Largest Phi Theta Kappa Induction for GCC

On Tuesday, April 26, PTK held its Induction Ceremony. This year PTK doubled its membership going from 100 to 200 members. Also despite the challenges of the pandemic, this chapter reached the highest level of student achievement and engagement for this academic year, taking home 3rd place for their Honors in Action research project at this year’s regional spring conference. All doing so operating in an almost entirely virtual format for the entire academic year. Congratulations to Gateway's newest Phi Theta Kappan's and all Golden Apple Award recipients. And thank you, student officers and PTK advisors for your tireless work, leadership, and commitment to our 5-star chapter.

Options for Health Career Training

Many people see value in entering the healthcare field due to the large number of job openings or the rewarding nature of the work.

For those considering the field, there are a variety of options available not requiring a two or four-year degree. Gateway Community College (GCC) offers numerous certificate programs through the office of Workforce Development & Continuing Education. Current certificate offerings at Gateway include Certified Nurse Aide (C.N.A.) and Advanced Certified Nurse Aide, Central Sterile Supply, Community Health Worker, Medical Office Assistant, Patient Care Technician, and Pharmacy Technician.

Since fall 2020, 50 students have completed GCC’s C.N.A. program. The program attracts a diverse mix of students; some are completing their C.N.A. training on their way to becoming a registered nurse, others are pivoting into healthcare later in their careers.

Students can complete the C.N.A. coursework in just six weeks, which includes 30 hours of clinical experience at a local nursing home facility. Most recently, students had the opportunity to train at Connecticut Hospice in Branford and Whitney Center in Hamden. The blended format includes an online component, making the C.N.A. certificate program accessible even to students who have experienced barriers preventing them from considering the training in the past. The shift to a blended format became necessary at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. For students, the change is welcome, allowing them to complete the first portion entirely online. Students move into a classroom equipped with mannequins to practice on and get hands-on experience, then to their clinical site. Students complete the program ready to fill job openings at a time when medical facilities have a tremendous need.

GCC’s Community Health Worker Certificate can be completed in 21-weeks, which includes a six-week internship. Students learn non-clinical health assessment, advising, service coordination planning, and client-centered counseling. Positions in the field are particularly well-suited to bi-lingual speakers.

Whether a recent high school graduate or someone who wants to make a mid-career shift to healthcare, GCC works with students who might not otherwise be able to afford training. The SNAP Education & Training (SNAP E&T) program is open to students receiving SNAP benefits and offers free training to those deemed eligible. An added benefit of the program is the case management and support services provided.

Many students facing unemployment and underemployment can also qualify for training dollars available through the American Job Center (AJC). The office of Workforce Development & Continuing Education regularly refers students expressing interest in healthcare programs and unaware of the training opportunities open to them.

Outside the SNAP E&T program and the partnership with AJC, Gateway looks for alternative paths to help students. To that end, Erika Lynch, director of Workforce Development & Continuing Education, is managing the CT Statewide Healthcare Industry Pathway (CT SHIP), a grant that benefits several of the healthcare programs. The grant project period runs through January 31, 2025 and is expected to train students in over nine healthcare programs.

For information about healthcare certificates offered through the Department of Workforce Development & Continuing Education, please call (203) 285-2300 or email .

Phi Theta Kappa, Alpha Xi Theta Chapter Awarded and Recognized

At the Phi Theta Kappa New England Regional Spring Conference on March 23, GCC's Alpha Xi Theta Chapter won 3rd place for their Honors in Actionresearch project. Additionally, Alpha Xi Theta was recognized as a 5-star chapter - meaning that they reached the highest level of student achievement and engagement for this academic year. This is especially notable given all of the officers were new members, having never participated in PTK before. Additionally, chapter advisors were either relatively or completely new and operated in an almost entirely virtual format for the entire academic year. All these challenges make these accomplishments even more significant.

Each year, Phi Theta Kappa students are given the opportunity to conduct an Honors in Action research project, which combines both academic research and service to the college community. PTK International provides a framework and a set of themes to guide the project – this year, under the heading “To the seventh generation: inheritance and legacy,” our chapter chose the theme “The heirs of our ways,” which asks the question “How do we acknowledge our inheritance and support children in ways that promote humanity’s greatest potential?” Beginning in September, our Honors in Action team met with Dr. Veselak to explore different topics under this theme and designed a qualitative research project investigating the experience of student-parents at Gateway Community College. Our team recognized that higher parental education can lead to advantages for children and exploring ways to enhance the student-parent experience was the team’s focus.

Led by Chapter President Mary Smith, the HIA team conducted a literature review, crafted an interview protocol, and interviewed 14 student-parents. Under Dr. Veselak’s guidance, the team then analyzed the interview data and presented a memo to campus leadership summarizing their findings. The chapter’s research indicates that student-parents are largely concerned with time – their lack of time to both complete school-related tasks and care for their family and children, as well as balance their other responsibilities. Many interviewees were grateful for online and other flexible course offerings and hoped for more of these options in the future. Meeting the needs of student-parents not only helps them succeed but also helps the next generation succeed.

The Early Learning Center Celebrates the Week of the Young Child

Every year the Early Learning Center (ELC) at Gateway Community College (GCC) celebrates The Week of the Young Child™ (WOYC) with many events for children and their families.

This year classrooms gathered with GCC Librarians, Martha Lipowski, and Lillian Maisfehlt, for The Little Read, a local event organized through the New Haven Early Childhood Council (NHECC). During The Little Read, the children read and talked about this year’s book, I Love Our Earth/ Amo Nuestra Tierra written by Bill Martin Jr. After each classroom reading, children were given a copy of the book to take home to share with their families.

The classrooms did many projects and activities that supported the WOYC themes; Music Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Work Together Wednesday, Artsy Thursday, and Family Friday, as well as language-based activities to coincide with the book, I Love Our Earth/ Amo Nuestra Tierra. The families also worked on a take-home project called “A Page from History” where they created a visual representation of their family culture. On Family Friday the children shared their creations at circle time which are now on display in the classrooms.

The Early Learning Center’s Annual Art Show was held from April 1st through the 22nd, allowing the children to share their artwork with the GCC community. The Opening was held on Wednesday, April 6th and children were able to journey upstairs to the third-floor student gallery where the paintings, drawings, and sculptures were on display. As always, visitors were invited to write down comments and words of encouragement in the guest book for the young artists to hear.

For questions about the Early Learning Center, please contact Sarah Chambers, Director or 203-285-2132.

Two Brave and Talented GCC Students Win at the CT Community College Elevator Pitch Competition

Congratulations to Justin Threet and Jose Villafane who were awarded cash prizes at the CT State Community College Elevator Pitch Competition on April 7.

Participants were expected to pitch and summarize the key points of their businesses in an engaging sixty-second presentation via zoom to a panel of judges. Students then fielded detailed questions about their businesses.

Justin and Jose are students of Professor Louise Brown's LRON BES 218 class. Professor Brown's evening class supported their fellow students and attended the virtual competition. This is not only a win for Justin and Jose but also for Professor Brown for engaging and motivating her students to participate. Congratulations to you all!