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AWS Launches New Information Infrastructure Training Program at BCCC
AWS (Amazon Web Services) has launched a four-week paid pre-apprenticeship program in partnership with Bucks County Community College (BCCC) — the first of its kind in Pennsylvania — to prepare the workforce needed for the construction and operation of data centers and other information technology infrastructure.
The AWS Information Infrastructure Pre-Apprenticeship (I2PA) program delivers practical, hands-on training that prepares participants to explore careers that build, connect, power, and operate the infrastructure supporting the information economy. Industry experts, including subject matter experts from BCCC, cover vital workplace skills and foundational knowledge in electrical, mechanical, fiber-optic, and data center operations.
AWS chose BCCC to host the classes, taking place at the Center for Advanced Technologies at the College’s Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks in Bristol, Pa. A full cohort of 22 students is training from March 30 to April 24.
“We’re thrilled to partner with AWS to help expose students to the systems and skills necessary to launch high-tech, high-demand careers in the information economy,” said Bucks County Community College President & CEO Patrick M. Jones.
At the end of the training, students will have earned several industry-required certificates, including AWS I2PA and OSHA 10. They will also have an opportunity to participate in a job fair, featuring hiring managers from companies looking for workers with these skills and credentials.
Last year, Amazon announced it is investing $20 billion — the largest capital investment in Commonwealth history — to build two “innovation campuses” in Pennsylvania, including one on the site of the former U.S. Steel property in Falls Township which will become the largest industrial park on the East Coast. The centers will build out cloud computing and artificial intelligence infrastructure, Amazon said.
In addition to the AWS I2PA training, BCCC offers several workforce programs, including registered pre-apprenticeships in construction and manufacturing, and evening trades courses, all aligned with the skill demands of modern data center operations. More information is available on the Future Focus: Advanced Technology Pathways web page.
Take the Next Step Towards Your Future at Spring Open House Events
Bucks County Community College, which has been launching futures for more than 60 years, invites prospective students and their families to visit their campuses during three Spring Open House events and discover all that Bucks has to offer.
“The Spring Open House is a wonderful opportunity to connect with our deans, faculty, and staff to learn about our programs and support services,” said Yolonda Udvardy, Ed.D., interim vice president of enrollment management. “You might discover a new academic or career pathway and can also take a guided tour of our campuses and learning spaces.”
Students can save 28% - 68% on the cost of a bachelor’s degree by starting their first two years at Bucks County Community College, which is consistently ranked among the top in the state and nation. Research.com recently ranked Bucks the No. 2 Best Value College in Pennsylvania among all colleges. SmartAsset, a consumer-focused financial website, ranked Bucks No. 2 in Pennsylvania, while Niche, a popular college search site, placed the College third in the commonwealth. Nationally, SmartAsset ranked Bucks among the top 10% of all two-year colleges.
Bucks offers more than 90 academic programs of study that lead to either an associate degree or a shorter-term certificate. Many programs provide a quick pathway to begin or change careers. In addition, the College offers a variety of professional certification and non-credit lifelong learning opportunities.
What’s more, Bucks offers a vibrant, engaging student experience with more than 40 student clubs and organizations, 14 intercollegiate sports teams and intramurals, community service projects, student leadership opportunities, and college-wide events.
All areas of the College will be represented at the Spring Open House events. The events take place on the following dates and locations.
Saturday, April 11, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.Newtown Campus275 Swamp Rd.Newtown, PA 18940
Wednesday, April 15, 6 – 7:30 p.m.Upper Bucks CampusOne Hillendale Rd.Perkasie, PA 18944
Wednesday, April 22, 6 – 7:30 p.m.Gene and Marlene Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks1304 Veterans HighwayBristol, PA 19007
To learn more about all that Bucks County Community College has to offer, visit our website. To register for a Spring Open House event, visit the Open House web page. For further questions, email admissionsevents@bucks.edu or call 215-968-8100.
Bucks County Community College Has a New Dance Partner
Without missing a step, Bucks County Community College dance majors can now transfer to DeSales University in nearby Center Valley, Pa., to complete their bachelor's degree.
The collaboration creates expanded opportunities for dance students to continue their artistic and academic journeys with a seamless pathway from Bucks to DeSales. What’s more, Bucks students with a 2.75 GPA or above and enrolled as a full-time student will receive a scholarship equal to 50% of DeSales’ tuition rate.
There are two pathways for dance students to enter DeSales through Bucks, according to Tia Kern, the coordinator of the College’s dance program.
“One of the great benefits of this agreement is that high school seniors can audition at DeSales, gain acceptance, and then choose to begin their studies at Bucks,” said Kern. “By doing so, they can essentially bypass the audition process when transferring as college juniors, while also saving a significant portion of tuition before completing their bachelor’s degree.”
Students can also audition to enter DeSales as college juniors at Bucks through the advising structure designed within the agreement, added Kern.
The College will celebrate its new dance partner with a special performance at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, in the Zlock Performing Arts Center. The program will feature performances by Bucks dancers alongside visiting dancers from DeSales, highlighting the talent, creativity, and shared commitment to excellence that defines this growing partnership.
“We invite students, faculty, and the community to come together in support of the arts and this exciting new chapter for dance education,” said Kern.
The performance, which is free and open to the public, takes place on the campus located at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., where there is ample free parking. For a campus map and directions, visit the Newtown Campus web page.
The Associate of Arts degree in dance is one of ten programs of study offered by the School of Arts and Communication. Bucks County Community College is an accredited institutional member of both the National Association of Schools of Art and Design and the National Association of Schools of Music.
Launch Your Future at Spring Career Fair Thursday, April 9
Bucks County Community College, which has been helping people find their passion for more than 60 years, invites the public to a free Career Fair on Thursday, April 9 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Nearly six dozen companies and organizations will be represented in the Linksz Pavilion on the Newtown Campus, located at 275 Swamp Road, Newtown, PA 18940.
"This event reflects the strength of our regional workforce community,” said Kate Zimmerman, director of cooperative education and career services. “With more than 70 employers participating, the career fair is an opportunity for students, alumni, and community members to explore career pathways, build relationships with employers, and learn about internship and job opportunities that exist right here in our region.”
During the fair, job seekers will be able to speak with organizations from Bucks County and beyond who are actively hiring. A variety of fields will be represented, including medical, manufacturing, education, human services, customer service, hospitality and tourism, and more. PA CareerLink’s Workforce on Wheels will also be on site for those looking for assistance with resume preparation.
Attendees are encouraged to dress professionally, bring copies of their resume, and be prepared to potentially engage in an on-the-spot interview. For more information, contact Cooperative Education and Career Services at career@bucks.edu or 215-968-8138.
Learn About 'The Forgotten Girls' of the Holocaust with Film Screening and Q & A
Edith Grosman was seventeen when Slovak officials ordered unmarried Jewish girls to register for work service. Filled with a sense of national pride, she joined hundreds of other innocent young women who were under the false impression their patriotic duty would benefit their families. Instead, they were deported to Auschwitz as expendable slave labor.
Grosman and others tell their incredible stories of survival first-hand in the award-winning documentary “999: The Forgotten Girls,” coming to Bucks County Community College at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 26. The free screening, presented by the College’s School of Social and Behavioral Science and the Holocaust and Genocide Studies certificate program, includes a question-and-answer session with director Heather Dune Macadam.
The Slovak government paid the Nazis the equivalent of $3,000 to deport each girl. Through first-person testimony and rare archival material, we learn the little-known facts of the women’s camp in 1942 and how a handful of the girls managed against all odds to survive over three long years of hell on earth.
“Too many stories — especially those of young women — remain untold or overlooked,” said Paula Raimondo, Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies. “The first transport of Jewish girls from Slovakia to Auschwitz is not widely known, yet it reveals so much about deception, state complicity, gendered persecution, and resilience. When we bring these histories into the light, we not only honor the victims and survivors, we challenge ourselves to confront the systems that made such atrocities possible.”
Macadam spent over 20 years researching and interviewing families, witnesses, and survivors of the first official transport to Auschwitz. Her internationally acclaimed book “999: The Extraordinary Young Women of the First Official Jewish Transport to Auschwitz” (published in 2020), on which the film is based, has been translated into 18 languages and was a PEN Finalist in 2021. The film was honored with the Human Rights Award at the Hamptons Documentary Fest, Best Documentary at the Miami Jewish Film Festival Audience Award, and as an official selection of the New York Jewish Film Festival.
“I am especially thrilled to offer this event in conjunction with our spring Rescue and Resistance course, in which students spend the semester examining moral courage, defiance, and survival under unimaginable circumstances,” added Raimondo. “Hearing this story — grounded in first-person testimony and Heather’s years of research — deepens that study in a profound way. It reminds us that resistance took many forms, including the daily, determined will to survive.”
The free screening, which is supported by a Mark Schonwetter Foundation Grant, takes place in the Zlock Performing Arts Center, located on the campus at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, PA 18940. For a campus map and directions, visit the Newtown Campus web page.
To learn more about the College’s Holocaust and Genocide Studies certificate program, contact the School of Social and Behavioral Science at sb@bucks.edu or 215-968-8270.
Youthful Creativity Shines at 31st Annual High School Art Exhibition
Crowds like this one last year are expected to visit the 31st Annual High School Art Exhibition at Bucks County Community College’s Hicks Art Center Gallery. (PHOTO CREDIT: Mel Evans)
Bucks County Community College invites the public to the 31st Annual High School Art Exhibition March 18 – April 5 in the Hicks Art Center Gallery, including an awards ceremony and reception on Sunday, March 29.
High school art teachers have selected their students’ best work for the exhibition, and for submission to the Congressional Art Competition, held in every congressional district each spring. The first-place winning artwork will be sent to Washington, D.C., to be displayed in the corridors of the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol for a year, representing Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District.
Clifford Eberly, the College’s senior manager of galleries and exhibitions, says the show is an opportunity to see youthful ingenuity flourish.
“Now in my fifth year of working with high school instructors and their students for this annual exhibition, I have seen the breadth of astounding creativity from the county’s young artists, and it is truly inspiring,” said Eberly. “It is important for us to foster art and culture in our region while promoting the legacy of Bucks as a vital source of creative education.”
A reception takes place from 12:30 – 3 p.m. Sunday, March 29, in room 100 of the Hicks Art Center, featuring an awards ceremony at 1 p.m. presented by Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-01), who will announce the winning entry. The reception features free refreshments and an opportunity to meet the young artists and their instructors.
The Hicks Art Center Gallery is located on the campus at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., where there is ample free parking. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and noon – 4 p.m. Saturday. The gallery is also open Sunday, March 29, from 12:30 – 3 p.m. for the reception and awards ceremony.
All events are free and open to the public. To learn more, visit hicksgallery.bucks.edu, email gallery@bucks.edu, or call 215-968-8432.
