m looking forward to teaching at KVCC. It seems like there has been some great work over the last few years, and I’m hoping to capitalize off of that momentum, as well as work with the farm manager to increase student time spent on the KVCC farm.”

Since earning a degree in sustainable landscape horticulture from the University of Vermont, Crockett has been immersed in farm operations including farm management; raising animals; planting, harvesting, and preserving vegetables; maintaining equipment; operating a CSA; creating agricultural programming for students; and much more.

Most recently Crockett managed a 300-acre incubator farm in New York’s Hudson Valley, where he taught new farmers farm-management skills, provided technical assistance, developed systems to improve farm efficiency and aid in soil restoration, and oversaw field cultivation, soil testing, pasture rotation, and more.

Crockett noted that he’s looking forward to connecting with the local farming community now that he’s back in his home state.

“I want to make sure students utilize the resources we have in the Kennebec Valley and are truly connected to the community they will be growing in,” Crockett said. “And I would emphasize that those resources aren't just organic farms, just vegetable farms. There are great institutions like MOFGA [Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association] that are well known, but I am hoping to get to know most of the other operations, like the larger dairy farms, so I can provide a more complete education on the state of agriculture and how society as a whole can continue to feed ourselves and nurture the land for years to come.”

Established in 2013, KVCC’s Sustainable Agriculture associate degree program is the first of its kind in Maine, a farm-to-table endeavor that teaches students both the technical and small-business skills necessary to manage or develop a small farm or agricultural business. Housed on the Harold Alfond Campus in Hinckley, the program boasts a new state-of-the-art sustainable agriculture building and a 120-acre organic farm that includes an education facility, vegetable processing center, greenhouses, shelters, fields, livestock, and more.

Ranked among America’s best two-year colleges, Kennebec Valley Community College offers more than 35 programs and is recognized as the best value in higher education. The college has invested nearly $25 million over the past three years, opening a new campus, upgrading infrastructure, expanding program offerings, and ensuring the highest-quality instruction. More than 94 percent of KVCC graduates find jobs in their field or continue to a four-year college or university. KVCC provides an affordable and practical path to success with small class sizes, excellent support services, and flexible scheduling. KVCC has the lowest tuition in New England, yet most students receive generous financial aid packages to cover the cost of tuition and fees.

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Collins, King Announce Nearly $2.5 Million to Support Job Training Programs for Displaced Workers in Maine

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King September 29th announced that Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) will receive $2,499,977 in federal funding from the Department of Labor (DOL) to support and expand ongoing efforts to train displaced workers, including those eligible for Trade Adjustment Assistance. The KVCC project, titled “Advancing Healthcare and Construction Careers in Mid-Maine,” will support job training programs in the construction, healthcare and social assistance industries.

“This grant represents an important investment in the development of Maine’s workforce,” said

KVCC groundbreaking held for new building at Alfond Campus

Hinckley, Maine – Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) began a new chapter in its history today with a formal groundbreaking ceremony for a new classroom and laboratory building at the college’s Harold Alfond Campus in Hinckley.

The 16,500 square-foot building will be completed in time for the start of the 2014 fall semester, when KVCC will officially open the Alfond Campus. It will be the first new building on the campus.

The building will contain classrooms, faculty offices, laboratories, a computer lab, a 60-seat tiered auditorium, a student lounge and informal learning space. This new structure is central to KVCC’s transition to a two-campus college by next fall. Many of the college’s existing academic programs currently located at the Fairfield campus will move to an existing classroom building on the Alfond Campus in Hinckley. A set of new programs – including Maine’s first two-year degree and certificate programs in sustainable agriculture, food science, and culinary arts – will be based in the new building.

Designed with the goal of achieving net zero energy status, the building will incorporate geothermal wells and a large photovoltaic panel array on its roof to supply electricity and energy for heating and cooling.

The Maine Community College System’s (MCCS) acquisition in 2012 of nearly 600 acres at the former Good Will-Hinckley School in Somerset County offered KVCC the extraordinary opportunity to establish a second campus to develop new academic programs, grow student activities, expand community engagement, and eventually serve a greater number of education seekers in the region who lack convenient, affordable access to high-quality education.

Established on the site with generous support from the Harold Alfond Foundation, the Alfond Campus will provide an ideal environment for dynamic learning in sustainable agriculture, food processing, food security, place-based culinary arts production, renewable energy applications, business entrepreneurship, and early

KVCC hires new Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs

Fairfield, Maine – Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) has announced that Dr. Jon H. Connolly of Sheridan, Wyoming, will be the next Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs for the College.

Dr. Connolly will replace Karen White, who is retiring in October after 32 years working for KVCC, serving the past nine years as Academic Dean.

Dr. Connolly will begin his new duties on Sept. 18. He has more than a decade of leadership experience at colleges in Wyoming, Texas, and Maine. He comes to KVCC from his most recent position as Vice President of Academic Affairs at Sheridan College and Gillette College of the Northern Wyoming Community College District where he has held this post since 2009.

From January to June 2010 Dr. Connolly acted as Interim President at Sheridan and Gillette Colleges.

“We are thrilled that Dr. Connolly will be joining KVCC,” Dr. Richard Hopper, KVCC President, said. “He combines a proven record as a scholar with a clear understanding of the challenges facing community colleges today. Kennebec Valley Community College is undergoing tremendous change and expansion. Dr. Connolly’s record of academic leadership and his devotion to Maine will help move KVCC forward at a critical time in the institution’s development. ”

Dr. Connolly’s New England ties are strong, with a deep connection to Maine. He is a 1987 graduate of Colby College where he earned an A.B. in Biology and Geology-Biology; He was awarded an M.F.S. with a focus on Tree Biology from Yale University in 1992, and completed his Ph.D.in Biology from the University of Maine in 1996. He owns a camp in Rangeley, Maine.

Dr. Connolly taught at Husson University in Bangor, Maine, for a decade - from 1997-2007. While there he held positions of increasing responsibility, growing from his role as Associate Professor to become Associate Dean of the School of Science and Humanities, and ultimately becoming Assistant Chief Academic Officer.

Dr. Connolly subsequently served as Dean of Instruction for the Division of Math, Science, and Healthcare at Lone-Star College-Kingwood in Kingwood Texas from 2007-2009.

Dr. Connolly and his wife, Joan, are thrilled to be returning to Maine. Dr. Connolly is a runner, nonfiction reader, and avid movie watcher.

The Northern Wyoming Community College District encompasses three separate counties in northern Wyoming, and serves an estimated 4,000 students annually at Sheridan College, Gillette College and outreach centers in Buffalo, Kaycee and Wright.

Dr. Connolly is joining KVCC as the College prepares to open a second campus - The Harold Alfond Campus in Hinckley - in September 2014.

The Alfond Campus will provide an ideal environment for dynamic learning in sustainable agriculture, food processing, food security, place-based culinary arts production, renewable energy applications, business entrepreneurship, and early childhood education related to wellness and healthy living. It will include an innovative farm-to-table education hub that combines sustainable agriculture, food processing, and culinary arts and certificate programs.

Classes began this fall for the first of these programs, a two-year Associate in Applied Science degree program in sustainable agriculture.

KVCC will also continue to offer a wide array of degree programs in liberal arts, trades and technology, business, computer science, and health professions.

KVCC is one of seven community colleges in Maine and prepares full-time and part-time students to enter the job market, to transfer to colleges and universities, and to achieve their professional and personal goals. Programs and services support the economic growth of the community in response to changing needs.

In 2011 and again in 2012, KVCC was named one of the top community colleges in the nation by the Aspen Institute, placing in the top 10 percent of two-year colleges based on student success rates.

To learn more about KVCC, go to www.kvcc.me.edu

Renewable energy workshop to be offered by KVCC and Farm Energy Partners April 18

Fairfield, Maine - Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) and Farm Energy Partners (FEP) will offer a free, public workshop on renewable energy to celebrate Earth Week.

The workshop will be held from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, April 18 in the Frye Building at KVCC’s Fairfield campus. Entitled “Renewable Energy in Maine: what technology is right for me?” it is open to all members of the public who are curious about renewable energy.

Many people are interested in incorporating renewable energy into their home, farm or other business, but may not know where to begin. At this workshop, KVCC instructors will provide information on five renewable technologies: Solar Photovoltaic, Solar Heating, Biomass Solid Fuel, and Heat Pumps and Small Wind.

Instructors will also discuss how a typical property owner can examine their property and structures on it to determine which renewable energy source or sources would best fit their needs. Financing options for renewable energy projects will also be discussed.

For more information, contact Amy Hudnor at 453-5813 or ahudnor@kvcc.me.edu.

Farm Energy Partners (FEP) is a network of Maine Rural Partners that includes over 30 public and private sector organizations including farms, supporting organizations and businesses. FEP is dedicated to working collaboratively to help Maine farmers save energy, improve the environment and strengthen their bottom lines by focusing on energy

KVCC receives $2.5 million federal grant to support agricultural programs at Harold Alfond Campus

Hinckley, Maine - Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) will receive a $2.5 million federal grant to create an agriculture-oriented education hub at its new Harold Alfond Campus.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration has notified KVCC of its final approval of the award. The College will now proceed with the steps necessary to launch the first planned programs – two-year associate in applied science degrees in Sustainable Agriculture and in Culinary Arts – in August of this year.

“We are excited that KVCC is receiving this grant at such a critical time in our development of the Harold Alfond Campus in Hinckley,” KVCC President Barbara Woodlee said. “With this support we are now able to proceed with these two important programs this fall and to develop additional programs for the fall of 2014.”

Members of Maine’s Congressional delegation offered their congratulations on the award.

“I am proud of the accomplishments of Kennebec Valley Community College,” said U.S. Senator Susan Collins. “KVCC is committed to the highest standards of education, and to improving the economy in Maine through education that meets the needs of our state’s students and employers. This funding will prove instrumental as KVCC continues to expand and offer innovative programs that will help enhance the local

KVCC receives $100,000 grant from Jane’s Trust to benefit planned two-year Sustainable Agriculture Program

Hinckley, Maine – Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC), through The Foundation for Maine’s Community Colleges, has been awarded $100,000 from Jane’s Trust that will benefit efforts to establish a two-year degree program in Sustainable Agriculture at the College’s new Harold Alfond Campus.

The grant will be used to purchase a tractor and attendant equipment and accessories necessary for cultivating, plowing, planting and harvesting on the farm in Hinckley where the new program will be based.

The grant will also be used to hire a manager for the farm.

The two-year Associate of Applied Science Degree in Sustainable Agriculture will be the first of its kind in Maine, and work to design and fund it is well underway. Once operational, it will be the first active KVCC program based at the new campus.

“This grant will enable KVCC to take steps that are of critical importance to the early stages of development

KVCC partners with industry to respond to anticipated worker shortage in Maine paper mills

Fairfield Maine – Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) is partnering with Maine paper mills in a coordinated effort to meet the demand for additional employees in the industry as current workers reach retirement age.

The mills are seeking a steady source of workers who are well prepared for pulp and papermaking jobs, and have turned to KVCC – which offers the only one-year Certificate and two-year Pulp and Paper Technology Associate of Applied Science Degree programs in the Northeast – to meet the demand.

The effort will include financial incentives from both KVCC and the industry to students enrolling in an introductory pulp and paper course beginning January 21, 2013. Qualified students will be able to take this online course at no cost, and the $344 tuition together with $101 in text book costs will be waived. Course enrollment will be limited to 30 students, and student selection will be at the discretion of KVCC.

A special open house on Saturday, January 12, 2013 at the KVCC campus has also been scheduled as part of the effort. The 10:30 a.m. event in Carter Hall will offer prospective students the chance to meet with potential employers and KVCC faculty, explore scholarship and internship opportunities with local paper

“Late Start” semester at KVCC increases options for students

Fairfield, Maine - Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) is always looking for new ways to meet the increasing demands of students for flexibility in education, and so this fall for the first time the College is offering a special 10-week session of “core” academic courses beginning Sept. 24 and running until Dec. 1.

Approximately a dozen entry-level courses commonly required by a wide range of college programs are being offered in this compressed schedule to new students and returning KVCC students not already registered for the regular Fall 2012 semester.

These general education courses can be applied not only toward KVCC degree programs, but transferred to other colleges and universities in Maine, and offer an ideal opportunity for students pursuing four-year degrees to earn credits toward those degrees while taking advantage of KVCC’s low tuition rate of $86 per credit hour.

“Many students today have jobs, families, and other responsibilities that limit their ability to pursue a college education,” said Jon Humphrey, Marketing Specialist for the College. “The regular fall semester may start too early or run too long for them. By providing a series of commonly required courses in a compact, convenient semester, KVCC hopes to give these students another option for beginning or continuing an education.”

The courses offered were chosen based on high demand – all were already full to capacity for the regular Fall 2012 semester. Many are being provided online to increase the convenience for students.

To register for a course or for more information call Kim at (207) 453-5134 or Jillienne at (207) 453-5119 or go to www.kvcc.me.edu.

Kennebec Valley Community College is one of seven community colleges in Maine. KVCC prepares full-time and part-time students to enter the job market, to transfer to colleges and universities, and to achieve their professional and personal goals. Programs and services support the economic growth of the community in response to changing needs.

In 2011 and again in 2012, KVCC was named one of the top community colleges in the nation by the Aspen Institute, placing in the top 10 percent of two-year colleges based on student success rates.

To learn more about KVCC, go to www.kvcc.me.edu/.

KVCC Foundation awarded childcare, tuition-waiver, and equipment grants

Fairfield, Maine - The Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) Foundation has been awarded three grants that will directly benefit programs and students at the College.

The grants include:

$20,000 from the Davis Family Foundation to support students whose children are attending Educare Central Maine in Waterville. The money will be used to subsidize childcare expenses for approximately 20 low-income students.

$5,000 from the Plum Creek Foundation to purchase equipment for KVCC's new Energy Services and Technology Program, a two-year associate degree program which will begin classes in the fall of 2012.

$3,000 from the Oak Grove School Foundation to support dual enrolled high school students. The money will be used to fund College fees and textbook expenses for approximately 30 low-income students who are enrolled in classes at KVCC.

The KVCC Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing area citizens with an accessible and affordable quality education. "Each of these grant awards will ensure that students are able to access and persist in reaching their professional and educational goals," said Michelle Webb, Executive Director of the KVCC Foundation.

"The Foundation is grateful for these grants and proud to have played a role in earning them from these prestigious organizations", said Jack Sutton, KVCC Foundation Chair.

To learn more about any of these grants contact Michelle Webb at mwebb@kvcc.me.edu or call (207)453-5020.

To learn more about the Energy Services and Technology program at KVCC go to http://www.kvcc.me.edu/Pages/Energy-Services-Technology/Energy-Services-Technology-Home.

The Davis Family Foundation is a public charitable foundation established by Phyllis C. Davis and H. Halsey Davis of Falmouth, Maine, to support educational, medical and cultural/arts organizations located primarily in Maine. The Foundation was established following Mr. Davis's retirement as President and Chairman of Shaw's Supermarkets, Inc.

The Plum Creek Foundation supports organizations that improve the quality of life in the communities where Plum Creek operates and where its employees live and work. Grants are awarded to non-profit organizations throughout Plum Creek's operating area.

The Oak Grove School Foundation supports the educational and cultural needs of secondary students and non-profit organizations in the greater Central Maine area.

Kennebec Valley Community College is one of seven community colleges in Maine. KVCC prepares full-time and part-time students to enter the job market, to transfer to colleges and universities, and to achieve their professional and personal goals. Programs and services support the economic growth of the community in response to changing needs.

In 2011 and again in 2012, KVCC was named one of the top community colleges in the nation by the Aspen Institute, placing in the top 10 percent of two-year colleges based on student success rates.

To learn more about KVCC, go to www.kvcc.me.edu

Excellent opportunities remain in KVCC health programs

Fairfield, Maine - As the fall semester of 2012 approaches, there are still many opportunities remaining in popular health programs at Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC).

Space remains in programs including Occupational Therapy Assistant, Health Information Technology, Respiratory Therapy, Advanced Emergency Care, and Computed Tomography.

"Many of these programs have become so popular people assume they are already full, but it is not too late to enroll," Dean of Students Karen Normandin said. "These are programs that lead to excellent jobs with high wages right here in our local economy."

KVCC constantly adapts its programs to meet the changing needs of employers and respond to demand for additional workers in growing fields. The College's Nursing and Allied Health Departments have a well-established reputation for producing quality graduates in a number of health care fields.

While registration for the fall semester will continue through mid-August, instructors in are eager to get the word out that there is still room for more students.

"Registering early is the best way to get the schedule that you want, so we always encourage anyone interested in enrolling in a program to talk to us as soon as possible," Dean Normandin said.

Anyone interested in learning more about programs at KVCC is encouraged to call the Admissions Department at 207-453-5131 or email jbourgoin@kvcc.me.edu. Prospective students may also go to https://my.kvcc.me.edu/ICS/Admissions/Welcome.jnz.

Kennebec Valley Community College is one of seven community colleges in Maine. KVCC prepares full-time and part-time students to enter the job market, to transfer to colleges and universities, and to achieve their professional and personal goals. Programs and services support the economic growth of the community in response to changing needs.

In 2011 and again in 2012, KVCC was named one of the top community colleges in the nation by the Aspen Institute, placing in the top 10 percent of two-year colleges based on student success rates.

To learn more about KVCC, go to www.kvcc.me.edu

KVCC Open House to be held June 20

KVCC Open House to be held June 20


Fairfield, Maine - Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) will hold an Open House Wednesday, June 20 featuring campus tours, financial aid guidance, program information, and much more.

The Open House from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Carter Hall Multipurpose Room will include refreshments. It is free and open to the public.

"This event offers a perfect opportunity for anyone interested in KVCC to come and see what the College has to offer, ask questions, and meet many of the faculty and staff," Dean of Students Karen Normandin said.

Special workshops on financial aid and career opportunities will be available. Classrooms and labs on the campus will be open for viewing. As a special bonus, the application fee will be waived for all those attending the open house.

This event will provide an excellent chance for anyone considering enrolling for the fall semester of 2012 to find out what programs are being offered and ask questions about them. Potential students can also explore the many opportunities to transfer credits earned at KVCC to four-year colleges and universities.

For more information please call the Admissions Office at 453-5035 or email jbourgoin@kvcc.me.edu