Marcy Eastham

Corvallis Education Programs - Linn-Benton Community College

Residents of Linn and Benton County in Oregon's Willamette Valley have a tremendous resource in Linn-Benton Community College. The College, established in 1966, serves more than 24,000 students every year on campuses spread across both counties.

The College features more than 60 professional and technical programs ranging from Accounting Technology to Wine and Food Dynamics. Popular programs prepare students for careers in business, medical fields, and technical fields such as graphic design and veterinary technology. Students earn a two-year Associates Degree.

Those students who wish to take advantage of the lower tuition costs of LBCC but want a 4-year undgraduate degree can take advantage of the dual enrollment program with Oregon State University. This program not only saves money and paperwork, it also provides access to classes and student services at both institutions. Students can live on the OSU campus and take classes through OSU for their core curriculum. Calendars at both institutions are coordinated.

In addition to the degree programs offered at LBCC, many non-credit classes are offered in art, crafts, cooking, and more. The average age of a student in non-credit classes is 47!

LBCC is a regional asset that many residents use to continue their education, get core courses, or learn about how to start a business. It's another reason Corvallis is a great place to live!

Corvallis School District - Great Schools, Great Teachers, Great Kids

School started today for students enrolled in the Corvallis School District, known as 509J. We are fortunate to have schools with good curriculum, great teachers, and good facilities.

The Corvallis School District is led by Superintendent Dawn Tarzian. There are 9 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 2 high schools with a total of over 6700 students. In addition, there is an online school and an outdoor science academy for 6th graders.

The online school is the newest addition to the district, and is designed for students living in the Corvallis School District attendance area who are enrolled in the district, who are home schooled, or who attend a private school. It is also available to students living outside the attendance area that are not enrolled in another public school in Oregon.

In a press release last week, it was noted that students at every grade level in the Corvallis School District are performing better than the state average on Oregon's reading, writing, math and science assessments according to 2008-09 test results. This is great news and reinforces that the Corvallis School Distict is doing a great job educating the next generation.

Corvallis, Oregon - We're Green Here (In More Ways Than One!)

One of the things I often hear from people visiting Corvallis, Oregon from other parts of the country is "it sure is green here!" They are right. The winter rains and evergreen trees give Oregon a perpetual blanket of the shade and Christmas tree farms dot the countryside. We love our trees and have been recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation as one of 3,310 "Tree City USA" designated communities for the last 8 years.

But "green" permeates our community in more ways than trees and landscaping. Our community has embraced environmentally sound practices and initiatives designed to bring sustainability into a standard of behavior in Corvallis. The Corvallis Sustainability Coalition, formed in January 2007, is a group of businesses, non-profit organizations, faith communities, educational institutions, and government entities that support increased communication and collaboration among local groups, to accelerate the creation of a "sustainable community." Establishing the Coalition, which now numbers over 140 different organizations, was the result of several years of participating in the Oregon Natural Step program. (Fpr more information, go here: http://www.naturalstep.org/ )

The City of Corvallis has defined sustainability as "Using natural, financial, and human resources in a responsible manner that meets existing needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." (From the City of Corvallis Sustainability Policy, 2004)

Corvallis is a diverse community that strives to do things in environmentally sound ways. Our lovely green landscape is just the beginning!

Corvallis, Oregon -- Making Corvallis Home

This Labor Day weekend has been cool and rainy here in Corvallis, putting a definite feel of autumn in the air. Students are back at Oregon State University and the football season is underway. (Go Beavs!) All this makes me refelctive on how Corvallis life goes in cycles surrounding the school year, and how Corvallis has evolved over the years.

This is the time of year I first moved to Corvallis to attend OSU. At the time I had no idea I would still be living in this community so many years later -- and I'm not unusual in that regard. Corvallis is that kind of place, where people often come through on a vacation, on a visit to friends or family, to attend school... and then find themselves wanting to stay. It's not just the tagline of "The Northwest's Most Beautiful College Town" that draws people in. It's the community as a whole. The people, the places, the events, the character of the town. I think that's a story worth telling.

This week I will give you a little more insight into what makes Corvallis a great place to live, and what keeps people here. My earlier posts have given readers some insight into our community, but there's more to tell. Here's what to expect in this series. Let me know if you would like to know about other topics -- I'm glad to oblige!

• Tuesday: The Corvallis environment. It's green here, in more ways than one.
• Wednesday: Corvallis Schools: public, private, community college, and OSU.
• Thursday: Civic groups and our community of volunteers.
• Friday: Corvallis homes. Now really is a great time to buy.
• Saturday: Things to do.
• Sunday: Sports are important here.

Thanks for reading. Please call or send me a message if i can help you learn more about Corvallis or help you buy or sell a home in the area.

Happy Labor Day!