The White Falcon - 06.12.2002, Page 5

Learning Center provides educational opportunities
CEl Mario Castaneda uses his lunch hour at the Navy College
Learning Center to study for his upcoming English Composition
CLEP exam. The NCLC offers students a variety of different pro-
grams to further their education. (Photo by JQ2 Stephen Sheedy)
By J02 Stephen Sheedy
Many service members who
join the military hope to take
advantage of the many different
educational opportunities avail-
able. Some of these programs
include the G.I. Bill, Navy
Tuition Assistance and Navy
College Fund.
However, many members have
not been to school and years and
need refresher courses before
they can further their education.
Other people need to finish their
high school degrees, or GED
before they can move on in their
academic career.
Fortunately, at NAS Keflavik,
the Navy College Learning
Center (NCLC) can help service
members and the adult family
members receive the skills they
need to further both their educa-
tional and military careers.
According to NCLC
Education Facilitator Ildy Clark,
the NCLC provides both guid-
ance and resources to help stu-
dents achieve their goals.
“At the NCLC, we discuss the
students goals and then guide
them through the computerized
learning program aligned with
their specific needs,” said Clark.
The NCLC can help service
members and adult family mem-
bers prepare for a number of test-
ing needs, such as CLEP’s,
SAT/ACT, and review college
programs. In addition military
members can prepare for the
GED, ASVAB and officer pro-
gram requirements at the center.
Clark said that the next term
of the UMUC program begins
next month and several review
courses are available to help stu-
dents prepare for the placement
exams that are a prerequisite for
the school.
“We are currently offering
reviews courses for the UMUC
placement test in math and lan-
guage. The math review covers
basic math through algebra,
although some students can
study all the way to calculus. The
language review helps students
with English composition,” said
Clark. “Anyone interested in
these programs should see us
now, because simply studying
the day before the placement test
will likely lead to failure.”
The NCLC also has a lan-
guage review program for people
whose first language is not
English.
“We have a lot of people at
NAS Keflavik whose first lan-
guage is not English. To help
them study, the NCLC offers the
English Second Language pro-
gram. This program uses a dif-
ferent format than the language
review because if English isn’t a
person’s first language, their
needs will be different,” said
Clark.
In addition to helping students
sharpen their skills to move for-
ward in college, the NCLC helps
service members with education-
al needs that can help their mili-
tary career.
“Many service members want
to retake the ASVAB so they can
qualify for a different rate and
we can help them study,” said
Clark. “We also have programs
that will help enlisted personnel
student for their officer’s pack-
ages.”
Clark stated that the NCLC
will help people who do not have
a high school diploma earn their
GED. She said it is vital to have
a high school equivalency if a
person expects to use their edu-
cation benefits.
“Military members without a
high school diploma or GED are
not eligible to use their G.I Bill,
so it’s vital they have it if they
plan to use their educational ben-
efits,” said Clark.
The NCLC is open Monday
and Wednesday, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.,
Tuesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. —
8 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m.
- 5 p.m.
For more information contact
Ildy Clark or Judi Burr at 6310.
Elementary school students learn about post office
December 6, 2002
(Above) Peyton Tomblin gets a lift from PCI David Conway as he
helps sort the mail during a visit by Nancy Sperry’s kindergarten
class to the Base Post Office. The postal clerks hosted all three
kindergarten classes from A.T. Mahan Elementary School on Dec. 3.
(Left) As PC3 Joshua Youngblood looks on, Jacey Warren cancels a
piece of outgoing mail. Warren is a member of Nancy Sperry’s A.T.
Mahan Elementary School kindergarten class.
(Photo by JOC (Ret) Art Frith)
The White Falcon
Page 5