Donate
  • About
  • Rent College Pads
  • Advertise
  • Privacy
Search
News
Opinions
Sports
Classifieds
Comics
BMA
Events
Subscribe

Monday, February 6, 2023
Print Archive

Eastern Echo
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinions
  • Comics
  • Podcast
  • BMA
  • Events
  • Classifieds
  • Search
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinions
  • Comics
  • Podcast
  • BMA
  • Events
  • Classifieds
Search

Subscribe to the Echo

Donate to The Echo

You can support the Echo by donating through the EMU Foundation and selecting to apply your gift to a specific fund. Any of the funds listed below will provide support to the Echo.

01049 -- EMU Echo Editor Endowed Scholarship:  Provides financial support for the current EMU Echo Editor.

02414 -- Scott Stephenson Eastern Echo Scholarship:  This expendable scholarship is for the benefit of student(s) in the School of Communication, Media & Theater Arts in the College of Arts & Sciences.  It will be awarded to a full or part-time junior or senior EMU student majoring in journalism and working for the Eastern Echo.  The student should be working to self-finance their education and not be eligible for need-based grants.

00825 -- Student Media Development:  Provides support for the Student Media program.

Thank you for supporting the Echo and EMU Student Media.

Give Now


3/24/2022, 3:12pm

Podcast: March 23rd, 2022

By Tre Briscoe
Podcast: March 23rd, 2022
The Eastern Echo Podcast Logo Fall 2019

Share

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Mail
  • Print

On this week’s episode, State Representative Debbie Dingell secures $550,000 for EMU services, EMU to host the 42nd Undergraduate Symposium, and Amazon partners with Eastern Michigan University to pay for employees’ tuition. I am your host, Jacob Walter Kendrick, and this is the Eastern Echo Podcast.

Starting off, Debbie Dingell secures $550,000 for EMU Services. U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell has secured $14 million in federal funding for Washtenaw County community services and granted $550,000 to Eastern Michigan University.

EMU will receive about $250,000 for prisoner reentry services, the Returning Citizen Fellows Program, and nearly $300,000 for their early childhood education services, the Collaborative Child Development Center.

Dingell said in a written statement: “Local leaders in our cities and towns are working every day to improve the lives of their neighbors and strengthen our communities, and it’s our federal government’s job to support them. With this investment of nearly $14 million divided among ten critical local projects, we will give community organizations the support they need to create real, lasting change.”

EMU launched its Returning Citizen Fellows Program in January 2021. The program aims to remove barriers to college education for the formerly incarcerated. This funding will support the program by expanding the number of people served.

Jennifer Kellman Fritz, Professor and Director of EMU’s School of Social Work, said to the Echo: "EMU Social Work students work with local nonprofits to help the clients access housing, trauma-informed care, mental health and substance abuse services, job training, and anything else they might need upon their return.”

These two projects are a part of Dingell’s community project funding, which includes other Michigan community projects located in Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor, and other parts of the 12th Congressional District.

Next, EMU to host the 42nd Undergraduate Symposium. Eastern Michigan University’s 42nd Undergraduate Symposium will be held in-person on Friday, March 25, at the EMU Student Center. 

Undergraduate students' research projects, design-based projects, and performances in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences will be showcased. Students, faculty, staff, and the general public are welcome to attend. 

The event will be kickstarted by this year’s keynote speaker, EMU alumna and novelist Bethany Ball, at 8:30 a.m.

Students may give 15-minute oral or poster presentations about their research project, and attendees have the opportunity to participate in these presentations. 

This year’s research project topics include increasing safety in self-driving cars, reducing the risk of stroke in specific populations, exploring the effects of teaching the German language in early education, creating quality animation with low-cost software, and more.

Other students may participate in the Crossing Lines Design Expo, which showcases design-based projects in a gallery. Visual creative projects include interior design, 2D and 3D art, simulation animation gaming, and furniture design.

The event is held from 8:35 a.m. to 3 p.m. and parking will be available for free at the EMU Student Center Lot. Masks and other COVID-19 safety guidelines will be in place. 

For more information on the 42nd Undergraduate Symposium, visit the website at emich.edu/symposium.

Lastly, Amazon Partners with Eastern Michigan University to pay for employee’s tuition.

Eastern Michigan University recently announced their acceptance in Career Choice, a part of Amazon’s pledge which includes a $1.2 billion commitment to upskill more than 300,000 Amazon employees by 2025.

Amazon’s career choice mission is to provide their employees a chance to pursue a college degree or certificate that will be paid for by the company. This upskilling program was created to help frontline employees grow their skills for career success at Amazon or elsewhere. Amazon would be paying for first-time degrees or if employees have partial credits with no degree. This program is available for all Amazon employees. 

Melissa Thrasher, director of Media Relations at Eastern Michigan University, speaks on behalf of the university and its acceptance into this program. 

Thrasher said to the Echo: “Eastern Michigan University is proud to have been selected by Amazon to be one of two universities in Michigan and two community colleges to participate in the program. The others are Grand Valley, Henry Ford College, and Grand Rapids Community College.”

Amazon has more than 26,000 employees in Michigan that can benefit from this program. With more than 700,000 across the nation, these benefits become available after 90 days of employment.

The company will be paying up to $5,250 in college-related costs annually for employees.

Thrasher said to the Echo: “Even though the program was just announced, we already have seven Amazon employees enrolled. Some of them are taking pretty heavy course loads–one employee has 20 credits and two others are taking 15 credits.” 

Amazon also has other programs to help their employees gain other skills as well. The company recently partnered with Voxy EnGen and goFLUENT to provide English proficiency training. They partnered with Outlier to provide college preparation courses too, as well as GEDWorks and Smart Horizons to provide employees with free high school completion and GED preparation.  

EMU students and Amazon employees interested in the program can learn more about Career Choice on Amazon’s webpage.

Thank you for joining us for this week’s episode of the Eastern Echo News Podcast. 

Reported: Cedrick Charles, Meghan Forystek, Breanna Harris

Scripted: Tre Briscoe

Produced: Chase Hunter

Host: Jacob Kendrick



Share



Related Stories

The 39th Annual Undergraduate Symposium is a full day comprised of EMU student presentations, both scholarly and creative. The majority of the projects presented were research-based while embodying a unique educational experience.

EMU to host 42nd Undergraduate Symposium on March 25

By Megan Forystek

EMU_Sign_Housing.JPG

Rep. Debbie Dingell secures $550,000 for EMU services

By Cedrick Charles

Amazon partners with Eastern Michigan University to pay for employees’ tuition

By Breanna Harris


The Eastern Echo welcomes thoughtful discussion on all of our stories, but please keep comments civil and on-topic. Read our full guidelines here.


Most Popular


2/2/2023, 12:36pm

Michigan's official groundhog predicts early spring in Groundhog Day celebration

By Marie White

Howell Nature Center hosts an annual Groundhog Day event to celebrate the holiday.


2/1/2023, 7:42pm

Makhail Wood: A Record-Breaking Talent


1/31/2023, 8:00am

EMU's REC/IM now offering free personal training and group fitness classes


1/30/2023, 8:00am

What's the move at EMU? Jan. 30 - Feb. 5


Podcast


11/10/2022, 11:35am

TheBlockE Podcast


11/8/2022, 11:35am

Student Interview: Pritish Kokate - The Eastern Echo Podcast Ep. 5


11/3/2022, 5:58pm

Special episode: EMU Journalism Professor Dr. You Li speaks with EMU alumni Nathan Bomey


10/27/2022, 6:03pm

Interview w/ Ronia Cabansag - The Eastern Echo Podcast Ep. 3


Tweets by TheEasternEcho
Eastern Michigan Echo To Homepage
  • About
  • Jobs
  • Freelance
  • Submissions
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Distribution

All Rights Reserved

© Copyright 2023 The Eastern Echo

Powered by Solutions by The State News.