By Michelle Jenck, Tillamook County Wellness Coordinator
“It is widely recognized that education influences health outcomes and community well-being.” So begins the introductory statement from a recent National Academy of Sciences workshop linking school success with improvements in public health. As our kids head back to school, it is important to remember that education is not just for young children and teens. Lifelong learning and continuing education are tied to better health and quality of life at every age. And, it doesn’t require a four-year degree to experience the benefits of continued learning.
We are very fortunate to have Tillamook Bay Community College right here in Tillamook County, providing affordable, accessible continuing education opportunities in fields that are relevant to our local economy. In collaboration with TBCC, we are sharing the following message from TBCC President, Dr. Ross Tomlin, to highlight these amazing, local opportunities for personal and professional development. If you, or someone you know, are ready to take the next step on your wellness journey, consider a visit to TBCC to explore how they can help you achieve your goals.
Reprinted with permission from the TBCC 2019 Fall Schedule of Classes
All of us here at the college are excited for the upcoming fall activities, and to have students back on campus. TBCC will have a lot of new program opportunities this year, including our new Welding program. This includes a full degree and certificate. There are also new Associate of Science degree programs in Agriculture, Animal Science and Natural Resources that join the AS degree program in Forestry which began last year. These degrees can prepare you to transfer to Oregon State University in their related Bachelor of Science degree programs. There is also a new certificate in Office Supervision within our online Business program, and a new Occupational Skills Training certificate with the Associate of General Science degree program. For any of these programs, reach out to our outstanding group of advisors located in Student Services. They can provide guidance on how to sign up for courses in any of the programs and develop a Career Education Plan that can help you achieve a degree on your schedule.
We are starting our third year of the Career-to-Career Scholarship program that focuses on people in Tillamook County that have been out of high school or have not taken college classes for at least 5 years but want to attend college. We had our first eight Career-to-Career graduates this past June and they all did very well; several are going on to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree. If you think you might be qualified, please check in with student services to apply. In addition, we will be offering several other scholarships using our new online platform. Please take advantage of these opportunities to get some resources to help you with college costs. There is a lot of money available to help you get the education you need to get a good paying career. You just need to seek it out by talking to our knowledgeable staff.
TBCC is joining a statewide community college movement called Guided Pathways. This will help us develop even better ways to help students get on a pathway toward a career, help them stay on the pathway and achieve a completion, whether that is a certificate or Career Technical degree in order to get a good job right out of TBCC, or to transfer on to a university for a Bachelor’s Degree. We are looking forward to enhancing these services to students over the coming year. Fall Term registration is open now – online registration information at www.tillamookbaycc.eduwww.tillamookbaycc.eduwww.tillamookbaycc.edu through September 22nd and classes start on September 23rd.
For more local health and wellness information, follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit us at tillamookcountyhealthmatters.org.
