Ogeechee Technical College Foundation volunteers will be calling on OTC supporters and potential new donors in Bulloch and Evans counties Tuesday during the annual iGOT campaign.

Pronounced “I got,” the acronym stands for “I Give to Ogeechee Tech.”

Last year’s campaign, targeted to supporters in the college’s official tri-county service area of Bulloch, Evans and Screven counties, raised $397,752. That set a recent record for cash giving, although some earlier years’ campaigns incorporated valuations of land gifts that resulted in higher totals. Screven County’s phase of the 2018 campaign has already been conducted, and the total from the entire service area will be announced Thursday afternoon.

Money raised by the foundation goes to scholarships, emergency funds for students, equipment leases and purchases, staff development activities and other vital support for the college’s academic mission, said OTC Vice President for College Advancement Barry Turner.

“One important way the foundation supports the college is through needed acquisitions,” Turner added.
In recent years, he notes, the OTC Foundation has assisted in the purchase of several new tractor-trailer trucks for the Commercial Truck Driving program.

The foundation also “leases equipment for the college’s Sonography and Radiologic Technology programs, and the college’s newest building, which is slated for completion in the fall, is on land purchased by the foundation and donated to the state,” Turner said.

Officials broke ground in November for the $10 million, almost 35,000-square-foot Workforce Training and Plant Operations Building. The state is funding construction of the building for Ogeechee Tech, which is part of the Technical College System of Georgia, but the local foundation provided the site adjoining the existing main campus.

Besides offering certificate, diploma and degree programs that meet workforce needs, Ogeechee Technical College contributes to the region’s economy and quality of life through dual-enrollment programs in local high schools, literacy and high-school equivalency GED education and support for new and existing industries, Turner said.
 
Popular programs

Ogeechee Tech enrolled 2,708 students in credit courses during the 2017 academic year, according to its annual report. Enrollment is growing again so that this year’s total is now around 3,000 students, Turner said. Last year, the college awarded 1,333 technical certificates, 333 diplomas and 161 associate degrees.

The college offers about 120 programs of study.

Its most popular program category is Health Sciences, with 1,130 students enrolled last year, followed by Business and Computer Information Systems with 574 students, Personal and Public Services with 479 students, and Industrial and Natural Resources programs with 401 students. Some students are enrolled in more than one program area.

“When you think about the many ways in which our graduates take care of the day-to-day needs of the citizens of this area, you begin to understand the impact the College has on all of our lives,” said OTC President Lori Durden. “In medical professions, public safety, food service, construction-related professions, information technology and in so many other areas, our graduates serve the citizens of this region and beyond.”
 
Call to give

Canvassing Bulloch and Evans on March 20, volunteers will offer businesses and individuals the opportunity to support the college through contributions to the foundation. Both monetary and in-kind contributions are appreciated, said Russell Rosengart, president of the Ogeechee Technical College Foundation board.

“Ogeechee Tech is vital to the economic vitality of this area, and to the quality of life of our citizens, and I hope everyone feels led to support the foundation in helping Ogeechee Tech,” Rosengart said.

Anyone who wants to ensure that his or her name or business is on the list to be contacted may call the Ogeechee Technical College Foundation office at (912) 688-6098.