NATALIE COOPER SELECTED TO ATTEND WASHINGTON DC EVENT

Madisonville Community College (MCC) Professor Natalie Cooper will be representing MCC, the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS), and the community at the Sixth Annual President s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge National Gathering on September 22-23 at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC.

When notified of her selection, Ms. Cooper shared, I am so excited for this opportunity to represent Madisonville Community College, the community and KCTCS at the President s Interfaith Community Service Campus Challenge National Gathering. Participating in this gathering will not only allow me to enhance instruction to students in the Human Services program but will also provide me with information to share with my colleagues about how we can work together on our campuses and as a system to collaborate with our faith-based institutions to give service to our communities. Providing students with service learning opportunities will enrich the learning experience while strengthening our community.

A national initiative launched by President Obama in 2011, the Gathering offers an opportunity for students, staff, and administrators to share experiences, learn from experts, and meet Obama Administration officials who share a commitment to community service with an interfaith engagement component. The event is designed to be helpful for institutions of higher education that are just beginning programs in interfaith community service and for those with long traditions in this work. An important part of the program is celebrating the work happening on campuses across the country to provide students with opportunities to develop lifelong skills in interfaith cooperation and a commitment to community service.

Cooper, a professor in the college s Human Services program and chair of the Social Sciences Division, was nominated by Interim MCC President Dr. Deborah Cox and selected by KCTCS President Dr. Jay Box. We couldn t be happier with Ms. Cooper s selection to participate in President Obama s 2016 Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge. This is an important initiative for colleges around the country to develop a cooperative ethic of service in our graduates and to help them understand that they are an integral part of contributing to the common good. For Madisonville Community College and the community to be represented by Ms. Cooper at the event in September is quite an honor, stated Cox.