Volume 04 | April 2021
COMPACT HIGHLIGHTS
NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK

April 18-24, 2021 is National Volunteer Week. The COMPACT team would like to thank all of our volunteers for their time, dedication and continued effort to advance COMPACT's mission and impact in McLean County.

On April 22nd, to celebrate Earth Day, the COMPACT team will be volunteering at the Parkland Foundations.
EMPLOYER PARTICIPATION IN REPAYEMNT ACT: RECRUITING AND RETAINING TALENT

The Employer Participation in Repayment Act is a law that helps companies recruit and retain employees by making student loan payments by employers tax exempt up to $5,250.

The McLean County Chamber of Commerce sat down with Congressman Rodney Davis to review this employer benefit.
DOLLARS MAKE SENSE CAMPAIGN

April is Financial Literacy Month. Junior Achievement of Central Illinois has developed an awareness campaign, titled "Dollars Make Sense," that will coincide with Financial Literacy Month.

In support of the Month, Commerce Bank sponsors the Dollars Make Sense Student Scholarship that will allow one eligible applicant to be awarded $1,000 college scholarship. The application is open to students in 9-12 and is due by April 30th.

AG BREAKFAST RECAP

The McLean County Chamber of Commerce Agri-business Council held the Agriculture Awareness Breakfast on March 18th to celebrate and show support for agriculture education and the advancement of agriculture in our community.

Watch the program here.

Interested in a career in Agriculture?
Check out our Agriculture Career Cluster on COMPACT's website .

Scholarship Opportunity:
The 2021 GROWMARK Scholarship Application for students pursuing agriculture-related degrees or certificates at colleges, universities, or technical schools. The application is due on April 15th.
UPCOMING EVENTS

April 12th: MCCA: Career Exploration: Virtual

April 21st: COMPACT Board Meeting: via Zoom

April 21st: STEAM Challenge Workshops: Children's Discovery Museum



April 29th: ISTI STEM Challenge Showcase: Virtual
THINGS TO KNOW
  • Check out local job opportunities with the McLean County Chamber of Commerce Community Job Board.

  • The U.S. Education Department has released the first in a series of school surveys intended to provide a national view of learning during the pandemic. It reveals that the percentage of students who are still attending school virtually may be higher than previously understood. Read More.

  • A $25,000 donation from the McLean County Farm Bureau will establish a fund for students pursuing agriculture-related studies at Heartland Community College. Students may apply for the $1,000 annual scholarship via the Heartland Community College Financial Aid office. To be eligible for the scholarship potential recipients or a parent of the recipient must be a member of McLean county Farm Bureau. Read More.
  • Interested in joining the Chamber? Check out the Chamber's event calendar to learn about opportunities to get involved with the Chamber!
For information about COMPACT or information in this newsletter
contact Jancy LaFollette, Workforce Development/COMPACT Manager.
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