The College of Central Florida has been selected as an education partner for Amazon’s Career Choice program, providing Amazon’s hourly employees access to all 170 of CF’s degree and certificate programs.

Amazon’s Career Choice program is an education benefit that empowers employees to learn new skills for career success at Amazon or elsewhere. The program meets individual learners where they are on their education journey through a variety of education and upskilling opportunities including prepaid college tuition, industry certifications designed to lead to in-demand jobs, and foundational skills such as English language proficiency, high school diplomas and GED diplomas. In the U.S., the company is investing $1.2 billion to upskill more than 300,000 employees by 2025 to help move them into higher paying, in-demand jobs.

“We’re committed to preparing students for success in their careers, and this partnership is going to make that process more affordable and accessible for even more students in our community,” said Dr. Jennifer Fryns, CF vice president for Workforce Development and Innovation. “Whether students are interested in logistics, marketing, engineering or another field altogether, there are opportunities for them here.”

At CF, students can upskill with a short-term certificate, earn an Associate in Arts degree for university transfer, learn specialized workplace skills with a two-year Associate in Science degree, or pursue a four-year bachelor’s degree. CF’s Associate in Science in Supply Chain Management is expressly designed for logistics and supply chain employers such as Amazon. Night, weekend and online classes are offered to provide class options for students needing flexible schedules. With a wealth of student services, small class sizes and award-winning faculty, students at CF are supported every step of their education and beyond.

Amazon’s Career Choice program has a rigorous selection process for third-party partner educators, choosing partners that are focused on helping employees through their education programs, assisting them with job placements, and overall offering education that leads to career success.

“We’re looking forward to CF coming on board as an education partner for Career Choice, adding to the hundreds of best-in-class offerings available to our employees,” said Tammy Thieman, director of Career Development Programs at Amazon. “We’re committed to empowering our employees by providing them access to the education and training they need to grow their careers, whether that’s with us or elsewhere. We have intentionally created a partner network of third-party educators and employers committed to providing excellent education, job placement resources, and continuous improvements to the experience. Today, over 130,000 Amazon employees around the world have participated in Career Choice and we’ve seen firsthand how it can transform their lives.”

For more information on Amazon’s Career Choice, visit: https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/career-choice or CF.edu/CareerChoice.

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

 

The College of Central Florida Webber Gallery presents the “52^nd Annual Florida Watercolor Society Exhibition” on view Sept. 25-Oct. 26. Visitors will see a diverse array of both traditional and experimental designs created with water-soluble media on materials from paper to clay-coated surfaces to illustration board.

More than 500 works were submitted by skilled artists affiliated with the Florida Watercolor Society, and 79 were selected and will be judged by Andy Evansen, a watercolor painter and signature member of the American Watercolor Society since 2015. Evansen was featured on the cover of American Artist Magazine in 2005 after winning its international watercolor competition. He has taught national and international workshops and is a longtime signature member of the Transparent Watercolor Society of America, Red River Watercolor Society, Northwest Watercolor Society and Plein Art Painters of America, as well as a member of the Salmagundi Club and California Art Club.

“Jurying a large watercolor society’s annual exhibition is always enjoyable because of the variety and skill level, and this year’s Florida Watercolor Society entrants didn’t disappoint,” Evansen said. “Watercolor is an incredibly diverse medium, and I want the public to see that when viewing the exhibition. I love original, thought-provoking works, and I often find myself asking, ‘How did the artist do that?’ or ‘What was this artist trying to say?’ and I hope the paintings selected elicit the same response from viewers.”

The community is invited to an opening reception on Friday, Sept. 29, 6-8 p.m. Webber Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and admission is free. The Webber Gallery is located at the CF Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road. For more information, visit CF.edu/Webber or call 352-854-2322, ext. 1664.

 

The Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, offers free admission on the first Saturday of each month with the popular Free First Saturday series.

The next Free First Saturday is Aug. 5. From 10 a.m.-5 p.m., visitors can enjoy free admission to see several recently opened exhibitions, including “The Unscene South: Charles Eady Revisits History.” At 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Eady will give free tours of his solo exhibition, featuring more than 20 mixed-media works that explore the history of free Blacks in the South prior to the Emancipation Proclamation. Learn directly from the artist with the opportunity to ask questions. Tours are free and will meet in the exhibition on the second floor.

Other special exhibitions on view include “Eternal Summer: Works from the Permanent Collection” and “Caught Up in History and Captured on Film: Randy Batista’s Photographs of Florida and Cuba.” Scuba Steve’s Snack Shack food truck will be on-site throughout the day.

The Appleton Museum, Artspace and Store are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. A campus of the College of Central Florida, the Appleton Museum of Art is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, east of downtown on SR 40 (exit 352 east off I-75 or exit 268 west off I-95). Parking is free. For more information, call 352-291-4455 or visit AppletonMuseum.org.

 

The College of Central Florida invites anyone thinking about college to an open house on Thursday, July 27, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Charles S. Dean Sr. Educational Center at the CF Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus, 3800 S. Lecanto Highway, Lecanto.

Future students are encouraged to tour the campus and learn about more than 150 academic pathways, including 70 job-training programs. Attendees can get help with admission and financial aid and register for the fall semester, which begins Aug. 14.

Everyone who completes an admissions application at the event will have the $30 fee waived and will receive a CF T-shirt.

Attendees are encouraged to register at www.CF.edu/OpenHouse. For more information, call 352-746-6721, ext. 6179.

The College of Central Florida invites anyone thinking about college to an open house on Thursday, July 20, from 2-5 p.m. at the CF Jack Wilkinson Levy Campus, 15390 N.W. Highway 19, Chiefland.

Future students are encouraged to tour the campus and learn about more than 150 academic pathways, including 70 job-training programs. Attendees can get help with admission and financial aid and register for the fall semester, which begins Aug. 14.

Everyone who completes an admissions application at the event will have the $30 fee waived and will receive a CF T-shirt.

Attendees are encouraged to register at www.CF.edu/OpenHouse. For more information, call 352-658-4077, ext. 2118.

The College of Central Florida invites anyone thinking about college to an open house on Wednesday, July 19, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., at the CF Ocala Campus Ewers Century Center, 3001 S.W. College Road, Ocala.

Future students are encouraged to tour the campus and learn about more than 150 academic pathways, including 70 job-training programs. Attendees can get help with admission and financial aid for the fall semester, which begins Aug. 14.

Everyone who completes an admissions application at the event will have the $30 fee waived.

A virtual open house will also be offered on Wednesday, Aug. 2, from 10-11:30 a.m. on Zoom.

Attendees are encouraged to register at www.CF.edu/OpenHouse. For more information, call 352-873-5800, ext. 1379.

The College of Central Florida Webber Gallery presents “The Gap Between Art and Life” on view Aug. 7-Sept. 7. This exhibition is the Webber Gallery’s inaugural competitive exhibition of installation art.

After reviewing 89 submitted entries, the jury panel selected eight diverse artworks by four different artists that will allow visitors to interact with the gallery space in new and unique ways. The jury panel was made up of Leslie Hammond, president of Artistic Eye Fine Art Services, and Victoria Billig, assistant director of the Appleton Museum of Art.

“It was an honor to be on the selection committee for the Webber Gallery’s first biennial of installation art,” Billig said. “As a medium that is generally represented less in museums and galleries, particularly in our region, “The Gap Between Art and Life” shines a light on captivating, immersive works of art created by installation artists from across the United States.”

An opening reception will be held Friday, Aug. 25, 5-7 p.m. Webber Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and admission is free. The Webber Gallery is located at the CF Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road. For more information, visit www.CF.edu/Webber or call 352-854-2322, ext. 1664.

The Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, invites the community to participate in the ninth annual Mobile Photography Contest and Exhibition. Any photo captured on a mobile device is eligible, and entries will be accepted July 1-31.

The Appleton’s annual contest features new categories to inspire both novice and experienced mobile photographers. Submissions will be juried by Jenny Eggers of Jenny E. Photography. Prizes will be awarded in each category and all entries will be on view in an exhibition at the Appleton from Aug. 22-Sept. 24. This contest is open to all ages. No experience is necessary and there is no fee to enter. Participants may submit one photo in each category.

Categories and Instructions

Summer Scenes

What does summer look like to you? From ice-cold watermelon to stormy or sunny landscapes, send us your favorite summer-inspired snapshot.

 

My Kid Took That

Let the little ones in your life take the lead in this category! Show us their best or silliest mobile photo. Selfies are allowed!

 

Patterns

Polka dots, plaids, stripes, chevron and more — show us how patterns have inspired your photography. Don’t be afraid to get creative!

 

Light and Shadow

Light can illuminate a subject or create shadows to communicate a mood — scary, striking or otherwise. Show us how light and/or shadow has inspired your mobile photography.

 

Entries must be taken with a mobile device (mobile phone or tablet); photos taken with film or digital cameras will not be accepted.

 From July 1-31, email photos to AppletonMuseum@cf.edu; include the category in the subject line and your full name in the body of the email. Photos must be sent via email. Entries submitted by mail or through Facebook or other social media will not be accepted.

Submitting to more than one category? Please send separate emails for each category. And remember, only one photo per category will be accepted.

Entries will be juried, and winning photos will be selected based on creativity, quality, responsiveness to the category and overall impact. Winners will be notified before announcements are made on social media. All entries will be printed and displayed in the museum. For ease of printing, photos will be cropped by the Appleton to 4 x 4 in. or 4 x 6 in.; no guarantees for special printing of panoramas.

Prizes will be shipped or available for pickup at the museum. Winners must provide a U.S. shipping address to request the prize by mail.

 Exhibition Dates: Aug. 22-Sept. 24, 2023

Regular museum admission fees apply to see this exhibition. Admission is free on Sept. 2 as part of the monthly Free First Saturday program.

 The Appleton Museum, Artspace and Store are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. A campus of the College of Central Florida, the Appleton Museum of Art is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, east of downtown on SR 40 (exit 352 east off I-75 or exit 268 west off I-95). Parking is free. For more information, call 352-291-4455 or visit AppletonMuseum.org.