education

Learn Life Saving Procedure For Your Animal Friends

In the event of a medical emergency are you prepared, or qualified to administer a life saving practice to someone in need? What about if that someone isn’t a person, but a beloved pet?

Our friends at Country Critter Farm are welcoming the community to its CPR and First Aid for Human, Animal Petting Farm. This Saturday, October 29th, you’re invited to learn how to perform life saving skills on humans from children to adults, as well as dogs and cats. Great knowledge for those who have a service animal, as you never know when the skills learned will be of use.

Guests can go through demo training or they can be certified through the American Heart Association. If you just want to stop in to enjoy the animals at the petting farm, you can do that as well.

For more information visit their Facebook page at: Country Critter Farm.

Reporting for WGRT – Choze Powell

Local Agencies Team Up To Promote Fire Prevention Week

In the event of a house fire do you and your family have an escape plan? Have you prepared yourself or practiced using your fire extinguisher lately? These are questions every family should be able to answer with a resounding yes. 

Fort Gratiot and Burtchville Twp. Fire Departments have teamed up with State Farm and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign. Beginning October 9th – October 15th, the “Fire Won’t Wait, Plan Your Escape” campaign seeks to educate the community on simple steps they can take to keep themselves safe in the event of a fire.

Megan Simmons, a local State Farm agent, urges residents to have a fire escape plan, as a house fire can affect any of us at any given moment. “Fire presents a real risk to all of us, making it important for every member of the community to take these messages seriously and put them into action,” says Simmons.

For more information about Fire Prevention Week visit: fpw.org.  

Reporting for WGRT – Choze Powell

Nessel and Coalition Request Immediate Student Loan Cancellation

Financial Aid 101 teaches that student loans are not “free money”. You have to pay it back. But the rules might be rewritten if a coalition of Democratic Attorneys General can persuade President Biden to sign off on forgiving the $1.7 trillion debt. The coalition, which includes Michigan’s Attorney General Dana Nessel, described the burden of student debt as “unmanageable”.

The coalition argues that the debt needs to be fully forgiven for every borrower because the repayment system is “systemically flawed”. The unilateral cancellation of student debt would “reduce stress and mental fatigue”, according to the letter, and enable borrowers with forgiven loans to save for retirement and purchase new homes.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said, “Hardships created by the pandemic – and the subsequent hold on loan payments – prove we are equipped to cancel student debt once and for all.”

The status of repayment for future borrowers is not addressed in the request, nor is there a plan to reform the student loan system that is characterized as “systemically flawed”.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Sanilac County Parents Can Attend Parent University

Sanilac County parents of young children can participate in a free program to help them prepare their kids for learning and give them a great start for the future. Sanilac Great Start Collaborative is hosting Parent University on Saturday, April 23 from 8 AM – 2 PM.

Parent University is a hands-on opportunity for parents to learn what to expect at each developmental stage of a child’s life and be equipped as their child’s first teacher. The seminar will cover a variety of topics including, managing screen time, developing reading skills, and dealing with the stress of parenting.

Sanilac County parents can attend the event for free, and out-of-county parents can join in for $10. Pre-registration is required b y contacting Sanilac County Great Start at (810) 404-4739 or emailing Kim Hurlburt at khurlburt@sanilacisd.org.

Limited free onsite childcare is provided, and the first 20 registrants will receive a gas card.

Learn more at Great Start Collaborative Sanilac’s Facebook page here:

https://www.facebook.com/greatstartcollaborativesanilac/

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

 

 

Sandy Hunwick Harrison Center PHASD

Harrison Holding Walk-in Registration for Adult Learners

Harrison Center in Port Huron provides adult learning opportunities for those who want to complete their high school diploma or study for their G.E.D. tests. The school is open for walk-in registration from now until September 30th  from 8 AM – 1 PM Monday – Thursday and Tuesday & Thursday evenings from  4:30 – 7 PM.

Those who want to enroll should bring their birth certificate, driver’s license or state ID, and their social security card to register. Students who previously attended Harrison Center can log in to Skyward to update their information in the “Returning Student Verification” section.

Sandy Hunwick has been teaching at Harrison for 5 years. Prior to her position at Harrison she had retired after 17 years with Port Huron Schools.  “We are just trying to help adults in our community succeed,” said Hunwick.

Last year, Harrison Center had 40 graduates , and their goal this year is 50 grads. They have already had their first GED graduate.

Hunwick wants to encourage anyone in the community who was approved for the Futures for Frontliners program to enroll in the program as soon as possible. “They must register by December 31st or they will lose that scholarship,” she said.

September 19 – 25 is National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week which helps raise awareness of the need for adult education and family literacy programs in communities.

Harrison Center enrolls students all year long. After October 1st, registration is by appointment only.

To learn more, visit their website here:

http://www.phasd.us/our_schools/harrison_adult_learning_center

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Become a Conservation Steward

Michigan State University Extension is offering a Conservation Stewards training program for individuals interested in learning more about Michigan’s ecosystem and how to help it thrive.

The Michigan Conservation Stewards program runs virtually from September 8th – November 10th, and it features both classroom instruction from experts via Zoom and self-led field experiences in local natural areas.

The program will teach a variety of topics pertaining to Michigan’s natural resources along with the history of conservation and how conservationists manage invasive species and collect data. St. Clair County participants will be able to join a cohort of other students in the area to enrich their learning experience.

Registration for the class is $75 through August 18th and $95 from August 19th – September 1st. Scholarships are available based on demonstrated financial need.

More information is available at Michigan State University’s website <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand