Thomas Murphy, chair of the anthropology department at Edmonds Community College, was selected for the Washington Association of Conservation Districts’ Conservation Teacher of the Year Award.
He will now be considered for the National Association of Conservation Districts award.
Murphy founded the Learn and Serve Environmental Anthropology Field School in 2006 and the Center for Service-Learning in 2007 and has helped produce an annual powwow at EdCC for the past 12 years.
In 2008, he received the Excellence in Education award from the college’s trustees.
The LEAF School partners with tribes, governments, nonprofits, businesses and educational institutions to get students involved hands-on in service-learning projects that help to make communities more sustainable.
Murphy’s students have played key roles in a wide variety of service-learning projects, including the design and installation of an ethnobotanical garden at the city of Lynnwood’s Gold Park and an assessment of possible sources of flame retardant contamination at Brackett’s Landing in Edmonds.
“Students need an opportunity for high-quality, meaningful hands-on educational experiences in the outdoors,” Murphy said in a college press release.
Murphy has a doctorate in anthropology from the University of Washington.
Lynnwood girls in perennial ‘Nutcracker’
Two Lynnwood girls are among the young dancers involved in Pacific Northwest Ballet’s “Nutcracker,” playing Nov. 25-Dec. 27 at McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer St., Seattle.
Lily Kotovic, a fifth-grader at Martha Lake Elementary School, plays the role of Prologue Pirlipat. Abigail Opper, a sixth-grade homeschooler, is part of the Infantry.
For more information and tickets, go to www.pnb.org.
Holly House seeks donations
The all-volunteer Holly House program, run under the umbrella of the nonprofit Fabric for Life Foundation, is seeking donations for its annual Christmas “shopping” event for low-income families in the Edmonds School District.
During 2010, Holly House provided Christmas presents to 1,607 low-income children in South County. This year the group hopes to increase the number of students it helps.
Donations of stocking stuffers, gifts for teens and necessities such as underwear, socks and coats can be dropped off by Dec. 6 at Fabric of Life Boutique, 523 Main St., Edmonds. Financial donations are especially needed and are tax-deductible through the Fabric of Life Foundation.
Volunteers also are needed to help set up for the Dec. 18 shopping event for parents. Contact Pam Martinez at pjkringle@comcast.net or 425-673-0526 for more information.
EdCC wins Campus Compact funding
Edmonds Community College has been awarded three-year funding from Campus Compact, a Boston-based nonprofit, to launch Connect2Complete, a pilot program that will help community college students remain in school to graduation.
Big Bend and Green River community colleges also share in the grant. The grant also is funding C2C pilots at community colleges in Florida and Ohio.
Campus Compact has received funding from the Bill &Melinda Gates Foundation to launch C2C, which will rely on “peer advocates” to help at-risk students complete course work and ultimately graduate. Nationally, only 40 percent of community college students complete their programs of study.
At EdCC, the C2C initiative will be led by anthropology instructor and Learn and Serve Environmental Anthropology Field School founder Thomas Murphy.
“Our goal is to develop a model we can replicate throughout Washington and then, hopefully, our nation that is cost-effective and improves student success at our college,” college President Jean Hernandez said in a press release.
Learn more at www.edcc.edu/servicelearning.
SmileMobile is coming
The SmileMobile will be at Cedar Valley Community School, 19200 56th Ave. W, Lynnwood, from Dec. 5-16, giving qualifying children low-cost dental care.
Registration for appointments is being taken now; call 425-431-7390. Students must be seen and assessed for needed services before they can make an appointment for treatment. Registration days are from 12:45-3 p.m. Dec. 5, 8:45 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec. 6 and 8:45-11 a.m. Dec. 7.
The SmileMobile treats children from birth through high school who are from families with incomes less than 200 percent of the federal poverty line ($30,000 for a family of four) and who do not otherwise have access to dental care. Medicaid is accepted (bring your coupon); those without insurance will be billed on a sliding fee schedule.
Volunteers needed
The Edmonds-Woodway High School PTO is seeking volunteers to work with students one-on-one in a variety of subjects, including algebra, geometry, Spanish, Chinese, marketing, chemistry, biology and physical science.
Volunteer program hours are 2-5 p.m. weekdays in the library on the campus at 7600 212th St. SW, Edmonds. Volunteers choose how often to participate.
For more information, email programs@achievement4edmonds.org.
SCC students learn how to speak out on cuts
A “Teach-in and Speak-out” event was held Nov. 16 at Shoreline Community College to raise awareness of state budget cuts to higher education and train students on how to speak out on the issue.
Shoreline Mayor Keith McGlashan was among the speakers, as was Madeleine McKenna, a former University of Washington student body president, who represented her father and GOP gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna.
Students from colleges across the state plan to protest cuts in Olympia on Nov. 28.
SCC workshops at the teach-in focused on crafting an advocacy speech, addressing social justice issues, budget impacts on English as a Second Language programs, and writing political action messages.
“The advocacy workshops we are holding were designed to prepare us and our fellow students to advocate for college funding effectively in Olympia,” said Kanpong Thaweesuk, president of SCC’s Student Body Association, in a college press release.
Learn more at www.shoreline.edu/sba/budgetcut or www.facebook.com/shorelineSBA.
MHS seeks volunteers for annual auction
Meadowdale High School sports boosters seek volunteers and donations for their annual auction to be held March 24.
This year’s goal is to raise $50,000 to support the high school’s 19 athletic programs. The fiesta-themed “Viva Los Mavericks” event will be held at 5 p.m. at Harbor Square Athletic Club, 160 W Dayton St., Edmonds.
To volunteer, contact auction co-chairs Shelly Crosby at 206-276-9143 or Tami O’Brien at 206-310-1473.
Auction items can be donated at www.gomavs.org or call Crosby or O’Brien for a procurement form.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
