A cultural college experience enhances the educational journey

While the Arkansas Northeastern College is known regionally and nationally for our workforce development programs, there is much more to our college than world-class industrial training. The faculty and staff of ANC take pride in all aspects of the college experience and adhere to our mission of offering lifelong learning opportunities to our service district. Extracurricular and cultural involvement opportunities provide an integral aspect of the learning process by developing better team players, fostering a love for learning, enhancing student creativity, and producing a more prepared citizen for tomorrow's workplace and society.

Education goes well beyond coursework. Experiences outside the realm of the classroom can form a vital part of a person's knowledge base as well as create unique opportunities for building friendships and fostering learning through experiences and involvement. Because of that, ANC strives to offer quality, cultural opportunities. Music, theater, and band performance in addition to outlets for creative writing, art, and photography thrive at the Arkansas Northeastern College for both students and the community.

With a robust Fine Arts Department and diverse offering through its Community Education programs and ANC Tours, the Arkansas Northeastern College rivals four year universities in the possibilities open to students and the public. Fabulous choir concerts, engaging theatrical productions, festive band concerts, impressive art exhibits, and publications for students to showcase their artistic and written talents abound at ANC. There truly is something for everyone. At ANC, there is always a prospect of cultural enrichment and student involvement. Additionally, the productions and exhibits are available to the public at no cost as a way that the College can impart artistic and enriching experiences to all citizens in our service district.

Each year, through the support of the Yamato Kogyo Company, two ANC students travel to Japan for an all-expenses paid, two-week visit to Japan where they are immersed into the culture and learn about the Japanese way of life. Those students serve as ambassadors and bring their experiences back to share locally through presentations and speaking engagements.

Additionally, the ANC Music Department has provided the opportunity for travel throughout Europe where the choir has performed at renowned venues such as the Vatican, the Imperial Chapel of the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, the Dom Cathedral in Salzburg, the St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague, the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, Germany, and the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Italy. This list does not even include the many sites throughout the United States where our choirs have performed such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Kennedy Center. With upcoming performances in New York, Ireland, Scotland, England, and Wales, our Music Department continues to deliver extraordinary opportunities to both our students and citizens of this area.

The Arkansas Northeastern College is the only community college in the region that offers transfer degrees in the arts. ANC recently was approved to offer the Associate of General Studies in Music, as well as, Fine Arts and Performing Arts. By doing so, our students can enhance their interests and skills while receiving credit toward an advanced degree. ANC also is the only two-year college in Arkansas preparing for the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) accreditation because we adhere to a best practices philosophy in our academic offerings.

Such is its commitment to the Arts, that the Arkansas Northeastern College employs a full-time theater director to ensure the growth and development of thespian activities. This is a true commitment when considering the size of our institution. The coming year has much in store with plans to display theatrical productions throughout Mississippi County. This offers opportunities throughout our service district for increased involvement in these types of programs. Currently, students who enjoy writing, painting, sketching, and photography can submit their work to our award-winning student publication Energy. This magazine allows students a vehicle to share their creative expressions while simultaneously creating a beautiful piece for public viewing. An expansion of our visual arts opportunities is on the horizon as well.

It is important to note that while the Arkansas Northeastern College provides many avenues for cultural enrichment, we do more than provide--we excel. Students can blossom at ANC. At a minimum, they can belong to a club or organization with people who share their interests. At ANC, the faculty and staff value diversity and work to promote the vibrant differences that make us extraordinary. We do this through the aforementioned opportunities, and we do this to build within our institution an appreciation for and acceptance of cultural diversity.