The Fifth Edition of the New York Forum of Amazigh Film Festival May 9 & 10, 2019
The New York Forum of Amazigh Film (NYFAF) is an annual forum of shorts, documentaries, and feature films celebrating the Imazighen, the indigenous people of North Africa. This yearly event includes discussions between filmmakers, scholars and students as well as live musical performances, exhibits, and receptions to promote cultural awareness and exchange.
Now in its fifth edition, NYFAF will take place at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (LPAC) in Long Island City, NY on May 9th and 10th. This year’s theme is Navigating Plural Identities, a central element of life in North Africa which encompasses many languages, ethnicities, religions, cultural practices, and artistic expressions.
Moviegoers will be immersed in a dynamic, transnational culture and live the stories and struggles of a diverse ethnic identity in search of a new lens of understanding. Farida Benlyazid’s documentary, Amazigh Wedding in the Anergui Valley and Soufian Aaraichi’s The Mountain's Echo: The Voices of Amazigh Women showcase the celebrations, labor, and choices of generations of women, including elders who encourage the next generation to gain an educated voice. Zahra’s Mother Tongue, by filmmaker Fatima Sissani, focuses on language and immigration. How do we preserve an oral tradition across borders? In the experimental feature, Defining Love, a Failed Attempt, invited director Hakim Belabbes explores the intersection of legend and modern life. Is unconditional love ever possible?
The beauty, complexity, and resilience of Amazigh culture shine through in these selected works from some of the region’s most innovative filmmakers.
Demonstrating how to keep a native culture alive despite colonial domination and continuing forms of oppression, Amazigh films contribute to a vital dialogue in today’s political and social climate. Historically, the Imazighen, formerly known as Berbers, have left evidence that researchers date as far back as 9,000 years. A diverse people living across North and Sub-Saharan Africa and now spread out through a larger diaspora, they actively seek new forms of self-representation, which NYFAF invites you to explore.
This festival is made possible by the active support of LaGuardia Community College and the Middle East Institute at Columbia University. The International Festival for Oriental Films in Geneva is a media sponsor. For further information about the 2019 program, guest speakers, and previous editions, we kindly invite you to visit the NYFAF website and contact our event producer Ms. Dima Abu Sbeitan at dimasbeitan@gmail.com.
Habiba Boumlik, founder and co-curator, hboumlik@lagcc.cuny.edu
Lucy McNair, co-curator, lmcnair@lagcc.cuny.edu
### Mount Sinai Joins Weill Cornell Medicine as a Full Employer-partner in Medical Billing Training Program at LaGuardia Community College 86% of 5th cohort grads are now employed—13 at Weill Cornell Medicine, four at Mount Sinai, and three in private practices
March 15, 2019
Medical Billing Training Program Cohort
At a recent graduation ceremony, the fifth cohort of 24 New Yorkers celebrated the completion of an intense five-month training, launched by LaGuardia Community College (“LaGuardia”) and Weill Cornell Medicine, to prepare them for rewarding, in-demand medical billing positions. Mount Sinai, which has previously hired program graduates, was announced as a full employer-partner. The Medical Billing Training Program is offered through LaGuardia’s Learning and Innovation Center.
As full employer-partners, Weill Cornell Medicine and Mount Sinai representatives collaborated with LaGuardia faculty and program staff to screen applicants, provide curriculum input, create job-shadowing opportunities for students, and interview program graduates for open medical billing positions.
“Mount Sinai has really benefited by expanding our relationship with LaGuardia Community College via their Medical Billing Training Program,” Richard Nagengast, VP of Revenue Cycle for Mount Sinai. “The overall caliber of students is impressive. They come well prepared, demonstrating the value of the solid curriculum tailored to our real work. The graduates we’ve hired are among our best employees with several promotions among them. I am pleased to have this opportunity to support Adult Education in an endeavor that facilitates hiring well qualified candidates from our local community. This has truly been a win-win experience.”
Since 2016, funding from the New York Alliance for Careers in Healthcare (within the New York City Department of Small Business Services) has enabled the program to be offered tuition-free for participants.
“The Medical Billing Training Program reflects the innovative workforce development work that we do every day with New York City’s leading employers,” said LaGuardia Community College President Gail O. Mellow. “These programs provide benefits for all parties involved—employers get an expanded pool of well-qualified candidates with diverse backgrounds, and participants get a pathway to a better life through jobs that allow them to provide for themselves and their family members.”
“With accelerated training for New Yorkers who have a high school diploma or equivalency, the Medical Billing Training Program is a flagship of our Learning and Innovation Center, which provides pathways to middle skills jobs that traditionally have gone to those with a bachelor’s,” said Mark Healy, who oversees the Learning and Innovation Center as vice president of Continuing Education at LaGuardia.
Nearly 80% of program graduates from previous classes are currently working in New York as medical billers, customer service reps, and other non-clinical entry-level positions with starting salaries of $35,000-$45,000. In addition to Weill Cornell Medicine and Mount Sinai, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian, Elmhurst Hospital, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Northwell Health, and additional NY metro health care facilities have hired program graduates.
Based on word of mouth and media coverage of the Medical Billing Training Program, nearly 1,500 people applied for spots in the fifth cohort. The 24 graduates range in age from 21-54 years-old, with the average being 32-years-old; nearly 90% are female. Most were born outside the United States.
To the left, graduate Deborah DiGioia standing with program Director Kimberly Kendall
Fifth cohort graduate Deborah DiGioia, age 54, recently started a new medical billing job at a holistic family medical practice in Manhattan. Deborah had spent years working in retail, until she was laid off in 2017 when the Sears store she worked at closed. Working on the store’s liquidation was an enormous job—resulting in Deborah needing carpal tunnel surgery. An occupational therapist who oversaw Deborah’s post-surgery rehabilitation recommended LaGuardia’s medical billing program. Ready to leave behind the long hours and physical demands of retail, Deborah jumped on the suggestion.
“As an over-50 woman looking to switch to a new career, I was thrilled to find LaGuardia’s medical billing program,” said Ms. DiGioia. “I didn’t realize the wealth of information we’d get in the program. We learned about healthcare systems in other countries, and about the intricacies of the US healthcare system. I’m excited to be working in this field, and now my 29-year-old daughter is hoping to join me.”
“The increasing involvement of New York’s major healthcare providers validates a program we helped develop from the start,” said Barry Puritz, co-chair of the Harvard Business School Club of New York’s Skills Gap Initiative. “Graduates are being promoted as hiring managers recognize their value as detail oriented team players who understand the healthcare insurance system and are genuinely compassionate towards the patients whose treatment they help facilitate.”
According to New York Health Careers, the medical billing occupation is expected to see continued growth as state and federal reforms have made health care available to many more people. Additionally, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that between 2014 and 2024, the number of jobs for Billing and Posting Clerks will increase by 13% nationwide. The New York State Department of Labor projects that the number of jobs will increase by 20% in New York during the same period.
To read more about the Medical Billing Training Program at LaGuardia Community College, click on links below:
1. First cohort
2. Second cohort
3. Third cohort
4. Fourth cohort
Click here for a Crain’s New York Business article on the 5th graduation from the Medical Billing Training Program.
View online (subscription required): City Revives Funding for Program to Train Medical Billers
• • • •
LaGuardia’s Learning and Innovation Center provides accelerated training opportunities in strategically-selected areas that reflect job market outlooks, local workforce needs, and industry feedback. Courses are designed for fast turnaround—shrinking the time it takes to complete training and apply for jobs. Courses range between two weeks to five months, and include evening and weekend classes to accommodate family and work responsibilities. Many programs allow participants to accrue college credits, which can be applied towards an associate’s degree at LaGuardia Community College. The Center is part of LaGuardia’s Continuing Education Division, which serves approx. 30,000/yr. New Yorkers who are seeking to advance their careers, education and businesses.
LaGuardia Community College located in Long Island City, Queens, educates more than 50,000 New Yorkers annually through degree, certificate, and continuing education programs. Our guiding principle Dare To Do More reflects our belief in the transformative power of education—not just for individuals, but for our community and our country—creating pathways for achievement and safeguarding the middle class. LaGuardia is a national voice on behalf of community colleges, where half of all US college students study. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his championing the underserved. Since our doors opened in 1971, our programs regularly become national models for pushing boundaries to give people of all backgrounds access to a high quality, affordable college education. We invite you to join us in imagining what our students, our community, and our country can become. Visit www.LaGuardia.edu to learn more.
### Urgent Drive for Food, Toiletries, Clothes, & Household Items to Fill LaGuardia Community College’s On-Campus Pantry February 28 – March 20, 2019
♦ Pantry serves LaGuardia’s 50,000/yr. students—a majority of whom struggle to make ends meet; more than 70% come from families making less than $30,000/yr.
♦ Items needed include: non-perishable food, clothes, toiletries, childcare items, & household supplies
♦ Monetary donations always needed & greatly appreciated
Demand for the food from the pantry has risen dramatically in recent months. Particularly during the federal government shutdown at the beginning of 2019, the number of students seeking for food pantry items increased 25% (100 to 125 students per week).
The pantry is run by our Single Stop office, which as its name implies, is a one-stop shop for students needing emergency assistance. Its staff helps students sign-up for public benefits, find safe housing, and refers them to our College Foundation where they can apply for emergency funds. Nearly 1 in 4 LaGuardia students receive support from Single Stop – approx. 5,000 students each year.
The pantry provides:
- Food that hungry students can eat asap on campus, or bring home to make meals for themselves and their family members
- Toiletries, such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, mouth wash, soap or body wash, shampoo & conditioner, and deodorant
- Diapers, wipes, and jars of baby food for student-parents
- New and gently-used clothing—for students needing business attire for interviews, coats for winter months, etc.
- Household items such as laundry detergent and cleaning supplies
In order to fill the pantry so that LaGuardia students are able to stay focused on school, donations of almost any kind are greatly appreciated—monetary, non-perishable food, clothes, toiletries, etc.
Donations can be made online via https://www.laguardia.edu/fooddrive/.
Members of the community can make in-person donations at the College’s Welcome Desk, located in the lobby of Shenker Hall, 31-10 Thomson Ave., Long Island City, Queens.
Click here to watch a NY1 story about the drive.
• • • •
LaGuardia Community College located in Long Island City, Queens, educates more than 50,000 New Yorkers annually through degree, certificate, and continuing education programs. Our guiding principle Dare To Do More reflects our belief in the transformative power of education—not just for individuals, but for our community and our country—creating pathways for achievement and safeguarding the middle class. LaGuardia is a national voice on behalf of community colleges, where half of all US college students study. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his championing the underserved. Since our doors opened in 1971, our programs regularly become national models for pushing boundaries to give people of all backgrounds access to a high quality, affordable college education. We invite you to join us in imagining what our students, our community, and our country can become. Visit www.LaGuardia.edu to learn more.
#### After Two Decades at LaGuardia Community College,
Dr. Gail O. Mellow Announces Plans to Step Down as President in August 2019 February 27, 2019
 LaGuardia Community College President Gail O. Mellow today informed the campus community that she plans to step down in August 2019.
“I love LaGuardia. After almost 20 years as president, I continue to be amazed at what our community accomplishes. We are an astonishing institution and it starts with our formidable students, with their extraordinary passion for learning and determination to overcome obstacles and thrive,” said Dr. Mellow. “I remain floored by the endless dedication and talent of our faculty and staff to educate and support our students—they passionately embrace innovation and constantly seek to improve the work they do both in and out of the classroom. We have an incredible network of community supporters—from those providing funding for our at-risk students, public officials supporting our dreams, and businesses and not-for-profits providing internships and mentoring to our students. Our leadership team has never been stronger and I know that LaGuardia will continue to improve the lives of students, their families and our community for decades to come.”
LaGuardia Community College of the City University of New York (CUNY) serves more than 57,000 credit and non-credit students each year. With 60% of students born outside the U.S., representing 148 nations and speaking 90 languages, the College’s student body is among the most diverse in the nation. A majority come from families making less than $30,000 annually (view the College’s fast facts and institutional profile).
“What we do at LaGuardia is essential in today’s America—giving students the knowledge and skills they need to build careers, thereby moving them out of poverty and making our communities stronger,” said Dr. Mellow.
“One would be hard-pressed to find another educator who has done more than President Gail Mellow to champion the value of community colleges within the overall landscape of American higher education,” said CUNY Interim Chancellor Vita C. Rabinowitz. “From her tireless efforts to increase funding, to her development of cutting-edge practices in the classroom, to her groundbreaking partnerships with employers and communities, Gail has spearheaded innovations at LaGuardia that suffuse her writings and presentations and that have inspired community colleges everywhere. She has also drawn on her keen understanding of LaGuardia’s students, addressing their needs, using their strengths and positioning them to attain both academic and workforce success. Gail may be embarking on a new chapter in her career, but her legacy is assured as one of the great leaders of CUNY and of public higher education in the United States.”
“President Gail Mellow has been a pioneering leader for LaGuardia and CUNY, but that characterization does only partial justice to her illustrious and decorated career,” said CUNY Chancellor-designate Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “Dr. Mellow has also been a trailblazer for community colleges everywhere; she has been an architect, an innovator, a builder, a nurturer and a visionary. She has developed so many means to harness the power of education to transform lives. LaGuardia has grown many times over, in quality as well as in size, during her decades of leadership there. Dr. Mellow has advanced CUNY's mission of embracing students of modest and diverse backgrounds, extending a hand and guiding them onto an upward track. On a personal note, she has been a good friend. We thank Dr. Mellow for her exemplary service, and wish her well in all her future endeavors.”
Under her leadership, LaGuardia has become a recognized leader among community colleges for conceptualizing and launching innovative programs and teaching methods, which have become pilots for the nation. These include programs supporting non-traditional students in learning English; professional development programs that prepare students to be successful in the workplace; initiatives assisting small businesses and entrepreneurs in building their businesses and creating jobs; and robust support services keeping the College’s mostly low-income students on track towards graduation, including a food pantry, affordable daycare for student-parents, and scholarships and emergency funds available from the College’s Foundation.
Dr. Mellow has achieved notable success propelling LaGuardia into the national dialogue about higher education, where nearly half of all undergraduates study at community colleges. She’s co-written two books, numerous articles, and spoken extensively on the centrality of community colleges in the American higher education ecosystem. She’s put a spotlight on the funding disparities between community colleges and four-year colleges, and has been an effective voice pushing for enhanced public and private support for low-income students.
“I closely relate to the struggles many of our students face. During my first-year of college at a well-known public university, I had to drop out due to unexpected financial circumstances. I returned home and enrolled in our town’s community college, where I was thrilled to meet students as eager for a chance at a better life, as was I,” said Dr. Mellow. “I appreciated the support I received there, and the opportunity to pursue a college degree at an affordable cost. That’s where my affinity for community colleges was born.”
She was among the early advocates about the benefits of free community college to narrow opportunity disparities among people from different backgrounds, and served as a board member of America’s College Promise/Heads Up!
Dr. Mellow’s focus on the importance of high-quality teaching as an instrumental student success strategy led her to launch a faculty development program, Taking College Teaching Seriously, which garnered support from the Gates and Kresge Foundations. Faculty Guild subsequently purchased the intellectual property and model, with 100% of proceeds going directly to LaGuardia’s Foundation, providing financial support for students.
Her contributions to higher education have brought numerous recognitions, including the 2017 TIAA Institute Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence, one of the most prestigious awards in academia, and the 2016 NASPA President’s Award, for advancing the quality of student life on campus.
Highlights of LaGuardia’s success under Dr. Mellow’s leadership include:
LaGuardia: An Engine of Economic and Social Mobility • LaGuardia is among the top 1% of two-year colleges nationwide (#5 out of 604) with the greatest success in lifting the poorest students into jobs that enable them to create better lives for themselves and their families, according to an analysis led by researchers at Stanford University’s Center on Poverty and Inequality.
• LaGuardia has seen a 64% increase in enrollment of degree-seeking students and a 155% increase in non-credit students.
• The College’s graduation rate has risen 6% over the past five years.
• LaGuardia graduates are 32% more likely to transfer to a four-year college than community college students nationally.
• More than 50 academic majors have been established (a 58% increase under Dr. Mellow’s leadership), with LaGuardia now awarding degrees in a range of programs, including computer science, electrical engineering, environmental science, industrial design, and philosophy.
• Investment in faculty development grew significantly.
• With an emphasis on opening the doors to high-quality higher education to all, the College has established innovative programs, many of which have been replicated by other colleges and universities throughout the country, including: o Bridge to College and Careers Program, an innovative approach to preparing students for the high-school equivalency exam, which has seen a 200% increase in pass rates and a subsequent 300% increase in completers’ college enrollment.
o First Year Seminar, through which students learn about on-campus resources and transfer options, create a graduation plan, explore career opportunities in their major area, and more.
o The widespread use of electronic portfolios (ePortfolios) as a tool for students’ learning and assessment.
o The development of career ladder programs in technology and health care (e.g., medical billing) that allow students to earn non-credit certificates and seamlessly enroll in credit-based programs. As a result, more than 10% of degree-seeking students matriculate from LaGuardia’s non-credit programs, offered through Continuing Education. LaGuardia: A Catalyst for Economic Growth
• LaGuardia served as the anchor college in the development of Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses program to educate local entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and create jobs. 10,000 Small Businesses provides training in business development, capital building, contract negotiation, and more. Since the program at LaGuardia launched in 2010, it has served more than 830 business owners, with 66% showing revenue growth and 50% creating new jobs within six months of program completion. With the success of the program at LaGuardia, Goldman Sachs expanded it to all 50 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C.
• NYDesigns is a 30,000-ft2 non-profit business incubator for design and hardware tech startups located on the LaGuardia campus. Twenty-two businesses are incubated bi-annually. Since its founding in 2006, dozens of companies have benefited from the use of studio spaces, access to a network of mentors and advisers, and the ability to prototype their designs and ideas in a fabrication lab.
• LaGuardia’s business services are boosting the local economy by growing businesses, creating jobs, and helping entrepreneurs successfully launch their companies. Over the last 15 years, LaGuardia has provided hands-on education and specialized technical assistance to more than 22,000 small businesses that have secured over half-a-billion dollars in contracts.
Growing Support for LaGuardia Students
• The LaGuardia Community College Foundation, launched in 2005, has raised more than $23 million to date to support student scholarships, on-campus employment and emergency aid. LaGuardia’s largest donations include $2 million from the Goldman Sachs Foundation, and a current $3 million matching grant, the largest gift in the College’s history.
• Growing government and foundation support for an array of programs. During Dr. Mellow’s tenure, the College received over $150 million in external grants.
• Important partnerships established with businesses and not-for-profits throughout New York City, including with the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), MetLife, and Google, in order to offer students opportunities to gain first-hand knowledge and skills. “My family and I are looking forward to the next chapter,” said Dr. Mellow. “I have no fixed plans and I’m leaving the door open to new opportunities. One thing is certain: I will continue advocating for the needs of community colleges and the students they educate.”
Dr. Mellow began her career as assistant professor of psychology at Essex Community College in Baltimore. She then held leadership roles at the University of Connecticut Women’s Center in Storrs, Conn.; Quinebaug Valley Community-Technical College in Danielson, Conn.; and Rockland Community College in Suffern, N.Y. In 1996, she joined LaGuardia as senior administrator for curriculum and pedagogy, before being named president of Gloucester County College in Sewell, N.J. in 1997—a role she held for three years before returning to LaGuardia in 2000 as president.
Dr. Mellow received an A.A. from Jamestown Community College in Jamestown, N.Y., a B.A. from SUNY Albany, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Social Psychology from George Washington University. She has served as president at LaGuardia since September 2000.
For more on Dr. Mellow’s leadership at LaGuardia, visit laguardia.edu/gailmellow.
• • • •
LaGuardia Community College located in Long Island City, Queens, educates more than 50,000 New Yorkers annually through degree, certificate, and continuing education programs. Our guiding principle Dare To Do More reflects our belief in the transformative power of education—not just for individuals, but for our community and our country—creating pathways for achievement and safeguarding the middle class. LaGuardia is a national voice on behalf of community colleges, where half of all US college students study. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his championing the underserved. Since our doors opened in 1971, our programs regularly become national models for pushing boundaries to give people of all backgrounds access to a high quality, affordable college education. We invite you to join us in imagining what our students, our community, and our country can become. Visit www.LaGuardia.edu to learn more.
#### Research from Communications Studies Professor Sumanth Inukonda on How Immigrants Stay Connected to their HomelandsFebruary 21, 2019
The growth of digital and social media has transformed how immigrants stay connected to their homelands. Read more ›
### Cloud Computing Certificate Program in Development with Amazon, Expected to Start Fall 2019 January 31, 2019
LaGuardia Community College is collaborating with Amazon to create a cloud computing certificate program, to train New Yorkers for entry-level, tech roles in the cloud computing industry.
As LaGuardia President Gail O. Mellow said in a press release announcing the new program, “LaGuardia’s students represent a singularly unique talent pipeline for Amazon—they have a diversity of life experiences that have prepared them to contribute to and develop the next-generation of consumer and enterprise technologies… We are interested in collaborating with Amazon Web Services (AWS), and any tech company, that recognizes the inherent business, cultural and technical skills that students from our community bring to the workplace.”
The program is expected to start as soon as Fall 2019.
Those interested in participating in the program should visit https://www.laguardia.edu/cloud/.
Read More
• • • •
LaGuardia Community College located in Long Island City, Queens, educates more than 50,000 New Yorkers annually through degree, certificate, and continuing education programs. Our guiding principle Dare To Do More reflects our belief in the transformative power of education—not just for individuals, but for our community and our country—creating pathways for achievement and safeguarding the middle class. LaGuardia is a national voice on behalf of community colleges, where half of all US college students study. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his championing the underserved. Since our doors opened in 1971, our programs regularly become national models for pushing boundaries to give people of all backgrounds access to a high quality, affordable college education. We invite you to join us in imagining what our students, our community, and our country can become. Visit www.LaGuardia.edu to learn more.
#### LaGuardia’s Early Childhood Learning Center Featured on CUNY-TV
LaGuardia’s on-campus affordable childcare program, the Early Childhood Learning Center (ECLC), was recently featured in the CUNY-TV series, Urban U. The Center was recently awarded $1.5 million from the U.S. Department of Education to expand support for student-parents.
“We serve children from ages 12 months to 12 years; and our programs have early morning and evening hours, as well as Saturday care options,” said Sonya Evariste (LaGuardia, Class of 1993), director of the ECLC. “We have early childhood, after school programs, Saturday program, and summer camps. Having this program available allows LaGuardia students to concentrate on their studies, attend classes, pursue internships, and more, while knowing that their children are well-cared for, and nearby.”
"My kids have learned so much at the ECLC; they do swimming, field trips, and much more," said Ebaneeka "Ramona" Wilkins-Kolkmeyer, age 29, a mechanical engineering major who is married with two young children. "It's a wonderful, enriching environment. Since it's on-campus and super affordable, I feel like there's almost no reason for me to not go to school and better myself."
Click here to watch.
### The Rise and Confusion of International EducationJanuary 17, 2019
International schools have become a popular choice, and with their growth has come the promotion of international-mindedness. But what exactly does that mean? Read more ›
#### Blending Jazz and Classical for Carnegie HallDecember 14, 2018
A composer and professor blended the musical languages of classical and jazz for a commissioned piece that premiered at Carnegie Hall in the summer of 2018. Read more ›
#### Blaming Poverty on the Poor: A Look at the New Welfare ConsensusOctober 22, 2018
A new book traces how views about welfare shifted from helping those economically overlooked to pathologizing them for needing help. Read more ›
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