SUNY Schenectady County Community College Partnership Benefits More Students at AYC
By Annabel Mumba
Annabel Mumba is AEP’s Donor Relations Coordinator in Zambia. She is a Scholarship Fund recipient, high school graduate, and also one of our Success Stories.
Co-written by Pamela O’Brien, African Education Program’s Development Director, who is mentoring Annabel as she pursues a journalism degree.
Eight students from the College Prep Program at the Amos Youth Centre’s (AYC’s) Learning and Leadership Center had the chance to take short online courses and learn new skills beginning last Fall from the SUNY Schenectady County Community College. These four-month, instructor-led courses started on August 27th and ended on December 15th, 2022.
Evelyn, Mary, Loveness, Shylet, Samson, Bruce, Florence, and John appreciated participating in the program because it helped them advance their career choices, gain knowledge and enrich their personal lives.
Our partnership with SUNY Schenectady County Community College resulted in the students receiving 100% sponsorship on the course of their choice, which they completed online from the comfort of their own homes. During this period, the students acquired skills from classes that included an Introduction to Computer Science, an Introduction to Business Online, Food Administration and Manual Preparations, and Environmental Science.
AYC Scholarship students pose for a picture with representatives from SUNY Schenectady during their visit last summer.
Shylet has always wanted to enroll in a business administration course, and the introduction to business online course gave her some insight into the curriculum and a taste of what it takes to study business administration. Before she begins her university studies next year, she is using her gap year to volunteer and attend college prep classes at the centre.
“I have always wanted to study administration, and the course helped to enlighten me more about my chosen career path. I also learned about most topics that I will come across during my studies. I am happy to have the basics," Shylet shared.
Shylet's ability to connect with her classmates and the instructor was her favorite part of the entire course. She also discovered a brand-new educational platform called Brightspace, which increased her enjoyment of the classes.
Samson, on the other hand, took an Introduction to Computer Science course before enrolling at Evelyn Hone College where he is a freshman studying radiography. His decision was influenced by his interest in computers. He valued the course because it gave his inquisitive mind the knowledge it required. His lectures covered the development of computers, their external and internal components, and their uses.
Samson shared, "I had a thrilling experience as I got to learn more about computers and how they work. Learning from an international school online provided me with a broader range of knowledge and operational skills. The instructor and classmates also helped me a lot.”
Mary made the same decision as Samson: to enroll in an introductory computer science course. She expressed her gratitude for the course as it provided the knowledge she now possesses. She particularly appreciates the lesson on PowerPoint presentations because it has made it easier for her to create presentations at school. Such information is crucial to her as a first-year Electrical and Electronic Engineering student at the Zambia College of Technology. She also says that the course taught her the skill of typing quickly on a computer.
Loveness found the course on Food Administration and Menu Planning to be the perfect fit for her because she hopes to become a professional chef and will soon begin a program in hospitality management at a local college.
"I learned a lot of amazing things, like getting to know my customers as the basis for menu preparation. I was also taught how to analyze, cost, and write good menus. I am positive that the information acquired will assist me as I begin my studies in hospitality management." Loveness shared.
As Florence spends her gap year at AYC, she has been helping to prepare meals every day for the 250 to 300 children and youth who come for a nutritious meal as part of the feeding program. A brief course in Food Administration and Menu Planning has been helpful to Florence as she cooks. Like Loveness, she aspires to work as a professional chef. She reviews her notes on food preparation and the value of a menu in a kitchen during her free time.
Florence cooks outside for AYC’s feeding program.
Bruce teaches a class to his younger peers during the College Prep Program.
Lastly, Bruce's love for the environment made him choose Environmental Health as his main course during the fall. Despite his major in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Bruce has always valued environmental education. Climate change discussions were his favorite because he discovered a lot of damage and disaster caused by climate change.
The feedback from the students who took part in this program was overwhelmingly positive, and we are grateful for such partnerships that help us empower the many youths that attend our center.
“At AYC, we are invested in ensuring that young people get all the opportunities that they need and deserve. We want to see all young people empowered in our community,” shared Ceasar Samwaka, AYC’s Director of Scholarships & Academics.