Sheridan College and Whitney Benefits

COMPUTER SKILLS FOR SHERIDAN AND JOHNSON COUNTY STUDENTS

Thanks goes to Sheridan and Johnson County School Boards and Sheridan College Trustees for working together for student success. In 2016, the Whitney Board agreed to participate in several projects which would improve computer skills for Sheridan and Johnson county students. Whitney Benefits created the opportunity for all Sheridan County School Districts to participate in computer program training and equipment upgrades. Whitney’s commitment for this project was $183,661 in 2016 as well as $50,000 to Sheridan College to upgrade their computer lab equipment. Three years’ salary and benefits for a Sheridan College instructor to teach computer programming with the opportunity of participation by all Sheridan County School Districts was also committed for $125,000 per year. The three year total offered by Whitney for these programs is $890,686 to support and strengthen computer programs offered through Sheridan College to Sheridan County school students. The support from Whitney Benefits will allow the school districts, along with Sheridan College, to align computer programming and computer science programs with the nationally recognized curriculum and teacher development model, “Project Lead the Way” (PLTW). PLTW will strengthen existing programming classes (large focus on computer coding) and provide a connection between secondary and post-secondary programs. Two classrooms on the main Sheridan College campus will be equipped to support the program. One room will be for use by secondary students; the second will support college students pursuing a degree.

EDUCATION SUMMIT, WHITNEY BENEFITS BRINGING TOGETHER STAKEHOLDERS

On November 14, 2016, Whitney Benefits hosted the third annual Education Summit at the new Sheridan College Whitney Center for the Arts Concert Hall. Local educators, government representatives, members of philanthropic foundations, child care providers and others were in attendance to discuss early childhood education issues in Sheridan and Johnson counties as well as throughout the United States. The intent was to bring together various stakeholders to hear about their current accomplishments and challenges as well as their future hopes and goals. The featured speaker for the Education Summit was Bob Sornson, Ph.D. He is an education leader calling for programs and practices which support competency based learning, early learning success and high quality early childhood learning programs. He is the founder of the Early Learning Foundation and works internationally with school districts, universities and parent organizations. He addressed the importance and challenges of developing community systems to help young children become successful learners and citizens. In today’s society, our children can access the opportunities that innovation and emerging technologies present only if they have good learning skills, the capacity for hard work and the ability to collaborate with others. In his remarks, Dr. Sornson discussed how early childhood learning outcomes affect the future for our children and our society, the key ingredients of a community plan which supports early childhood learning success and the commitment needed to build a community in which all children have an opportunity to succeed. Dr. Sornson has written best-selling books for educators, parents and children, along with many journal publications. His books include Over-Tested and Under-Prepared: Using Competency Based Learning to Transform Our Schools (Routledge), Essential Math Skills (Shell Education), Fanatically Formative (Corwin Press), Stand in My Shoes: Kids Learning about Empathy (Love and Logic Press), The Juice Box Bully (Early Learning Foundation Press), Teaching and Joy (ASCD), and Creating Classrooms Where Teachers Love to Teach and Students Love to Learn (Love and Logic Press). He has offered workshops and keynotes in 47 states and in other nations. Bob Sornson’s work focuses on early learning success, competency based learning, and the development of self-regulation and empathy. He lives with his wife Nancy in Brighton, MI, and can be contacted at bob@earlylearningfoundation.com.

JET = JOBS, EDUCATION, AND TECHNOLOGY

$2 million for programming and instructors over 5 years

In March 2013, Whitney Benefits announced the creation of the Jobs, Education and Technology (JET) Program. The program is a partnership with Sheridan College and other potential sponsors and will include funding four new instructor positions for five years. The positions will be in areas where there is tremendous demand for educated, skilled workers. The total cost to add four full-time teachers is approximately $400,000 per year or $2 million over five years. The total pledge from Whitney Benefits is one-half of the $2 million, or $1 million, toward this effort. The agreement is meant to allow SC to expand the offerings in such high demand areas as Machine Tool Technology, Diesel Technology, Welding Technology, Agriculture/Horticulture and Performing Arts. In order to fully realize the plan, Whitney Benefits trustees looked to others in the community to match their pledge. The City of Sheridan matched the yearly pledge for the Machine Tool Technology faculty position and the Perkins Foundation matched the yearly pledge for the Welding Technology Faculty position. An anonymous donor matched Whitney’s yearly pledge for the General Arts/Visual Arts faculty position and a second anonymous donor funded the Agricultural Science faculty position. Whitney Benefits would like to extend a special thanks to these donors for their support of Sheridan College! IMPROVEMENTS TO SECURITY TO PROECT ARTWORK In 2016, Whitney Benefits gifted $69,000 to Sheridan College for security and environmental enhancements to the E.A. Whitney gallery in the new Whitney Center for the Arts building. This donation will help ensure the security of Sheridan College artwork that could include the display of Whitney owned Gollings art that was purchased from Sheridan County School District #2.

$250,000 TO FUND AGRICULTURE INSTRUCTION POSITION AT COLLEGE

In January 2016, Whitney Benefits committed to grant $250,000 for three years to fund an Endowed Agriculture Instructor position at Sheridan College. This position was created to keep pace with increasing enrollment, educational excellence and educational research at Sheridan College. Additionally, the soon to be opened “Mars Agriculture Center”, a 15,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility that is located on the south end of Sheridan College’s main campus connecting to the existing Science Center, has also increased prospective students interest in agriculture and sciences. The center will focus on providing real-world experiences for students. In addition to high-tech classrooms, a herbarium, a greenhouse and a soils and agroecology lab, the new center will include a computerized commodities trading floor classroom for students studying in the ag-business program.

Whitney Community Advisory Group

The Whitney Community Advisory Group was created in 2004 to provide input from various community members about current Whitney projects and events. The group helps to oversee operations at Whitney Commons and Whitney Plaza. The current community members include Steve Carroll, Mark Demple, Pete Eliason, Judy Stallman, and John Standish.

WHITNEY CONTINUES SUPPORT FOR SHERIDAN COLLEGE THORNE RIDER CAMPUS CENTER

Whitney continues to donate funds for the renovation and expansion of the Thorne-Rider Campus Center at Sheridan College. In 2016, Whitney completed is final installment of $250,000 for this project as part of their $1,500,000 gift to Sheridan College in support of their $11.7 million renovation and expansion project of the Thorne-Rider Campus Center and the creation of an outdoor landscaped plaza connecting the Campus Center and the Whitney Building. One half, or $750,000, of the gift will support the building itself and the additional $750,000 will support the plaza. Whitney gifted an additional $250,000 in 2016 to improve and update utilities and telecommunications in this area. The previous student center building was built in 1966 and was sized to accommodate 100 students living on campus. The college now has 400+ students living on campus. The Thorne-Rider Campus Center is located at the hub of the campus and the new design encourages everyone on campus to spend some time there. The previous 16,000 square foot building was completely renovated and 12,000 square feet was added to the campus center. Food service is now organized food court style, with six open preparation and service areas, a pizza and coffee shop and flexible furniture in various styles to support an educational atmosphere. The dining area can now seat up to 500 people on the upper level and will support the plan for 750 students living on campus within the next decade plus about 250 commuter students and employees daily. Other features in the space include an activities room, multi-purpose meeting rooms, campus safety offices and a Veterans Center to service the 120 Veterans currently enrolled at Sheridan College. Whitney thanks all of the donors and private foundations involved in this project for their continued financial commitment to Sheridan College.

NEW POSITIONS AT SHERIDAN COLLEGE

Whitney Benefits committed to funding three new positions at Sheridan College in 2016. The first, $80,000 per year for three years, will allow Sheridan College to hire an additional dance instructor. Dance is a growth area in the Performing Arts program at Sheridan College and an additional instructor will allow additional growth. The second will be to hire a theater technician for $30,000 in 2016, $60,000 in 2017, and $60,000 in 2018. This position will assist as both an educator within the Center of the Arts building and help with new community productions and events to be held in the Center for the Arts Center. The third position will be to hire a recruiter for technical programs for $30,000 in 2016, $60,000 in 2017, and $60,000 in 2018. This position will be a specialized recruiter that seeks prospective students that are looking for vocational training.

WHITNEY BENEFITS COMMITS $25.3 MILLION TO SHERIDAN COLLEGE

In 2014, Whitney Benefits committed to the largest gift in the history of Sheridan College in the amount of $25.3 million. In 2015, Whitney continued to fund this extraordinary gift. The commitment from Whitney Benefits to Sheridan College includes the necessary $1.3 million required to complete the $8 million Mars Agriculture and Science Center renovation project, $16 million to support the renovation and expansion of the fine and performing arts wing of the original Whitney Building, $2 million to support infrastructure and parking improvements on the main campus, and $6 million for approximately half of the Tech Center renovation and expansion project. “Currently, we serve over 2,000 students per semester,” SC President Dr. Paul Young said. “This plan and infusion of energy and capital will significantly aid in our efforts to grow the academic areas that align with the local job sectors experiencing growth and positive change.” The renovation and expansion of the fine and performing arts wing located at the north end of the current Whitney Building, referred to as the Whitney Center for the Arts, will include space to enrich the learning experience for all students. In addition to improvements to learning spaces for music and other performing arts, the Whitney gift will provide flexible, creative space to support the fine arts programs including wood and metal fabrication labs; foundry space for pouring aluminum, bronze, and eventually iron; and multi-use exhibition space. The Mars Agriculture Center will be a 13,000 to 15,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility to be located on the south end of Sheridan College’s main campus connecting to the existing Science Center, which will also receive upgrades during the project. The center will focus on providing real-world experiences for students. In addition to high-tech classrooms, a herbarium, a greenhouse, and a soils and agroecology lab, the new center will include a computerized commodities trading floor classroom for students studying in the ag-business program. “The real benefit to laying out a plan like this is that the dollars committed can be leveraged time and time again,” Whitney Benefits Trustee Everett McGlothlin said. “We are hopeful that others will continue to support the students of Sheridan College in order to continue the positive momentum and help change lives.” The $6 million earmarked for the expansion and renovation of the Technical Education Center is approximately half of the total needed to provide a healthier, safer and more secure facility for students to gain vocational degrees and employable skills. College officials plan to request the additional funds from the State of Wyoming during the 2017 legislative session. “Our strategic direction focuses on doing our part to help Wyoming and the nation as a whole to prosper. We are so very fortunate to have many, many people here who believe in this goal and are willing to take action on behalf of the future generations who will continue to benefit from their efforts for years to come,” Young said. “Thank you to Whitney Benefits.” Sheridan College officials hope to have the projects completed by late summer of 2019.

GIFT FOR SHERIDAN COLLEGE WELDING EQUIPMENT

In 2015, Whitney Benefits gifted $27,000 to Sheridan College for additional welding equipment to enhance the Welding Technology Program. Sheridan College purchased carbon arc equipment to meet the requirements of concurrent enrollment with Tongue River High School.

GIFT FOR PROPERTIES TO EXPAND THE SHERIDAN COLLEGE CAMPUS

In 2015, Whitney Benefits gifted Sheridan College properties on Smith Street valued at $181,000 as part of Sheridan College’s participation in a new Day Break facility for seniors to be located adjacent to the current Senior Center. These properties was used as a match for a Wyoming Business Council grant to construct the new elder care center, allowing the Senior Center to complete its goal for the Day Break Campaign. The partnership between Sheridan College and the Sheridan Senior Center provides students the unique opportunity to learn and work with elders in the Day Break center. The elders will benefit from the interaction with Sheridan College students and staff. The new facility will be used to create additional high-tech learning laboratories for Sheridan College studying areas such as culinary arts, horticulture, nursing, massage therapy, and dental hygiene.  

$200,000 GIFT FOR SHERIDAN COLLEGE HEALTH SCIENCE

In 2015, Whitney Benefits gifted $200,000 to Sheridan College for renovations to the health science wing on the Sheridan College campus and for renovations at the Sheridan College Simulation Center located on Broadway Street in Sheridan, WY. Renovated space will create high-tech laboratories for students studying in the Dental Hygiene, Nursing and Massage Therapy fields.  The upgrades to the Sim Center included adding a one-way mirror to the high-fidelity room which will enhance the learning opportunities for students.

GIFT FOR CNA INSTRUCTOR AT SHERIDAN COLLEGE

In 2015, Whitney approved a three year commitment to gift a total of $185,400 to Sheridan College for a half-time Certified Nursing Instructor. $125,200 was paid out in 2015. The CNA program has been a great addition to the Sheridan College nursing department and recently the classroom component of the class has been offered in an online format which makes it more accessible to students. The students perform their clinical hours at one of the long term care facilities and generally only travel to campus to practice their skills and test. The benefits to students and the community from the CNA program include: 1. The CNA course is an entry level course that may lead to a lifelong career choice or serve as a stepping stone to a career in nursing or medicine. Many of the current Sheridan College nursing students work as CNA’s while they attend nursing school. 2. There is currently an extreme shortage of CNA’s across Wyoming so students receiving this certification are guaranteed employment upon completion. The Sheridan Center for a Vital Community is supporting a grassroots effort to address the need for quality care for the elderly in the home and in care centers. A crucial piece is adequate numbers of well-trained Certified Nursing Assistants. According to the Bureau of Labor and AARP, by the year 2020, CNA jobs will increase by 22% and CNA/Home Health Aide jobs will increase by 48%.

GIFT FOR MULTIPLE PROGRAMS AT SHERIDAN COLLEGE

In 2015, Whitney Benefits gifted $1,021,800 to Sheridan College for machine tool, nursing, dental, culinary and welding programs at Sheridan College. MACHINE TOOL TECHNOLOGY: Purchases for the Machine Tool Technology program allowed an improved student to equipment ratio which gives students more opportunities for hands-on time with the equipment. Whitney Benefits funds purchased one additional manual lathe, three additional manual mills, additional Computerized-Numerical-Control (CNC) mills and CNC lathes. In addition to these purchases, Sheridan College was able to make repairs to some of the older equipment in the shop and upgrade the CNC equipment. An optical comparator was purchased so students can magnify their work and see the detail in their work. With these funds, Sheridan College also equipped the lab with tool boxes and tools to reduce wait time for students upgraded some of the Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM). CULINARY ART: Purchases of equipment for Sheridan College’s culinary program has provided for new restaurant grade chafers, fryers, food processors and a new PacoJet, a specialized Swiss device which allows chefs to ‘micropurée’ fresh or frozen foods into ultralight mousses, naturally fresh ice creams and sorbets, or aromatic soups, sauces or fillings. NURSING: The funds from Whitney Benefits were used to purchase a simulation product called Sim View for the Sheridan College nursing program. This product will be used to enhance the simulation experience as it provides high quality cameras which will improve clarity and high quality microphones which will enhance the ability to hear what students are saying. Additionally, it has the ability to zoom in on a particular area such as visualizing a student drawing up a medication or putting on sterile gloves, a time stamped video log that records exactly when a patient event happens, and the program allows for sharing of video files so a student can view themselves in a simulation scenario on their own computer. Sheridan College also purchased two static manikins for the nursing lab on campus which have been a wonderful update as they are much lighter to handle and have more capabilities to promote student learning. DENTAL HYGIENE: Whitney Benefits funds were used to purchase equipment to upgrade the Sheridan College Dental Hygiene radiology facilities. Now, twelve students can be accommodated so patients and students are not waiting for shared equipment. Other purchases include new technology for plaque removal to expose students to this equipment and also do some comparative testing as an in-house research and evaluation project. WELDING PROGRAM: Sheridan College purchased 15 Lincoln multi-process machines with funding from Whitney Benefits. These machines allow students to experience various techniques including aluminum spool gun welding.

$500,000 FOR SHERIDAN COLLEGE TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL CENTER

Whitney Benefits gifted $500,000 to Sheridan College for improvements to their aging Technical Vocation Center. The gift was matched by $500,000 in contributions from private individuals. Those improvements, which are already underway, will include a 2,500 sq. ft. addition and 5,000 sq. ft. renovation to the Machine Tool Technology space and a 1,200 sq. ft. addition and 7,000 sq. ft. renovation to the Diesel Technology, Welding Technology, and Construction Technology Areas.

WHITNEY CONTINUES SUPPORT OF HIGH DEMAND PROGRAMS AT

SHERIDAN COLLEGE; THANKS OTHER DONORS FOR THEIR HELP

In March 2013, Whitney Benefits announced the creation of the Jobs, Education and Technology (JET) Program. The program is a partnership with Sheridan College and other potential sponsors and will include funding four new instructor positions for five years. The positions will be in areas where there is tremendous demand for educated, skilled workers. The total cost to add four full-time teachers is approximately $400,000 per year or $2 million over five years. The total pledge from Whitney Benefits is one-half of the $2 million, or $1 million, toward this effort.  In 2015, Whitney Benefits donated $475,000 for this project. The agreement is meant to allow SC to expand the offerings in such high demand areas as Machine Tool Technology, Diesel Technology, Welding Technology, Agriculture/Horticulture, and Performing Arts. In order to fully realize the plan, Whitney Benefits trustees looked to others in the community to match their pledge.  The City of Sheridan matched the yearly pledge for the Machine Tool Technology faculty position and the Perkins Foundation matched the yearly pledge for the Welding Technology Faculty position. An anonymous donor matched Whitney’s yearly pledge for the General Arts/Visual Arts faculty position and a second anonymous donor funded the Agricultural Science faculty position. Whitney Benefits would like to extend a special thanks to these donors for their support of Sheridan College!

WHITNEY CONTINUES SUPPORT FOR SHERIDAN COLLEGE THORNE-RIDER CAMPUS CENTER

Whitney continues to donate funds for the renovation and expansion of the Thorne-Rider Campus Center at Sheridan College. In 2015, Whitney gifted $1,250,000 for this project as part of their $1,500,000 gift to Sheridan College in support of their $11.7 million renovation and expansion project of the Thorne-Rider Campus Center and the creation of an outdoor landscaped plaza connecting the Campus Center and the Whitney Building. One-half, or $750,000, of the gift will support the building itself and the additional $750,000 will support the plaza. An additional $250,000 was also gifted to improve and update utilities and telecommunications in this area. The previous student center building was built in 1966 and was sized to accommodate 100 students living on campus. The college now has 400+ students living on campus. The Thorne-Rider Campus Center is located at the hub of the campus and the new design encourages everyone on campus to spend some time there. The previous 16,000 square foot building was completely renovated and 12,000 square feet was added to the campus center. Food service is now organized food court style, with six open preparation and service areas, a pizza and coffee shop, and flexible furniture in various styles to support an educational atmosphere. The dining area can now seat up to 500 people on the upper level and will support the plan for 750 students living on campus within the next decade plus about 250 commuter students and employees daily. Other features in the space include an activities room, multi-purpose meeting rooms, campus safety offices, and a Veterans Center to service the 120 Veterans currently enrolled at Sheridan College. Whitney thanks all of the donors and private foundations involved in this project for their continued financial commitment to Sheridan College.

WHITNEY CONTINUES SUPPORT OF EDUCATIONAL ARTS PROJECT

Whitney donated funds to Sheridan College for access and educational programming at the Bradford Brinton Museum. In 2015, Whitney gifted $800,000 for this project as part of their $1,000,000 gift to Sheridan College for the educational arts project. The grant assures access and programming space for students from Sheridan and Johnson County schools as well as Sheridan College students to have access free of charge to the Brinton Museum for year round educational art, science and history programs, illustrator shows, art workshops, gallery tours, and artistic exhibitions.

$750,000 FOR HOUSING AT SHERIDAN COLLEGE

Whitney continues to donate funds to Sheridan College for their student housing. In 2008, Whitney committed to gifting $750,000 per year for ten years as part of their $7.5 million gift to Sheridan College for their continued support of efforts to expand the on-campus living facilities. The newly added 150 bed suite style student housing units have vastly expanded Sheridan College’s ability to recruit and house new students. The Whitney Lofts also added a new food court area in the Hayes Building and a recreational lounge area in the newly constructed Williams building.  The new housing at Sheridan College provides a new and unique opportunity for students to grow, foster educational opportunities, and enjoy their college educations. In 2016, Whitney Benefits also granted $500,000 to Sheridan College to gut and renovate the existing family housing units. The space was repurposed to create 35 new beds which will better serve the needs of the college students.

City of Sheridan

THE GIFT OF WATER

In 2016, Whitney Benefits gifted the City of Sheridan in excess of 50 million gallons of stored Park Reservoir water to assist in watering Sheridan’s thirteen parks, pathways and greenways, including the Sheridan Recreation District's Thorne Rider Park, Oatts Baseball Complex, Dan Media Soccer Field and the elk pasture irrigation and restoration project at Kendrick Park. Additionally, Whitney contributes water to the University of Wyoming Science and Research Center located at Whitney’s Adams ranch for students and educators with experimental test plots, grape vineyards and crop irrigation.

Sheridan College and Whitney Benefits

COMPUTER SKILLS FOR SHERIDAN AND JOHNSON COUNTY

STUDENTS

Thanks goes to Sheridan and Johnson County School Boards and Sheridan College Trustees for working together for student success. In 2016, the Whitney Board agreed to participate in several projects which would improve computer skills for Sheridan and Johnson county students. Whitney Benefits created the opportunity for all Sheridan County School Districts to participate in computer program training and equipment upgrades. Whitney’s commitment for this project was $183,661 in 2016 as well as $50,000 to Sheridan College to upgrade their computer lab equipment. Three years’ salary and benefits for a Sheridan College instructor to teach computer programming with the opportunity of participation by all Sheridan County School Districts was also committed for $125,000 per year. The three year total offered by Whitney for these programs is $890,686 to support and strengthen computer programs offered through Sheridan College to Sheridan County school students. The support from Whitney Benefits will allow the school districts, along with Sheridan College, to align computer programming and computer science programs with the nationally recognized curriculum and teacher development model, “Project Lead the Way” (PLTW). PLTW will strengthen existing programming classes (large focus on computer coding) and provide a connection between secondary and post-secondary programs. Two classrooms on the main Sheridan College campus will be equipped to support the program. One room will be for use by secondary students; the second will support college students pursuing a degree.

WHITNEY CONTINUES SUPPORT FOR SHERIDAN COLLEGE THORNE

RIDER CAMPUS CENTER

Whitney continues to donate funds for the renovation and expansion of the Thorne-Rider Campus Center at Sheridan College. In 2016, Whitney completed is final installment of $250,000 for this project as part of their $1,500,000 gift to Sheridan College in support of their $11.7 million renovation and expansion project of the Thorne-Rider Campus Center and the creation of an outdoor landscaped plaza connecting the Campus Center and the Whitney Building. One half, or $750,000, of the gift will support the building itself and the additional $750,000 will support the plaza. Whitney gifted an additional $250,000 in 2016 to improve and update utilities and telecommunications in this area. The previous student center building was built in 1966 and was sized to accommodate 100 students living on campus. The college now has 400+ students living on campus. The Thorne-Rider Campus Center is located at the hub of the campus and the new design encourages everyone on campus to spend some time there. The previous 16,000 square foot building was completely renovated and 12,000 square feet was added to the campus center. Food service is now organized food court style, with six open preparation and service areas, a pizza and coffee shop and flexible furniture in various styles to support an educational atmosphere. The dining area can now seat up to 500 people on the upper level and will support the plan for 750 students living on campus within the next decade plus about 250 commuter students and employees daily. Other features in the space include an activities room, multi-purpose meeting rooms, campus safety offices and a Veterans Center to service the 120 Veterans currently enrolled at Sheridan College. Whitney thanks all of the donors and private foundations involved in this project for their continued financial commitment to Sheridan College.

NEW POSITIONS AT SHERIDAN COLLEGE

Whitney Benefits committed to funding three new positions at Sheridan College in 2016. The first, $80,000 per year for three years, will allow Sheridan College to hire an additional dance instructor. Dance is a growth area in the Performing Arts program at Sheridan College and an additional instructor will allow additional growth. The second will be to hire a theater technician for $30,000 in 2016, $60,000 in 2017, and $60,000 in 2018. This position will assist as both an educator within the Center of the Arts building and help with new community productions and events to be held in the Center for the Arts Center. The third position will be to hire a recruiter for technical programs for $30,000 in 2016, $60,000 in 2017, and $60,000 in 2018. This position will be a specialized recruiter that seeks prospective students that are looking for vocational training.

EDUCATION SUMMIT, WHITNEY BENEFITS BRINGING TOGETHER

STAKEHOLDERS

On November 14, 2016, Whitney Benefits hosted the third annual Education Summit at the new Sheridan College Whitney Center for the Arts Concert Hall. Local educators, government representatives, members of philanthropic foundations, child care providers and others were in attendance to discuss early childhood education issues in Sheridan and Johnson counties as well as throughout the United States. The intent was to bring together various stakeholders to hear about their current accomplishments and challenges as well as their future hopes and goals. The featured speaker for the Education Summit was Bob Sornson, Ph.D. He is an education leader calling for programs and practices which support competency based learning, early learning success and high quality early childhood learning programs. He is the founder of the Early Learning Foundation and works internationally with school districts, universities and parent organizations. He addressed the importance and challenges of developing community systems to help young children become successful learners and citizens. In today’s society, our children can access the opportunities that innovation and emerging technologies present only if they have good learning skills, the capacity for hard work and the ability to collaborate with others. In his remarks, Dr. Sornson discussed how early childhood learning outcomes affect the future for our children and our society, the key ingredients of a community plan which supports early childhood learning success and the commitment needed to build a community in which all children have an opportunity to succeed. Dr. Sornson has written best-selling books for educators, parents and children, along with many journal publications. His books include Over-Tested and Under-Prepared: Using Competency Based Learning to Transform Our Schools (Routledge), Essential Math Skills (Shell Education), Fanatically Formative (Corwin Press), Stand in My Shoes: Kids Learning about Empathy (Love and Logic Press), The Juice Box Bully (Early Learning Foundation Press), Teaching and Joy (ASCD), and Creating Classrooms Where Teachers Love to Teach and Students Love to Learn (Love and Logic Press). He has offered workshops and keynotes in 47 states and in other nations. Bob Sornson’s work focuses on early learning success, competency based learning, and the development of self-regulation and empathy. He lives with his wife Nancy in Brighton, MI, and can be contacted at bob@earlylearningfoundation.com.

JET = JOBS, EDUCATION, AND TECHNOLOGY

$2 million for programming and instructors over 5 years

In March 2013, Whitney Benefits announced the creation of the Jobs, Education and Technology (JET) Program. The program is a partnership with Sheridan College and other potential sponsors and will include funding four new instructor positions for five years. The positions will be in areas where there is tremendous demand for educated, skilled workers. The total cost to add four full-time teachers is approximately $400,000 per year or $2 million over five years. The total pledge from Whitney Benefits is one-half of the $2 million, or $1 million, toward this effort. The agreement is meant to allow SC to expand the offerings in such high demand areas as Machine Tool Technology, Diesel Technology, Welding Technology, Agriculture/Horticulture and Performing Arts. In order to fully realize the plan, Whitney Benefits trustees looked to others in the community to match their pledge. The City of Sheridan matched the yearly pledge for the Machine Tool Technology faculty position and the Perkins Foundation matched the yearly pledge for the Welding Technology Faculty position. An anonymous donor matched Whitney’s yearly pledge for the General Arts/Visual Arts faculty position and a second anonymous donor funded the Agricultural Science faculty position. Whitney Benefits would like to extend a special thanks to these donors for their support of Sheridan College! IMPROVEMENTS TO SECURITY TO PROECT ARTWORK In 2016, Whitney Benefits gifted $69,000 to Sheridan College for security and environmental enhancements to the E.A. Whitney gallery in the new Whitney Center for the Arts building. This donation will help ensure the security of Sheridan College artwork that could include the display of Whitney owned Gollings art that was purchased from Sheridan County School District #2.

$250,000 TO FUND AGRICULTURE INSTRUCTION POSITION AT

COLLEGE

In January 2016, Whitney Benefits committed to grant $250,000 for three years to fund an Endowed Agriculture Instructor position at Sheridan College. This position was created to keep pace with increasing enrollment, educational excellence and educational research at Sheridan College. Additionally, the soon to be opened “Mars Agriculture Center”, a 15,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility that is located on the south end of Sheridan College’s main campus connecting to the existing Science Center, has also increased prospective students interest in agriculture and sciences. The center will focus on providing real-world experiences for students. In addition to high-tech classrooms, a herbarium, a greenhouse and a soils and agroecology lab, the new center will include a computerized commodities trading floor classroom for students studying in the ag-business program.

WHITNEY BENEFITS COMMITS $25.3 MILLION TO SHERIDAN COLLEGE

In 2014, Whitney Benefits committed to the largest gift in the history of Sheridan College in the amount of $25.3 million. In 2015, Whitney continued to fund this extraordinary gift. The commitment from Whitney Benefits to Sheridan College includes the necessary $1.3 million required to complete the $8 million Mars Agriculture and Science Center renovation project, $16 million to support the renovation and expansion of the fine and performing arts wing of the original Whitney Building, $2 million to support infrastructure and parking improvements on the main campus, and $6 million for approximately half of the Tech Center renovation and expansion project. “Currently, we serve over 2,000 students per semester,” SC President Dr. Paul Young said. “This plan and infusion of energy and capital will significantly aid in our efforts to grow the academic areas that align with the local job sectors experiencing growth and positive change.” The renovation and expansion of the fine and performing arts wing located at the north end of the current Whitney Building, referred to as the Whitney Center for the Arts, will include space to enrich the learning experience for all students. In addition to improvements to learning spaces for music and other performing arts, the Whitney gift will provide flexible, creative space to support the fine arts programs including wood and metal fabrication labs; foundry space for pouring aluminum, bronze, and eventually iron; and multi-use exhibition space. The Mars Agriculture Center will be a 13,000 to 15,000 square foot state-of- the-art facility to be located on the south end of Sheridan College’s main campus connecting to the existing Science Center, which will also receive upgrades during the project. The center will focus on providing real- world experiences for students. In addition to high-tech classrooms, a herbarium, a greenhouse, and a soils and agroecology lab, the new center will include a computerized commodities trading floor classroom for students studying in the ag-business program. “The real benefit to laying out a plan like this is that the dollars committed can be leveraged time and time again,” Whitney Benefits Trustee Everett McGlothlin said. “We are hopeful that others will continue to support the students of Sheridan College in order to continue the positive momentum and help change lives.” The $6 million earmarked for the expansion and renovation of the Technical Education Center is approximately half of the total needed to provide a healthier, safer and more secure facility for students to gain vocational degrees and employable skills. College officials plan to request the additional funds from the State of Wyoming during the 2017 legislative session. “Our strategic direction focuses on doing our part to help Wyoming and the nation as a whole to prosper. We are so very fortunate to have many, many people here who believe in this goal and are willing to take action on behalf of the future generations who will continue to benefit from their efforts for years to come,” Young said. “Thank you to Whitney Benefits.” Sheridan College officials hope to have the projects completed by late summer of 2019.

GIFT FOR SHERIDAN COLLEGE

WELDING EQUIPMENT

In 2015, Whitney Benefits gifted $27,000 to Sheridan College for additional welding equipment to enhance the Welding Technology Program. Sheridan College purchased carbon arc equipment to meet the requirements of concurrent enrollment with Tongue River High School.

GIFT FOR PROPERTIES TO EXPAND THE SHERIDAN COLLEGE

CAMPUS

In 2015, Whitney Benefits gifted Sheridan College properties on Smith Street valued at $181,000 as part of Sheridan College’s participation in a new Day Break facility for seniors to be located adjacent to the current Senior Center. These properties was used as a match for a Wyoming Business Council grant to construct the new elder care center, allowing the Senior Center to complete its goal for the Day Break Campaign. The partnership between Sheridan College and the Sheridan Senior Center provides students the unique opportunity to learn and work with elders in the Day Break center. The elders will benefit from the interaction with Sheridan College students and staff. The new facility will be used to create additional high-tech learning laboratories for Sheridan College studying areas such as culinary arts, horticulture, nursing, massage therapy, and dental hygiene.  

$200,000 GIFT FOR SHERIDAN COLLEGE HEALTH SCIENCE

In 2015, Whitney Benefits gifted $200,000 to Sheridan College for renovations to the health science wing on the Sheridan College campus and for renovations at the Sheridan College Simulation Center located on Broadway Street in Sheridan, WY. Renovated space will create high-tech laboratories for students studying in the Dental Hygiene, Nursing and Massage Therapy fields.  The upgrades to the Sim Center included adding a one-way mirror to the high-fidelity room which will enhance the learning opportunities for students.

GIFT FOR CNA INSTRUCTOR AT SHERIDAN COLLEGE

In 2015, Whitney approved a three year commitment to gift a total of $185,400 to Sheridan College for a half-time Certified Nursing Instructor. $125,200 was paid out in 2015. The CNA program has been a great addition to the Sheridan College nursing department and recently the classroom component of the class has been offered in an online format which makes it more accessible to students. The students perform their clinical hours at one of the long term care facilities and generally only travel to campus to practice their skills and test. The benefits to students and the community from the CNA program include: 1. The CNA course is an entry level course that may lead to a lifelong career choice or serve as a stepping stone to a career in nursing or medicine. Many of the current Sheridan College nursing students work as CNA’s while they attend nursing school. 2. There is currently an extreme shortage of CNA’s across Wyoming so students receiving this certification are guaranteed employment upon completion. The Sheridan Center for a Vital Community is supporting a grassroots effort to address the need for quality care for the elderly in the home and in care centers. A crucial piece is adequate numbers of well- trained Certified Nursing Assistants. According to the Bureau of Labor and AARP, by the year 2020, CNA jobs will increase by 22% and CNA/Home Health Aide jobs will increase by 48%.

GIFT FOR MULTIPLE PROGRAMS AT SHERIDAN COLLEGE

In 2015, Whitney Benefits gifted $1,021,800 to Sheridan College for machine tool, nursing, dental, culinary and welding programs at Sheridan College. MACHINE TOOL TECHNOLOGY: Purchases for the Machine Tool Technology program allowed an improved student to equipment ratio which gives students more opportunities for hands-on time with the equipment. Whitney Benefits funds purchased one additional manual lathe, three additional manual mills, additional Computerized-Numerical-Control (CNC) mills and CNC lathes. In addition to these purchases, Sheridan College was able to make repairs to some of the older equipment in the shop and upgrade the CNC equipment. An optical comparator was purchased so students can magnify their work and see the detail in their work. With these funds, Sheridan College also equipped the lab with tool boxes and tools to reduce wait time for students upgraded some of the Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM). CULINARY ART: Purchases of equipment for Sheridan College’s culinary program has provided for new restaurant grade chafers, fryers, food processors and a new PacoJet, a specialized Swiss device which allows chefs to ‘micropurée’ fresh or frozen foods into ultralight mousses, naturally fresh ice creams and sorbets, or aromatic soups, sauces or fillings. NURSING: The funds from Whitney Benefits were used to purchase a simulation product called Sim View for the Sheridan College nursing program. This product will be used to enhance the simulation experience as it provides high quality cameras which will improve clarity and high quality microphones which will enhance the ability to hear what students are saying. Additionally, it has the ability to zoom in on a particular area such as visualizing a student drawing up a medication or putting on sterile gloves, a time stamped video log that records exactly when a patient event happens, and the program allows for sharing of video files so a student can view themselves in a simulation scenario on their own computer. Sheridan College also purchased two static manikins for the nursing lab on campus which have been a wonderful update as they are much lighter to handle and have more capabilities to promote student learning. DENTAL HYGIENE: Whitney Benefits funds were used to purchase equipment to upgrade the Sheridan College Dental Hygiene radiology facilities. Now, twelve students can be accommodated so patients and students are not waiting for shared equipment. Other purchases include new technology for plaque removal to expose students to this equipment and also do some comparative testing as an in-house research and evaluation project. WELDING PROGRAM: Sheridan College purchased 15 Lincoln multi-process machines with funding from Whitney Benefits. These machines allow students to experience various techniques including aluminum spool gun welding.

$500,000 FOR SHERIDAN COLLEGE TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL CENTER

Whitney Benefits gifted $500,000 to Sheridan College for improvements to their aging Technical Vocation Center. The gift was matched by $500,000 in contributions from private individuals. Those improvements, which are already underway, will include a 2,500 sq. ft. addition and 5,000 sq. ft. renovation to the Machine Tool Technology space and a 1,200 sq. ft. addition and 7,000 sq. ft. renovation to the Diesel Technology, Welding Technology, and Construction Technology Areas.

WHITNEY CONTINUES SUPPORT OF HIGH DEMAND PROGRAMS AT

SHERIDAN COLLEGE; THANKS OTHER DONORS FOR THEIR HELP

In March 2013, Whitney Benefits announced the creation of the Jobs, Education and Technology (JET) Program. The program is a partnership with Sheridan College and other potential sponsors and will include funding four new instructor positions for five years. The positions will be in areas where there is tremendous demand for educated, skilled workers. The total cost to add four full-time teachers is approximately $400,000 per year or $2 million over five years. The total pledge from Whitney Benefits is one-half of the $2 million, or $1 million, toward this effort.  In 2015, Whitney Benefits donated $475,000 for this project. The agreement is meant to allow SC to expand the offerings in such high demand areas as Machine Tool Technology, Diesel Technology, Welding Technology, Agriculture/Horticulture, and Performing Arts. In order to fully realize the plan, Whitney Benefits trustees looked to others in the community to match their pledge.  The City of Sheridan matched the yearly pledge for the Machine Tool Technology faculty position and the Perkins Foundation matched the yearly pledge for the Welding Technology Faculty position. An anonymous donor matched Whitney’s yearly pledge for the General Arts/Visual Arts faculty position and a second anonymous donor funded the Agricultural Science faculty position. Whitney Benefits would like to extend a special thanks to these donors for their support of Sheridan College!

WHITNEY CONTINUES SUPPORT FOR SHERIDAN COLLEGE THORNE-

RIDER CAMPUS CENTER

Whitney continues to donate funds for the renovation and expansion of the Thorne-Rider Campus Center at Sheridan College. In 2015, Whitney gifted $1,250,000 for this project as part of their $1,500,000 gift to Sheridan College in support of their $11.7 million renovation and expansion project of the Thorne-Rider Campus Center and the creation of an outdoor landscaped plaza connecting the Campus Center and the Whitney Building. One-half, or $750,000, of the gift will support the building itself and the additional $750,000 will support the plaza. An additional $250,000 was also gifted to improve and update utilities and telecommunications in this area. The previous student center building was built in 1966 and was sized to accommodate 100 students living on campus. The college now has 400+ students living on campus. The Thorne-Rider Campus Center is located at the hub of the campus and the new design encourages everyone on campus to spend some time there. The previous 16,000 square foot building was completely renovated and 12,000 square feet was added to the campus center. Food service is now organized food court style, with six open preparation and service areas, a pizza and coffee shop, and flexible furniture in various styles to support an educational atmosphere. The dining area can now seat up to 500 people on the upper level and will support the plan for 750 students living on campus within the next decade plus about 250 commuter students and employees daily. Other features in the space include an activities room, multi-purpose meeting rooms, campus safety offices, and a Veterans Center to service the 120 Veterans currently enrolled at Sheridan College. Whitney thanks all of the donors and private foundations involved in this project for their continued financial commitment to Sheridan College.

WHITNEY CONTINUES SUPPORT OF EDUCATIONAL ARTS PROJECT

Whitney donated funds to Sheridan College for access and educational programming at the Bradford Brinton Museum. In 2015, Whitney gifted $800,000 for this project as part of their $1,000,000 gift to Sheridan College for the educational arts project. The grant assures access and programming space for students from Sheridan and Johnson County schools as well as Sheridan College students to have access free of charge to the Brinton Museum for year round educational art, science and history programs, illustrator shows, art workshops, gallery tours, and artistic exhibitions.

$750,000 FOR HOUSING AT SHERIDAN COLLEGE

Whitney continues to donate funds to Sheridan College for their student housing. In 2008, Whitney committed to gifting $750,000 per year for ten years as part of their $7.5 million gift to Sheridan College for their continued support of efforts to expand the on- campus living facilities. The newly added 150 bed suite style student housing units have vastly expanded Sheridan College’s ability to recruit and house new students. The Whitney Lofts also added a new food court area in the Hayes Building and a recreational lounge area in the newly constructed Williams building.  The new housing at Sheridan College provides a new and unique opportunity for students to grow, foster educational opportunities, and enjoy their college educations. In 2016, Whitney Benefits also granted $500,000 to Sheridan College to gut and renovate the existing family housing units. The space was repurposed to create 35 new beds which will better serve the needs of the college students.

Whitney Community Advisory Group

The Whitney Community Advisory Group was created in 2004 to provide input from various community members about current Whitney projects and events. The group helps to oversee operations at Whitney Commons and Whitney Plaza. The current community members include Steve Carroll, Mark Demple, Pete Eliason, Judy Stallman, and John Standish.

City of Sheridan

THE GIFT OF WATER

In 2016, Whitney Benefits gifted the City of Sheridan in excess of 50 million gallons of stored Park Reservoir water to assist in watering Sheridan’s thirteen parks, pathways and greenways, including the Sheridan Recreation District's Thorne Rider Park, Oatts Baseball Complex, Dan Media Soccer Field and the elk pasture irrigation and restoration project at Kendrick Park. Additionally, Whitney contributes water to the University of Wyoming Science and Research Center located at Whitney’s Adams ranch for students and educators with experimental test plots, grape vineyards and crop irrigation.

EDUCATION SUMMIT, WHITNEY

BENEFITS BRINGING TOGETHER

STAKEHOLDERS

On November 14, 2016, Whitney Benefits hosted the third annual Education Summit at the new Sheridan College Whitney Center for the Arts Concert Hall. Local educators, government representatives, members of philanthropic foundations, child care providers and others were in attendance to discuss early childhood education issues in Sheridan and Johnson counties as well as throughout the United States. The intent was to bring together various stakeholders to hear about their current accomplishments and challenges as well as their future hopes and goals. The featured speaker for the Education Summit was Bob Sornson, Ph.D. He is an education leader calling for programs and practices which support competency based learning, early learning success and high quality early childhood learning programs. He is the founder of the Early Learning Foundation and works internationally with school districts, universities and parent organizations. He addressed the importance and challenges of developing community systems to help young children become successful learners and citizens. In today’s society, our children can access the opportunities that innovation and emerging technologies present only if they have good learning skills, the capacity for hard work and the ability to collaborate with others. In his remarks, Dr. Sornson discussed how early childhood learning outcomes affect the future for our children and our society, the key ingredients of a community plan which supports early childhood learning success and the commitment needed to build a community in which all children have an opportunity to succeed. Dr. Sornson has written best-selling books for educators, parents and children, along with many journal publications. His books include Over- Tested and Under-Prepared: Using Competency Based Learning to Transform Our Schools (Routledge), Essential Math Skills (Shell Education), Fanatically Formative (Corwin Press), Stand in My Shoes: Kids Learning about Empathy (Love and Logic Press), The Juice Box Bully (Early Learning Foundation Press), Teaching and Joy (ASCD), and Creating Classrooms Where Teachers Love to Teach and Students Love to Learn (Love and Logic Press). He has offered workshops and keynotes in 47 states and in other nations. Bob Sornson’s work focuses on early learning success, competency based learning, and the development of self-regulation and empathy. He lives with his wife Nancy in Brighton, MI, and can be contacted at bob@earlylearningfoundation.com.

JET = JOBS, EDUCATION, AND

TECHNOLOGY

$2 million for programming and

instructors over 5 years

In March 2013, Whitney Benefits announced the creation of the Jobs, Education and Technology (JET) Program. The program is a partnership with Sheridan College and other potential sponsors and will include funding four new instructor positions for five years. The positions will be in areas where there is tremendous demand for educated, skilled workers. The total cost to add four full-time teachers is approximately $400,000 per year or $2 million over five years. The total pledge from Whitney Benefits is one- half of the $2 million, or $1 million, toward this effort. The agreement is meant to allow SC to expand the offerings in such high demand areas as Machine Tool Technology, Diesel Technology, Welding Technology, Agriculture/Horticulture and Performing Arts. In order to fully realize the plan, Whitney Benefits trustees looked to others in the community to match their pledge. The City of Sheridan matched the yearly pledge for the Machine Tool Technology faculty position and the Perkins Foundation matched the yearly pledge for the Welding Technology Faculty position. An anonymous donor matched Whitney’s yearly pledge for the General Arts/Visual Arts faculty position and a second anonymous donor funded the Agricultural Science faculty position. Whitney Benefits would like to extend a special thanks to these donors for their support of Sheridan College! IMPROVEMENTS TO SECURITY TO PROECT ARTWORK In 2016, Whitney Benefits gifted $69,000 to Sheridan College for security and environmental enhancements to the E.A. Whitney gallery in the new Whitney Center for the Arts building. This donation will help ensure the security of Sheridan College artwork that could include the display of Whitney owned Gollings art that was purchased from Sheridan County School District #2.

$250,000 TO FUND AGRICULTURE

INSTRUCTION POSITION AT

COLLEGE

In January 2016, Whitney Benefits committed to grant $250,000 for three years to fund an Endowed Agriculture Instructor position at Sheridan College. This position was created to keep pace with increasing enrollment, educational excellence and educational research at Sheridan College. Additionally, the soon to be opened “Mars Agriculture Center”, a 15,000 square foot state- of-the-art facility that is located on the south end of Sheridan College’s main campus connecting to the existing Science Center, has also increased prospective students interest in agriculture and sciences. The center will focus on providing real-world experiences for students. In addition to high-tech classrooms, a herbarium, a greenhouse and a soils and agroecology lab, the new center will include a computerized commodities trading floor classroom for students studying in the ag- business program.

Whitney Community Advisory

Group

The Whitney Community Advisory Group was created in 2004 to provide input from various community members about current Whitney projects and events. The group helps to oversee operations at Whitney Commons and Whitney Plaza. The current community members include Steve Carroll, Mark Demple, Pete Eliason, Judy Stallman, and John Standish.

Sheridan College and Whitney

Benefits

COMPUTER SKILLS FOR

SHERIDAN AND JOHNSON

COUNTY STUDENTS

Thanks goes to Sheridan and Johnson County School Boards and Sheridan College Trustees for working together for student success. In 2016, the Whitney Board agreed to participate in several projects which would improve computer skills for Sheridan and Johnson county students. Whitney Benefits created the opportunity for all Sheridan County School Districts to participate in computer program training and equipment upgrades. Whitney’s commitment for this project was $183,661 in 2016 as well as $50,000 to Sheridan College to upgrade their computer lab equipment. Three years’ salary and benefits for a Sheridan College instructor to teach computer programming with the opportunity of participation by all Sheridan County School Districts was also committed for $125,000 per year. The three year total offered by Whitney for these programs is $890,686 to support and strengthen computer programs offered through Sheridan College to Sheridan County school students. The support from Whitney Benefits will allow the school districts, along with Sheridan College, to align computer programming and computer science programs with the nationally recognized curriculum and teacher development model, “Project Lead the Way” (PLTW). PLTW will strengthen existing programming classes (large focus on computer coding) and provide a connection between secondary and post- secondary programs. Two classrooms on the main Sheridan College campus will be equipped to support the program. One room will be for use by secondary students; the second will support college students pursuing a degree.

WHITNEY CONTINUES SUPPORT

FOR SHERIDAN COLLEGE

THORNE RIDER CAMPUS CENTER

Whitney continues to donate funds for the renovation and expansion of the Thorne-Rider Campus Center at Sheridan College. In 2016, Whitney completed is final installment of $250,000 for this project as part of their $1,500,000 gift to Sheridan College in support of their $11.7 million renovation and expansion project of the Thorne-Rider Campus Center and the creation of an outdoor landscaped plaza connecting the Campus Center and the Whitney Building. One half, or $750,000, of the gift will support the building itself and the additional $750,000 will support the plaza. Whitney gifted an additional $250,000 in 2016 to improve and update utilities and telecommunications in this area. The previous student center building was built in 1966 and was sized to accommodate 100 students living on campus. The college now has 400+ students living on campus. The Thorne-Rider Campus Center is located at the hub of the campus and the new design encourages everyone on campus to spend some time there. The previous 16,000 square foot building was completely renovated and 12,000 square feet was added to the campus center. Food service is now organized food court style, with six open preparation and service areas, a pizza and coffee shop and flexible furniture in various styles to support an educational atmosphere. The dining area can now seat up to 500 people on the upper level and will support the plan for 750 students living on campus within the next decade plus about 250 commuter students and employees daily. Other features in the space include an activities room, multi-purpose meeting rooms, campus safety offices and a Veterans Center to service the 120 Veterans currently enrolled at Sheridan College. Whitney thanks all of the donors and private foundations involved in this project for their continued financial commitment to Sheridan College.

NEW POSITIONS AT SHERIDAN

COLLEGE

Whitney Benefits committed to funding three new positions at Sheridan College in 2016. The first, $80,000 per year for three years, will allow Sheridan College to hire an additional dance instructor. Dance is a growth area in the Performing Arts program at Sheridan College and an additional instructor will allow additional growth. The second will be to hire a theater technician for $30,000 in 2016, $60,000 in 2017, and $60,000 in 2018. This position will assist as both an educator within the Center of the Arts building and help with new community productions and events to be held in the Center for the Arts Center. The third position will be to hire a recruiter for technical programs for $30,000 in 2016, $60,000 in 2017, and $60,000 in 2018. This position will be a specialized recruiter that seeks prospective students that are looking for vocational training.

WHITNEY BENEFITS COMMITS

$25.3 MILLION TO SHERIDAN

COLLEGE

In 2014, Whitney Benefits committed to the largest gift in the history of Sheridan College in the amount of $25.3 million. In 2015, Whitney continued to fund this extraordinary gift. The commitment from Whitney Benefits to Sheridan College includes the necessary $1.3 million required to complete the $8 million Mars Agriculture and Science Center renovation project, $16 million to support the renovation and expansion of the fine and performing arts wing of the original Whitney Building, $2 million to support infrastructure and parking improvements on the main campus, and $6 million for approximately half of the Tech Center renovation and expansion project. “Currently, we serve over 2,000 students per semester,” SC President Dr. Paul Young said. “This plan and infusion of energy and capital will significantly aid in our efforts to grow the academic areas that align with the local job sectors experiencing growth and positive change.” The renovation and expansion of the fine and performing arts wing located at the north end of the current Whitney Building, referred to as the Whitney Center for the Arts, will include space to enrich the learning experience for all students. In addition to improvements to learning spaces for music and other performing arts, the Whitney gift will provide flexible, creative space to support the fine arts programs including wood and metal fabrication labs; foundry space for pouring aluminum, bronze, and eventually iron; and multi-use exhibition space. The Mars Agriculture Center will be a 13,000 to 15,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility to be located on the south end of Sheridan College’s main campus connecting to the existing Science Center, which will also receive upgrades during the project. The center will focus on providing real-world experiences for students. In addition to high-tech classrooms, a herbarium, a greenhouse, and a soils and agroecology lab, the new center will include a computerized commodities trading floor classroom for students studying in the ag- business program. “The real benefit to laying out a plan like this is that the dollars committed can be leveraged time and time again,” Whitney Benefits Trustee Everett McGlothlin said. “We are hopeful that others will continue to support the students of Sheridan College in order to continue the positive momentum and help change lives.” The $6 million earmarked for the expansion and renovation of the Technical Education Center is approximately half of the total needed to provide a healthier, safer and more secure facility for students to gain vocational degrees and employable skills. College officials plan to request the additional funds from the State of Wyoming during the 2017 legislative session. “Our strategic direction focuses on doing our part to help Wyoming and the nation as a whole to prosper. We are so very fortunate to have many, many people here who believe in this goal and are willing to take action on behalf of the future generations who will continue to benefit from their efforts for years to come,” Young said. “Thank you to Whitney Benefits.” Sheridan College officials hope to have the projects completed by late summer of 2019.

GIFT FOR SHERIDAN COLLEGE

WELDING EQUIPMENT

In 2015, Whitney Benefits gifted $27,000 to Sheridan College for additional welding equipment to enhance the Welding Technology Program. Sheridan College purchased carbon arc equipment to meet the requirements of concurrent enrollment with Tongue River High School.

GIFT FOR PROPERTIES TO

EXPAND THE SHERIDAN

COLLEGE CAMPUS

In 2015, Whitney Benefits gifted Sheridan College properties on Smith Street valued at $181,000 as part of Sheridan College’s participation in a new Day Break facility for seniors to be located adjacent to the current Senior Center. These properties was used as a match for a Wyoming Business Council grant to construct the new elder care center, allowing the Senior Center to complete its goal for the Day Break Campaign. The partnership between Sheridan College and the Sheridan Senior Center provides students the unique opportunity to learn and work with elders in the Day Break center. The elders will benefit from the interaction with Sheridan College students and staff. The new facility will be used to create additional high-tech learning laboratories for Sheridan College studying areas such as culinary arts, horticulture, nursing, massage therapy, and dental hygiene.  

$200,000 GIFT FOR SHERIDAN

COLLEGE HEALTH SCIENCE

In 2015, Whitney Benefits gifted $200,000 to Sheridan College for renovations to the health science wing on the Sheridan College campus and for renovations at the Sheridan College Simulation Center located on Broadway Street in Sheridan, WY. Renovated space will create high-tech laboratories for students studying in the Dental Hygiene, Nursing and Massage Therapy fields.  The upgrades to the Sim Center included adding a one- way mirror to the high-fidelity room which will enhance the learning opportunities for students.

GIFT FOR CNA INSTRUCTOR AT

SHERIDAN COLLEGE

In 2015, Whitney approved a three year commitment to gift a total of $185,400 to Sheridan College for a half-time Certified Nursing Instructor. $125,200 was paid out in 2015. The CNA program has been a great addition to the Sheridan College nursing department and recently the classroom component of the class has been offered in an online format which makes it more accessible to students. The students perform their clinical hours at one of the long term care facilities and generally only travel to campus to practice their skills and test. The benefits to students and the community from the CNA program include: 1. The CNA course is an entry level course that may lead to a lifelong career choice or serve as a stepping stone to a career in nursing or medicine. Many of the current Sheridan College nursing students work as CNA’s while they attend nursing school. 2. There is currently an extreme shortage of CNA’s across Wyoming so students receiving this certification are guaranteed employment upon completion. The Sheridan Center for a Vital Community is supporting a grassroots effort to address the need for quality care for the elderly in the home and in care centers. A crucial piece is adequate numbers of well- trained Certified Nursing Assistants. According to the Bureau of Labor and AARP, by the year 2020, CNA jobs will increase by 22% and CNA/Home Health Aide jobs will increase by 48%.

GIFT FOR MULTIPLE PROGRAMS

AT SHERIDAN COLLEGE

In 2015, Whitney Benefits gifted $1,021,800 to Sheridan College for machine tool, nursing, dental, culinary and welding programs at Sheridan College. MACHINE TOOL TECHNOLOGY: Purchases for the Machine Tool Technology program allowed an improved student to equipment ratio which gives students more opportunities for hands-on time with the equipment. Whitney Benefits funds purchased one additional manual lathe, three additional manual mills, additional Computerized-Numerical-Control (CNC) mills and CNC lathes. In addition to these purchases, Sheridan College was able to make repairs to some of the older equipment in the shop and upgrade the CNC equipment. An optical comparator was purchased so students can magnify their work and see the detail in their work. With these funds, Sheridan College also equipped the lab with tool boxes and tools to reduce wait time for students upgraded some of the Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM). CULINARY ART: Purchases of equipment for Sheridan College’s culinary program has provided for new restaurant grade chafers, fryers, food processors and a new PacoJet, a specialized Swiss device which allows chefs to ‘micropurée’ fresh or frozen foods into ultralight mousses, naturally fresh ice creams and sorbets, or aromatic soups, sauces or fillings. NURSING: The funds from Whitney Benefits were used to purchase a simulation product called Sim View for the Sheridan College nursing program. This product will be used to enhance the simulation experience as it provides high quality cameras which will improve clarity and high quality microphones which will enhance the ability to hear what students are saying. Additionally, it has the ability to zoom in on a particular area such as visualizing a student drawing up a medication or putting on sterile gloves, a time stamped video log that records exactly when a patient event happens, and the program allows for sharing of video files so a student can view themselves in a simulation scenario on their own computer. Sheridan College also purchased two static manikins for the nursing lab on campus which have been a wonderful update as they are much lighter to handle and have more capabilities to promote student learning. DENTAL HYGIENE: Whitney Benefits funds were used to purchase equipment to upgrade the Sheridan College Dental Hygiene radiology facilities. Now, twelve students can be accommodated so patients and students are not waiting for shared equipment. Other purchases include new technology for plaque removal to expose students to this equipment and also do some comparative testing as an in-house research and evaluation project. WELDING PROGRAM: Sheridan College purchased 15 Lincoln multi- process machines with funding from Whitney Benefits. These machines allow students to experience various techniques including aluminum spool gun welding.

$500,000 FOR SHERIDAN

COLLEGE TECHNICAL

VOCATIONAL CENTER

Whitney Benefits gifted $500,000 to Sheridan College for improvements to their aging Technical Vocation Center. The gift was matched by $500,000 in contributions from private individuals. Those improvements, which are already underway, will include a 2,500 sq. ft. addition and 5,000 sq. ft. renovation to the Machine Tool Technology space and a 1,200 sq. ft. addition and 7,000 sq. ft. renovation to the Diesel Technology, Welding Technology, and Construction Technology Areas.

WHITNEY CONTINUES SUPPORT

OF HIGH DEMAND PROGRAMS

AT SHERIDAN COLLEGE;

THANKS OTHER DONORS FOR

THEIR HELP

In March 2013, Whitney Benefits announced the creation of the Jobs, Education and Technology (JET) Program. The program is a partnership with Sheridan College and other potential sponsors and will include funding four new instructor positions for five years. The positions will be in areas where there is tremendous demand for educated, skilled workers. The total cost to add four full-time teachers is approximately $400,000 per year or $2 million over five years. The total pledge from Whitney Benefits is one-half of the $2 million, or $1 million, toward this effort.  In 2015, Whitney Benefits donated $475,000 for this project. The agreement is meant to allow SC to expand the offerings in such high demand areas as Machine Tool Technology, Diesel Technology, Welding Technology, Agriculture/Horticulture, and Performing Arts. In order to fully realize the plan, Whitney Benefits trustees looked to others in the community to match their pledge.  The City of Sheridan matched the yearly pledge for the Machine Tool Technology faculty position and the Perkins Foundation matched the yearly pledge for the Welding Technology Faculty position. An anonymous donor matched Whitney’s yearly pledge for the General Arts/Visual Arts faculty position and a second anonymous donor funded the Agricultural Science faculty position. Whitney Benefits would like to extend a special thanks to these donors for their support of Sheridan College!

WHITNEY CONTINUES SUPPORT

FOR SHERIDAN COLLEGE

THORNE-RIDER CAMPUS

CENTER

Whitney continues to donate funds for the renovation and expansion of the Thorne-Rider Campus Center at Sheridan College. In 2015, Whitney gifted $1,250,000 for this project as part of their $1,500,000 gift to Sheridan College in support of their $11.7 million renovation and expansion project of the Thorne- Rider Campus Center and the creation of an outdoor landscaped plaza connecting the Campus Center and the Whitney Building. One-half, or $750,000, of the gift will support the building itself and the additional $750,000 will support the plaza. An additional $250,000 was also gifted to improve and update utilities and telecommunications in this area. The previous student center building was built in 1966 and was sized to accommodate 100 students living on campus. The college now has 400+ students living on campus. The Thorne-Rider Campus Center is located at the hub of the campus and the new design encourages everyone on campus to spend some time there. The previous 16,000 square foot building was completely renovated and 12,000 square feet was added to the campus center. Food service is now organized food court style, with six open preparation and service areas, a pizza and coffee shop, and flexible furniture in various styles to support an educational atmosphere. The dining area can now seat up to 500 people on the upper level and will support the plan for 750 students living on campus within the next decade plus about 250 commuter students and employees daily. Other features in the space include an activities room, multi-purpose meeting rooms, campus safety offices, and a Veterans Center to service the 120 Veterans currently enrolled at Sheridan College. Whitney thanks all of the donors and private foundations involved in this project for their continued financial commitment to Sheridan College.

WHITNEY CONTINUES SUPPORT

OF EDUCATIONAL ARTS

PROJECT

Whitney donated funds to Sheridan College for access and educational programming at the Bradford Brinton Museum. In 2015, Whitney gifted $800,000 for this project as part of their $1,000,000 gift to Sheridan College for the educational arts project. The grant assures access and programming space for students from Sheridan and Johnson County schools as well as Sheridan College students to have access free of charge to the Brinton Museum for year round educational art, science and history programs, illustrator shows, art workshops, gallery tours, and artistic exhibitions.

$750,000 FOR HOUSING AT

SHERIDAN COLLEGE

Whitney continues to donate funds to Sheridan College for their student housing. In 2008, Whitney committed to gifting $750,000 per year for ten years as part of their $7.5 million gift to Sheridan College for their continued support of efforts to expand the on-campus living facilities. The newly added 150 bed suite style student housing units have vastly expanded Sheridan College’s ability to recruit and house new students. The Whitney Lofts also added a new food court area in the Hayes Building and a recreational lounge area in the newly constructed Williams building.  The new housing at Sheridan College provides a new and unique opportunity for students to grow, foster educational opportunities, and enjoy their college educations. In 2016, Whitney Benefits also granted $500,000 to Sheridan College to gut and renovate the existing family housing units. The space was repurposed to create 35 new beds which will better serve the needs of the college students.

City of Sheridan

THE GIFT OF WATER

In 2016, Whitney Benefits gifted the City of Sheridan in excess of 50 million gallons of stored Park Reservoir water to assist in watering Sheridan’s thirteen parks, pathways and greenways, including the Sheridan Recreation District's Thorne Rider Park, Oatts Baseball Complex, Dan Media Soccer Field and the elk pasture irrigation and restoration project at Kendrick Park. Additionally, Whitney contributes water to the University of Wyoming Science and Research Center located at Whitney’s Adams ranch for students and educators with experimental test plots, grape vineyards and crop irrigation.