On April 3, our Florissant Valley campus will host the seventh annual Green Fair from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Quad. The goal of the Green Fair is to educate the public about green practices, including electric vehicles, community gardens and organic foods. Several St. Louis-area companies and organizations will be on hand to share information as well.

In 2008, the Florissant Valley president, Marcia Pfeiffer, signed the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) President’s Climate Commitment. This commitment states that colleges must make efforts to lead their community and society to eliminate global warming and achieve climate neutrality. This fair is one way Florissant Valley does their part.

Are you an STLCC alumni who became interested in the green movement through your time here? Tell us your story!

74 percent of people in a recent Time magazine report think there is too much emphasis on attending a four-year university over a two-year or vocational program. For St. Louis Community College students and alumni, though, a quality education didn’t have to mean going into debt or even taking four years to earn it. Whether they went on to transfer their credits to a four-year school or earned a degree or certificate to jump-start a career, over one million alumni know the quality of a community college education.

Are you an STLCC alumni who opted for a two-year university for a degree or certificate? We want to hear from you! Tell us how STLCC and your degree helped shape your life — and why you chose to attend!

On April 18 and 19, attendees will learn valuable job-seeking skills and receive help improving their professional documents. Whether it’s their first job or they’re looking to brush up on their interviewing and job-seeking skills after a few decades in the workforce, this event will help alumni obtain their career goals. The CES staff will cover a variety of topics, including successful cover letters, résumés and interviewing techniques. This event will have both an evening and a morning session for convenience. For more information, visit the event page.

For alumni or students unable to attend these events, the Career and Employment Services department can help in finding full, part-time or seasonal work all yearlong. Did an STLCC event — or the CES department — help you put your degree to good use? We want to hear your story!

Conveniently located in St. Louis County, the Corporate College has the capacity to meet businesses needs from training, computer instruction — even space for conferences or events. With wireless access, a presentation auditorium, conference rooms, a multimedia room, computer rooms and more, the Corporate College is designed specifically for the professional and business needs of the St. Louis community.

Project management? Advertising and marketing? Six Sigma certification? No matter the goals or needs of your business, the Corporate College’s diverse and flexible training options offer businesses a variety of options. For more information, visit the Corporate College page on the STLCC website.

Are you an STLCC alumni who reconnected with us later in life through the Corporate College? We want to hear your story!

Oil or Acrylic Workshop (ARTS: 740). For beginners and advanced artists alike, this workshop covers the mixing, application and technique of oil or acrylic painting. With individualized instruction, students can move at their own pace.

Quilted Memories (ARTS: 718). Upcycle those old shirts or sweatshirts by making them into a quilt through this class. No sewing experience is necessary, so anybody can turn his or her memories into a quilt!

Terrariums: Craft a Garden Under Glass (CRFT: 765). As sustainable and container gardening grows in popularity, so do terrariums. Learn how to create your own low-maintenance garden under glass in this one-day class. Students will learn about plant species, soil requirements and props on the way to making their own.

Don’t see a course you’re interested in? Visit the STLCC Continuing Education department website to see what other classes we offer this spring. Did you reconnect with STLCC through a continuing education course? We want to hear alumni stories!

Beginning March 18, this 16-week program will take place over one semester and prepare students for an entry-level life sciences position. Students will take science, math and computer science classes as well as gain valuable hands-on laboratory experience. They will also be exposed to industry professionals for valuable networking experiences and learn job-seeking skills. Tuition and books are free to those who qualify. Upon completion of the program, students will earn a Life Science Lab Assistant Certificate of Specialization and have the opportunity to enter into STLCC’s biotechnology associate degree program.

This new program isn’t the first of its kind offered at STLCC, however. In recent years, many innovative programs geared toward the needs of the St. Louis workforce and career-seeking students have been developed — like the MoManufacturingWINs program.

How did your time at STLCC help prepare you for your future career? We want to hear your story!

The $1.3 million grant announced by Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon will help establish Innovation High Schools at several public schools across St. Louis. These high schools will partner with both STLCC and local businesses to allow students to earn college credit as well as valuable hands-on experience. Students will gain this experience in high-demand fields like manufacturing, health sciences and information technology, helping both the students and the St. Louis economy as a whole searching for skilled workers.

For more information on this innovative new program, visit the STLCC website. Are you an STLCC alumni who got a jump on a successful career through similar programs? Or did you return later in life to begin a new career? We want to hear your story!

To prepare herself for the rigors of college courses, Machens took developmental classes in English, math and reading. She followed that coruse load by taking two years of classes to meet the prerequisites for the Florissant Valley nursing program. By May 2012, Machens graduated from college and passed the state nursing board exam.

Today, she works on the post-surgery floor at Christian Hospital Northeast and is grateful for the education and preparation her time at STLCC gave her — but without all the student loan debt. With its well-rounded programs and rigorous coursework, Machens knew her studies at STLCC would serve her well in preparing for her nursing boards and career.

Are you an STLCC alumni who began a new career after time off from school? We want to hear from you — tell us your story!

For the ninth year in a row, St. Louis Community College will host its Bowling for Scholars event at Tropicana Lanes (7960 Clayton Road in Richmond Heights, Mo.) on April 20. Community members, alumni and others who wish to participate can form a team, enjoy an online auction or help decorate a bowling pin to be auctioned off. Pins must be dropped off at a campus bookstore by March 11. Proceeds from the event and its associated activities will help students rent or purchase textbooks and other instructional materials for their classes.

Are you an STLCC alumni who benefited from scholarships or events like Bowling for Scholars? Be sure to give back and tell us your story!

Jack E. Miller Hospitality Studies Center opens. The starting place for some of the nation’s top chefs, the Jack E. Miller Hospitality Studies Center opened for classes in 2003. Enrollment has consistently reached capacity for day, evening and weekend classes. The center also contains the baking and pastries programs, coordinated by Chef Casey Shiller.

Center for Emerging and Advanced Information Technology opens. In 1998, Forest Park conducted its first Cisco Networking Academy program. Today, it is home to the Center for Emerging and Advanced Information Technology, designed to prepare students for exams and certifications prior to entering the booming technology sector.

International campus. While your best friend during your time at STLCC might have been your old neighbor, the face of campus has changed a lot over the years. Today, the Forest Park campus represents 80 different countries and speaks 60 different languages.

Want to catch up with your alma mater? Consider signing up for a continuing education course. Are you an STLCC alumni who got your start at Forest Park? We want to hear your story!