A new name has now been added to the exterior of the Center for Innovation. Barnhill-Jenkins was recently installed on the building, located on the Tarboro campus of Edgecombe Community College. The Barnhill-Jenkins Center for Innovation opened in 2020. 

The Edgecombe Community College Foundation received a $1 million gift in 2024, the largest donation in its 42-year history.

The gift was made possible through the John R. Jenkins Trust and its trustee, Benjamin Hardy of Page & Smith, P.A., in Greenville. In recognition of the donation, the college’s Board of Trustees named the newest facility on the Tarboro campus the Barnhill-Jenkins Center for Innovation.

If you missed it, see the press release from April 2024 with more information on the $1 million gift. 

Hitachi Astemo has donated a 2025 Honda CRV Hybrid Sport, valued at $39,155, from Davenport Autopark of Rocky Mount as a hole-in-one-prize for ECC’s upcoming golf tournament. 

In Memory of Berry Anderson, Sr. Presents the ECC Foundation 38th Annual Golf Tournament is happening Thursday, Oct. 3 at the Maccripine Country Club in Pinetops. Each team will be comprised of four players who will also have a chance to win prizes for closest to the pin on all par threes and more. 

The Golf Tournament was promoted this week on First Media Stations 99.3 the Beach, 98.5 the Big Dawg and Power 95.5. Listen to the 3-minute interview on Power 95.5.

On Tuesday, Sept. 17, the Edgecombe Community College Student Government Association hosted a Voter Registration Drive. The event, entitled Make Voter Registration SWEET, was held on both the Rocky Mount and Tarboro campuses. Students received cupcakes and nonpartisan information. ECC also received free pizza provided by the Pizza to the Polls Community College Program. According to their website, Pizza to the Polls is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization. The program’s purposes are to educate individuals about America’s institutions, citizens’ civic duties and opportunities. They also work to increase turnout and ensure all people are well-informed about their civic obligations. 

More than 80 students, faculty and staff pledged to vote, and 14 students registered to vote!  

To Ryan Cox, honing leadership skills is part of the pursuit of excellence in his role as chair of the Criminal Justice Technology program at ECC. He believes those who would have others learn from them must also learn. That’s why Cox was among the 35 who graduated this spring from the North Carolina Community College Leadership Program.

The Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE) at ECC recently launched its fall professional reading series to help faculty and staff create inclusive classrooms and a welcoming campus culture. Participants are reading Zaretta Hammond's Culturally Responsive Teaching & the Brain, facilitating discussions that focus on sharing experiences and actionable insights. This fall's reading activity aims to enhance teaching practices and benefit the broader campus community.