A Note from COMPACT:
COVID-19 has changed the way many of us of interact with daily life and the way we do business. This pandemic has affected not only our community, but also our country and our world. We are thinking of you and know we will get through this together. As COMPACT is a subsidiary of the McLean County Chamber of Commerce we follow their guidance and the state "stay at home mandate" and have canceled or postponed all events and programming through April 30th. Our committees are still engaging via online meetings. Updates on our portfolio of programs will be forthcoming as details are solidified. We hope the resources provided below will assist you in your work as we all find a "new normal" . Please feel free to share with others and let us know how else we can serve as a resource to you during this time. We look forward to seeing you soon!
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BN PREPARED
The Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, McLean County Chamber of Commerce, Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council, along with other trusted sources have compiled a resource page for the community, to help you identify a range of resources available. Check it out!
https://www.bnprepared.org/
One highlight to mention is the Education Resources tab available for teacher, parents, and students:
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COMPACT is still HIRING
Two AmeriCorps VISTA Members!
AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) members build capacity in nonprofit organizations.
Service Term:
Full-Time, 12 months, starting June 8, 2020.
Benefits:
Living Allowance, End of Service Award, Paid Time Off, and More!
Deadline for Applications:
April 17, 2020
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NeSTEM Scholarships
DEADLINE
EXTENDED
Funded by the National Science Foundation, the NexSTEM program provides scholarships to academically successful, low income students from McLean county and the surrounding areas who are committed to pursuing STEM degrees at Heartland Community College (HCC), Illinois State University (ISU), or Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU).
Successful applicants will be awarded scholarships of
up to
$10,000 per year for four years.
The application deadline for ISU and IWU is extended until
May 1, 2020
and
HCC application deadline is extended until
July 1, 2020.
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Thriving in the Virtual Work Place Series
Looking for successful way to keep yourself and your team moving forward while working remotely?
Next Webinar:
April 8, 2020 from 10:00 AM – 11:00 PM
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Becoming BN 2020 Program
When:
June - July 2020
Who:
Early Career, Interns, Grad Students
What:
Networking Opportunities, Local Activities, & Service Experiences
Cost:
$25 / person
Registration is delayed due to COVID-19. Updates will be available on our
web page.
Sponsorship Opportunities are still available!
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To slow the spread of COVID-19, Heartland Community College- Continuing Education has canceled all remaining spring enrichment and professional development classes through
May 31.
Heartland Community College - Continuing Education will not be offering any adult summer programming. Enrichment and professional development offerings will resume again in August.
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CENSUS 2020
Census Day was April 1, when many voices across the country (e.g. companies, faith leaders, non-profits, census initiatives and governmental bodies) encourage residents to complete their census questionnaires.
Below are resources to help you or your organization contribute to the conversation.
Learn more about what is happening in
McLean County at:
Additional 2020 Census Resources:
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The Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) authorizes up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses to pay their employees during the COVID-19 crisis. Small businesses will receive funds to pay up to 8 weeks of payroll costs including benefits. Funds can also be used to pay interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. Applications open today (04/03/2020) for small businesses and sole proprietorship and 04/10/2020 for independent contractors and self employed individuals. More information available through the
Illinois SBDC
and the
U.S. Small Business Administration
.
The Illinois SBDC has
COVID-19 Resource Page
for information about other assistance programs for small businesses.
Junior Achievement of Central Illinois
is releasing a free resource for teens titled
Making Sense: Understanding the Financial Impact of COVID-19.
The guide is designed to answer teens’ questions about the economic implications of COVID-19, including “Why are some store shelves empty?”, “Why are some people losing their jobs?” and “Are we going into a recession, or even a depression?” The guide is available at
https://bit.ly/JAmakingsense
.
Working at home during the coronavirus crisis with kids underfoot?
As schools and day cares close across the U.S., many families find themselves in the challenging position of juggling work and childcare at home. Here's how to cope.
What Is a College Education in the Time of Coronavirus?
“Watching the entire Ivy League slowly turn into the University of Phoenix,” a Barnard student tweeted last Tuesday. We can’t think of a more concise summary of the predicament higher education faces with the spread of the coronavirus. Residential colleges and universities nationwide are now obliging students to finish current-term academic coursework online, just as millions of students enrolled in distance learning programs such as the University of Phoenix’s, and no one knows for sure what will happen come fall. Does this make a Harvard seminar or a Stanford lab conveyed through a video feed functionally equivalent to the face-to-face versions?
Worried about how the pandemic might impact your wallet?
Check out these tips to remain financially stable during the unknown!
Read More
Are you a Chamber Member? Are you currently HIRING? Let Us Know!
Did you know? If you are a McLean County Chamber of Commerce Member you can post job openings on www.mcleancochamber.org website under Community Job Postings for free through your Member Information Center as part of your membership! Find out how to post through the Member Information Center
HERE!
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For information about COMPACT or information in this newsletter
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