Scholarship opportunities available through the chamber

I’d like to share a couple scholarship opportunities with you today.

The first is a reminder of the chamber’s first-time venture into scholarships that we announced a month ago. The Workforce Scholarship Program is meant to address current and future shortages in the region’s work force.

Scholarships are available for individuals in three general groups: current high school students taking college coursework, any student enrolling in a “high-demand” course of study, or current employees seeking training/education to upgrade work-related skills.

Students who live or attend school in a community that includes at least one member of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce are eligible.

That includes Bellwood, Clarkson, Columbus, Cornlea, Creston, David City, Fremont, Genoa, Grand Island, Humphrey, Lincoln, Lindsay, Norfolk, Omaha, Platte Center, Richland, Rising City, Schuyler, Seward, Shelby, Silver Creek, Stanton, Stromsburg and Wayne.

Employees of any member organization also are eligible.

The application deadline for the first round of Workforce Scholarship awards will be Dec. 1.

The application form is now posted on-line at www.thecolumbuspage.com. It also is available at the chamber office, and the chamber staff can fax or

e-mail a copy to you.

The second opportunity to put in front of you today is a scholarship to an extraordinary leadership training opportunity.

The Columbus Area Chamber is proud to offer scholarship support to members of our organization to attend Leadership Nebraska.

The first two classes of the State Chamber’s statewide leadership development program have included Columbus Area Chamber members.

Leadership Nebraska is really an excellent experience, according to those who have gone through the class in the past two years. You could talk to Linda Aerni, Adrian Sanchez or Bill Rongisch about their experience in the program. I’m confident you’ll hear comments that will encourage you to consider signing up.

The deadline for applications to the third Leadership Nebraska class is now just a month away.

Application details and information on the program are available at www.state

chamberleadershipnebra

ska.com. For details on the support available, contact K.C. Belitz at the chamber office.

Finally, remember that tickets are on sale for the premier event of each fall in Columbus.

The Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce presents the eighth annual “Taste of Columbus”

Oct. 12 to mark Columbus Day weekend.

Support of events like “Taste” is what allows the chamber to provide the scholarship dollars we’ve mentioned today.

That is just one example of the work in community development only possible through the support of chamber members and the community at-large.

K.C. Belitz is president of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce