From the Foundation President

The Moraine Valley Foundation was created with a single purpose: to build a strong base of financial support for students and the college community. That’s why I am both privileged and excited to begin my new term as the president of the Foundation board.

Committed to Sustainability

Caring for our world and its resources reaps benefits in the present and ensures a better future for individuals and communities. At Moraine Valley, that commitment to stewardship of natural resources takes on a variety of forms, from the creation of a Sustainability Center (http://www.morainevalley.edu/sustainability), construction of energy saving facilities, and incorporation of environmentally friendly practices into daily operations of the college to the development of green curriculums and ongoing sharing of information about environmental and sustainability issues.

The Southwest Education Center in Tinley Park, Moraine Valley's first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified building, is one of the most recent examples of energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly building. The college also has a commitment to a wide variety of practices that also promote sustainability: energy-efficient lighting college wide, landscaping designs with more native plants and trees and green space, uses of greener cleaning products by housekeeping, less printing and more recycling, and choices of china and silverware rather than disposable tableware for Café Moraine diners.

Moraine Valley’s Sustainability Center also encourages all members of the college community to take action to “reduce, recycle, and reuse.”  Empty chip bags, markers, Sharpie pens and cell phones are only a few of the items that are being collected for recycling, and recycling bins for paper and plastic products are conveniently located across the campus. The Cy-Rides carpooling program also makes it easier and more energy efficient to get to campus for classes.

The Sustainability Center also supports a focus on green jobs training and initiatives to assist local businesses through the college’s Corporate, Community and Continuing Education subdivision. Green curriculum classes examine a variety of topics from green savings for home or business to energy efficient kitchens.  Spring classes focus on solar and wind markets, building a green business, and sustainable leadership training.

For college and community members, Moraine Valley’s library hosts a “Green Today, Green Tomorrow” blog that provides educational information and links to articles that promote sustainability. Written by Sustainability Manager Stephenie Presseller, the blog covers topics as diverse as green jobs in the arts, local “green” events, and legislative issues. The blog can be accessed at http://ext.morainevalley.edu/green/.

For more information about sustainability or the college’s Green Team, email sustainability@morainevalley.edu.

Every so often an opportunity of a lifetime comes along.

Thanks to some very caring people, Kathy Kelly is pursuing her dream of becoming a history teacher. “My husband knew I wasn’t happy in my job—that I really wanted to be a teacher. He told me to quit and go back to school. It wasn’t something we could afford, but he said he would make it work,” Kathy said.

Kathy was ecstatic to be named a recipient of the Moraine Valley Foundation’s Alumni Scholarship.  “Getting that letter saying I got the scholarship, well, it meant that somebody cared about me. If I could, I would hug each and every person who contributes to those scholarships,” she said. “I was on the other side of the fence. I saw how limited you are when you don’t have a degree and how far you can go when you do.”

Seeking a new job or considering a career change? Alumni and community members are invited to take advantage of low-cost evening workshops sponsored by the Job Resource Center. The two-hour workshops start at 6:30 p.m. and are priced at $15.

Job Search Techniques – Learn more about targeting and researching employers and preparing for salary negotiation, as well as informational interviewing and networking methods.

Wednesday, Feb. 15, or Thursday, April 12

Developing a High Impact Resume and Cover Letter – Includes resume formats, components and skill statements to describe qualifications.

Monday, March 9  

Successful Interviewing Strategies – Focuses on both interview prep, actual interview and follow-up.

To register, use MVConnect at www.morainevalley.edu or call the Registration Office at (708) 974-2110.

Visitors to the Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery will enjoy a series of spring exhibits that feature a wide variety of professional and student art works. Exhibits are available for viewing Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and during most Fine and Performing Arts Center performances.

British artist Alex Hibbit’s Neither Landscape Nor Architectue (Feb. 13-March 8) features mixed media room-scapes that combine smooth ceramic surfaces and painted surfaces and the use of light and Plexiglas to explore the relationships among handmade art and craft and the contemporary digital world.
The 28th Annual High School Art Exhibition (March 13-21) is a popular annual showcase of the artwork of area high school students from Victor J. Andrew, Argo Community, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Alan B. Shepard, Chicago Christian, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Carl Sandburg, Harold L. Richards, Evergreen Park Community, Oak Lawn Community, and Reavis high schools.
Inside the Fence (March 29-April 26) is a site-specific installation by Canadian-born artist Lynn Richardson, will feature large construction blockades that hover gracefully above the gallery floor, and caution lights that will illuminate the space. The installation is activated by the motion of visitors walking through the space and responds through light and sound. It has been engineered so that it responds only when human interaction is taking place. Without it, it lies dormant, conserving its energy.

For more information, visit morainevalley.edu/fpac/Season/gallery_2012.htm.

Sue Linn, Executive Director  ●  Kari Pantol, Assistant Director 
Christine Bennett, Coordinator

9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills, IL 60465-2478
(708) 974-5740  
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