The College of Central Florida has earned Tree Campus Higher Education recognition for its dedication to campus forestry management and environmental stewardship. This is the 13th year that CF has been recognized.

Tree Campus Higher Education is a national program of the Arbor Day Foundation that honors colleges, universities and their leaders for promoting healthy management of their campus forests and for engaging the community in environmental stewardship.

“Trees not only play a vital role in the environment but also in our daily lives,” said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Having trees on college and university campuses is a great way to show a commitment to students and faculty’s overall well-being.”

CF met the five core standards of tree care and community engagement: establishing a campus tree advisory committee; providing a campus tree-care plan; dedicating annual expenditures on the campus tree-care plan; participating in an Arbor Day observance; and instituting a service-learning project to engage students.

“Trees on campus provide shaded green areas for studying and gathering, improving students’ mental and cognitive health and creating an appealing aesthetic,” said Elena Amesbury, CF associate professor of biological sciences. “Trees help lower energy costs and provide cleaner air and water.”

The Arbor Day Foundation launched the Tree Campus Higher Education program in 2008 and continues to honor colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and engaging students and staff in conservation goals. Currently, there are 393 campuses across the United States with this recognition.

To learn more about the Tree Campus Higher Education program, visit treecampushighered.org. For more information about CF, visit www.CF.edu.

The Friday Talks Business Advancement Series, a program of the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership and the College of Central Florida, will feature CF’s Lisandra Sorrentino, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC, on May 27, presenting “Supporting Breastfeeding Mothers in the Workplace.”

“Mothers are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. labor force,” Sorrentino said. “As we celebrate mothers and their many roles during the month of May, it is important to discuss how we can support and encourage breastfeeding in the workplace.” Her talk will focus on breastfeeding basics, laws and regulations, as well as strategies for encouraging and supporting breastfeeding throughout our community.

Attend in person at the CF Hampton Center, 1501 W. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, or virtually at Facebook.com/OcalaCEP. The in-person event will begin with a continental breakfast at 8:15 a.m. and the presentation will begin at 8:30 a.m. RSVP to andrea@ocalacep.com.

For more information about CF, visit CF.edu. For more information about the Ocala CEP, visit ocalacep.com.

Local parents attending the College of Central Florida may receive extra support in their pursuit of higher education, thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Edward K. Roberts Community College Fund and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.

The grant funds will support parents who are attending college part time. A portion of the funds will be designated for parents of students at College Park Elementary School as part of CF’s partnership with Marion County Public Schools and College Park Elementary, a Community Partnership School™. This is the third year the CF Foundation has received this grant to assist college students.

“In past years, College of Central Florida staff and students have worked with College Park Elementary School staff and other core partners to help meet students’ basic needs such as food and clothing. We then began to work to help expand student learning,” said Dr. Jennifer Fryns, CF associate vice president for Career and Professional Programs. “This approach takes our partnership to a new level. By matching CF’s core mission of providing a high-quality education aligned with work to the training needs of parents and caregivers of College Park Elementary School students, we’re helping them to have every opportunity to succeed in life.”

CF students enrolled in any college credit program who are parents of College Park students may apply for a maximum award of $2,500 per year. There are a limited number of scholarships available and other eligibility criteria may apply. Applicants should contact Caron Reid at 352-291-4057, ext. 51347.

College Park Elementary is located in the southwest quadrant of Ocala with close proximity to the College of Central Florida and major commercial and retail industry and has a majority underserved and at-risk school population. In 2019, the school was selected to become Marion County’s first and only Community Partnership School™, which promotes a model that rallies multiple community partners to work toward improving not only student learning gains but simultaneously improving students’ living conditions, health and wellness, and the health and wellness of their families. This program has a core group of invested community partners, including pillar partners Marion County Public Schools, Ocala Health, Public Education Foundation of Marion County, United Way of Marion County and University of Central Florida. College Park has had additional support from College of Central Florida, Meadowbrook Church, Marion County Literacy Council and NAACP.

For more information about how the CF Foundation supports college students, visit CF.edu/Foundation.

The College of Central Florida invites anyone thinking about college to an open house on Thursday, June 2, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at the CF 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 receive assistance with the application process, financial aid, placement testing, academic advising and registration.

Everyone who completes an admissions application at the event will have the $30 admissions fee waived and will be entered to win free tuition for a 3-credit-hour class at CF’s standard tuition rate for the fall semester.

For more information, visit www.CF.edu/openhouse.

The College of Central Florida celebrated spring commencement April 29 with more than 5,000 graduates, family members and friends at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala.

The students represented 508 college credit certificates, 216 Associate in Science degrees, 559 Associate in Arts, and 124 bachelor’s degrees earned in spring and summer semesters.

“We are always excited to invite CF spring and summer graduates and their loved ones to celebrate their success,” said Dr. Saul Reyes, vice president of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs. “It’s an opportunity to honor our students’ hard work and share their stories with our community.”

The CF Foundation’s Distinguished Alumni Award was presented to Dr. Jennifer Sumner, assistant vice provost for Academic and Student Digital Initiatives in the Division of Digital Learning at the University of Central Florida. The speaker was student Brian Stoothoff, retired City of Ocala assistant fire chief, who earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Business and Organizational Management.

A video of the ceremony can be viewed on the CF YouTube channel at https://bit.ly/39wfuJt.

For more information about CF, visit www.CF.edu.

The College of Central Florida has added a new bachelor’s degree option, the Bachelor of Applied Science in Business and Organizational Management – Human Resources Management Specialization. Classes will begin this fall.

“The Human Resources Management Specialization will prepare students to work in the ever-growing field of human resource professionals,” said Nancy Abshier, CF professor, program chair for the Bachelor of Applied Science in Business and Organizational Management degree and program manager for Office Administration. “Job opportunities in this area include HR generalists, compensation and benefits analysts, trainers, HR business partners, success planners and corporate recruiters.”

With the addition of the new human resources specialization, CF students can select from nine bachelor’s degree specializations in business and technology.

For more details about CF’s Bachelor of Applied Science in Business and Organizational Management degrees, visit CF.edu/BAS.

The College of Central Florida invites anyone who wants to attend college to an all-in-one enrollment event at the Ocala Campus. On Saturday, June 11, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., new students can complete the enrollment process – from the admissions application to financial aid to academic advising – all in one day.

“This event puts you on the fast track to enrolling in college,” said Dr. Raphel Robinson, CF director of admissions and student recruitment. “You can get everything you need to start classes this fall.”

The event will take place on the center lawn at the Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road. Attendees can take a campus tour, apply for admission and financial aid, meet with an academic advisor and register for classes. Lunch will be provided and the $30 application fee will be waived for event participants. Giveaways will include a chance to win free tuition for a three-credit-hour class this fall at the in-state rate.

Registration at CF.edu/Express is highly encouraged.

For more information, call 352-873-5800, ext. 1379.

Three members of the College of Central Florida’s STEM Club are headed to Arlington, Virginia, as finalists in the 2022 Community College Innovation Challenge.

Justin Bowen, Frankelly Guzman and Andrew Slaughter created a True Wireless Echocardiogram for the national competition led by the American Association of Community Colleges in partnership with the National Science Foundation. Teams use science, technology, engineering and math to innovate solutions to real-world problems. Finalists will participate in the Innovation Boot Camp in June, competing for cash awards.

“Our team recognized that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States,” said CF STEM Club advisor Dr. Jose Toro-Clarke. “Identifying that one out of every four deaths is caused by heart disease, the students determined that making diagnostic testing readily available for patients could reduce the chances of cardiac arrest. With an increased chance of cardiac failure due to COVID-19 exposure, it is even more essential to find ways to test patients’ heart rhythms safely. Our team tackled this problem by creating a True Wireless ECG device that patients can take home to monitor their cardiac health without the need for a health care professional by their side.”

At the boot camp, the students will have access to professional development, mentoring and coaching designed to build strategic communication and entrepreneurial skills to help them advance their innovations in both the private and public sectors. They will take part in a poster session and engagement opportunity with STEM leaders and Congressional stakeholders and will give a pitch presentation to a panel of industry and entrepreneurial professionals.

For more information about the Innovation Challenge, visit www.aaccinnovationchallenge.com. For more information about College of Central Florida programs, visit CF.edu.