VSU offering trauma workshop

VALDOSTA, Ga. — Valdosta State University will host clinical competency in trauma from 8:15 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 18, in the University Center Cypress Room. The workshop is presented by the university’s Counseling Center and Department of Psychology, Counseling and Family Therapy. Clinical competency in trauma participants will learn the basics of trauma, how psychological first aid can be used in a crisis, how to identify appropriate assessment tools for trauma, how trauma affects the body and ways to clinically use the body to help regulate emotions from trauma. The one-day workshop is open to all counselors, social workers, marriage and family therapists, and law-enforcement officers, as well as college or university students pursuing a degree in these field. However, anyone interested in trauma or working with individuals who have been traumatized is welcome to attend. Registration is $90 and includes all conference materials, lunch, snacks and the opportunity to earn continuing education credits. College and university students with a valid university ID can register at a reduced rate of $40. Rebecca Smith and Dr. Jennifer Branscome will lead the workshop. Smith, the assistant director at the VSU Counseling Center, is a licensed professional counselor and a certified professional counselor supervisor in the state of Georgia with 18 years of clinical experience. She holds a certificate in traumatic stress studies from the Justice Resource Institute’s Trauma Center. Branscome, an associate professor of psychology in the Department of Psychology, Counseling, and Family Therapy at VSU, is a licensed psychologist in the state of Georgia with 15 years of experience in school psychology. Her clinical training includes a background in trauma as well as stressor-related disorders. She also has training in psychological first aid and trauma assessment. Contact Rebecca Smith at rebecsmith@valdosta.edu or (229) 333-5940 for more information.

 

United Way donates books to Boys & Girls Clubs

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — The United Way of Central Georgia and Americorps Vista recently donated books to dozens of kids in Baldwin and Jones counties. The reading initiative to encourage those children to continue learning while school is out was part of United Way’s national Day of Action campaign. The children receiving the bags full of books and other reading and writing items came from the summer care program by the Boys & Girls Club of Baldwin and Jones County. Volunteers gave out 85 bags to children in two club locations — Milledgeville and Gray. The donated bags included crayons, word search games and coloring books. The volunteers came from Georgia Power, the Georgia Military College’s varsity football team and other local organizations. Among those lending a hand was Hope Hines, a vice president of mortgage lending at Exchange Bank of Milledgeville. Americorps Vista gave a $1,000 grant to purchase the bags, books and other items that were part of the kit. The United Way’s Day of Action is an annual event that mobilizes volunteers to make an impact in more than 400 communities around the world. Last year, more than 418 United Ways in 21 countries assembled volunteers during the Day of Action. This year’s national focus was on summer learning and nutrition. 

 

College reading program to consider ‘Middle-Earth as Universe’

DALTON, Ga. — Dalton State College’s LibraryCon summer reading program continues at the Roberts Library on Wednesday, July 12. Participants are encouraged to read science fiction, paranormal and fantasy literature. On this day at 12:15 p.m. in the library media room, Jenny Crisp, associate professor of English, hosts a book talk on “Middle-Earth as Universe: World-building in ‘Lord of the Rings.’” J.R.R. Tolkien pioneered the modern fantasy genre with his books set in Middle-Earth, but what went into designing that fictional world? For more information on events in the program, visit libguides.daltonstate.edu/SummerReading2017.

 

Georgia Museum of Agriculture hosts woodturning exhibit

TIFTON, Ga. — A completely refurbished, permanent installation of a local woodturning exhibit is now open at the Georgia Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. The exhibit showcases the works of over a dozen local artisans who are actively engaged in the woodturning tradition. The exhibit includes a vintage woodworking tools display with several restored pieces from the mid and late 1800s, a display of bowls made from the most popular “turning trees” in Georgia, a display on stains and finishes, and a collection of lathe-made items by local artisans that are available for purchase. For more information on this exhibit, contact Museum Curator and Assistant Director Polly Huff via e-mail at phuff@abac.edu.