QC community colleges featured in new series
Jonathan Turner
March 20, 2024
Like most institutions of higher learning, Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC) changes lives.
You can see how 10 lives were transformed in a new episode of the national TV series, “The College Tour,” which will be celebrated tonight in an invitation-only premiere screening at the Putnam Giant Screen Theater, Davenport.
EICC is among 19 schools in the U.S. to be profiled in the new 11th season of “The College Tour.” The series tells the story of colleges and universities around the world. “From campus life, academics, housing, sports, activities, and much more… each student-driven segment gives the audience an inside look at what it’s truly like being a student at the featured college or university,” according to the series synopsis.
“The College Tour” was looking for community colleges in Iowa to feature on the show and reached out to EICC, spokeswoman Johnna Kerres said Tuesday.
“I was interested in learning more and met with their team and it took off from there. Once we decided to do it, we put out a casting call to our students and they actually had to audition for the show by sending in a video telling a little bit about themselves and their story,” she said, noting the filming took place last October, but they did a lot of work ahead of time working with the students on their scripts, scouting locations, etc.
“We wanted to be a part of it because we felt like it was a great way to tell the college’s story,” Kerres said. “We serve a diverse range of students and as THE Community’s College, really strive to provide an avenue for everyone to succeed. I think you see that reflected in the student stories. We have a high school student, transfer students, non-traditional students, online, CTE students and the list goes on.”
The EICC episode will showcase the inspiring stories of 10 remarkable students, highlighting the college’s impact on diverse communities. The show will stream on Amazon Prime beginning in May and is already available on online platforms.
The 32-minute episode features 10 diverse stories of resilience and success. Witness non-traditional students breaking barriers, discover the power of a welding certificate, explore unconventional career paths sparked by the love of sports, and more.
Stretched along the Mississippi River, EICC serves 12,000 students annually across three campuses, in Bettendorf, Clinton and Muscatine.
Alex Boylan is host and executive producer of “The College Tour.” He is an adventurer, traveler, and storyteller who’s filmed in nearly every state in America and over 60 countries around the world, according to his bio.
He hosted the #1 food series on PBS “At The Chef’s Table” and the #1 animal series on PBS “Animal Attractions”; was CBS’s National Ambassador for two summers on the “CBS Buzz Tour”; hosted over 100 segments for Travel Channel, was Rachael Ray’s sidekick hosting “Rach to the Rescue” for her syndicated talk show and circumnavigated the world without a penny in his pocket as the star of “Around The World For Free.”
The director of photography for the new EICC episode is actually an Iowa City native, Robert Jury. He is the writer and director of the film “Working Man.” During filming week, a crew of four came into town and filming took place over five days.
You can watch the new episode HERE.