Ancilla Nursing Program Receives New Training Manikin

Thanks to a generous donation, the Nursing Program at Ancilla was able to add a new “Juno training manikin” to their equipment.

Nursing students were previously using an outdated model called ‘iStan’ that is several years old. In a press release provided by Ancilla, officials noted that while iStan was a good educational tool, Juno is a state of the art simulation manikin that offers various features that iStan did not have. Continue reading

Ancilla College President Dr. Ken Zirkle Announces Retirement, Board Appoints Replacement

Dr. Ken Zirkle, who has served as the president of Ancilla College for the past four years, has announced his retirement, effective Monday, May 14th.

During his time an Ancilla, the college saw a lot of growth. Two new residence halls and a student life center were built on campus and a few new programs were added including the Autism Program at Ancilla and the culinary arts and agriculture programs. Continue reading

Red Cross Blood Mobile will be at Culver Middle/High School Thursday + Additional January Opportunities

The Red Cross Blood Mobile will be stationed at Culver Middle/High School from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 11th.

If you’re unable to attend Thursday’s blood drive, or if you wish to make multiple donations in January, there are a few other local opportunities available this month.

The Red Cross has a blood drive scheduled at the Community Wellness Center of Winamac, formerly the Pulaski County YMCA, from 12:30 p.m. until 6 p.m. ET on Friday, January 12th. Continue reading

Start off 2018 by Strengthening Employee Skills with this Ancilla College Training Program

Last year, the Marshall County Economic Development Corporation, the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and Ancilla College worked in conjunction with local businesses to launch the Ancilla College Management and Leadership Training program.The program has continued into this year to continue developing the skills of our community’s team leaders.

After conducting interviews with local employers and finding that many of them were seeking more opportunities for management training, the program was created as a way to strengthen the existing workforce. Continue reading

Community Provides Input to Senator Donnelly at Ancilla Farm Bill Listening Session

On Friday, Senator Joe Donnelly visited the Ancilla College campus to hold a listening session over the farm bill that is currently being written. Before Donnelly talked with group gathered in Cana Hall about business, he got comfortable by removing his tie and greeting individuals in the crowd.

Ancilla President Kenneth Zirkle began the event by briefly discussing the agriculture program at the college, stating that when they started two and half years ago they only had three individuals involved, now that number is up to nearly 50 agriculture students.

Agriculture director Tim McLochlin introduced the senator, but first he acknowledged all the community members who help make Ancilla’s agriculture program so immersive and impactful.

During the session, various individuals voiced their concerns about the needs of the agriculture community. One individual spoke about how the current farm bill does little to help the dairy industry and suggested that more needs to be done with supply and control management. Many people spoke about the importance of family-run farms and asked Senator Donnelly to build the bill with generational farms in mind. Continue reading

Senator Donnelly to Talk Future Farm Bill at Ancilla Tomorrow

Photo: Lauren Chapman – Indiana Public Media

This Friday, Senator Joe Donnelly will hold a farm bill listening session beginning in Cana Hall on the Ancilla College campus.

Senator Donnelly is a member of the US Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. The current farm bill is scheduled to expire next year so Donnelly is seeking public input about agricultural matters, specifically farm policy issues that are integral to consider when the new farm bill is being written. Continue reading

Here/Hear is Bringing Their Mental Illness and Mental Health Initiative to Ancilla College

Here/Hear is a nonprofit organization, based out of Plymouth, which works with a number of initiatives in order to help with mental illness. This week, the director of the organization Dr. Nate Crawford will be delivering his lecture, “Taking Care of Me: Tips for Living Well” as a part of The Lampen Lecture series at Ancilla College.

The Lampen Lecture series was named for Ancilla’s first president Sr. Joel Lampen and though it is sponsored by the college and the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, residents of surrounding communities are encouraged to attend the free lecture series any time.

On Thursday, October 19th Dr. Crawford will be speaking in Cana Hall at 12:45 p.m. (EDT). His organization creates content for the web that helps people navigate the issues surrounding mental illness and they speak with students and parents about the affliction. Their mission statement says that they believe music and the arts provide a great way to engage people in conversations about mental illness and mental health.

Knox High School to Host Financial Aid Night

Help will be available to senior students, parents or guardians in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in a special financial aid informational night.

Kelly Manning from Ancilla College will explain the financial aid process and give information on the FAFSA form which will be available on Oct. 1. Manning will field questions after the presentation, they are equipped with the audio visual systems for school, so hopefully the event goes well. Time will be available to begin work on the FAFSA form online.

Continue reading

Ancilla College Helps to Develop Management & Leadership Training Program

When Marshall County employers were recently interviewed on workforce development issues, it was discovered that training is one of the biggest needs for workers in the area. To help alleviate this problem, the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, Ancilla College and the Marshall County Economic Development Corporation are teaming up with local businesses to launch the Ancilla College Management and Leadership Training program such as Six Sigma Master Black Belt. Continue reading

Ancilla College Introduces APAC Program

An open house and ribbon cutting ceremony was held Tuesday morning to usher in a new chapter to the array of specialized programs that Ancilla College offers its students. The Autism Program at Ancilla College (APAC) will help students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to build social and workplace skills along with academic and real-world knowledge.

Students with ASD may have superior intellectual ability but are challenged in social situations or have a communication gap. The APAC will allow growth in these aspects as the students gather skills in their post-secondary education.

Continue reading