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New Kirkwood Linn County Regional Center Now Open

By August 29, 2013January 9th, 2019No Comments

Full slate of classes began August 19

Kirkwood Community College’s newest innovation opened its doors to more than 950 students this week.

The Kirkwood Linn County Regional Center, 1770 Boyson Road, Hiawatha, hosted its first day of fall semester classes Aug. 19. The 99,000-plus square-foot, completely refurbished building houses traditional college credit classes, college-level classes for students still in high school, accelerated classes for working adults, and non-credit coursework and certification through Kirkwood’s Continuing Education programs. Kirkwood’s Occupational Therapy Assistant and Physical Therapist Assistant programs also are exclusively offered at this location.

“We get to be part of something that really matters… That is exactly how I feel about this incredible opportunity on the horizon as we open the Linn County Regional Center,” said Mindy Thornton, director of the Linn County Regional Center. “This new center exists as a catalyst for college and career exploration, certification and degree attainment for northern Linn County area learners to become globally competitive and regionally ready for the future.”

While the center has been hosting Kirkwood Interactive Television courses in a limited number of classrooms over the summer, the full class schedule began Aug. 19.

“When we officially opened our doors to students, we introduced multiple career pathways and skills needed for today’s employees. Linn County Regional Center is another shining example of Kirkwood’s commitment to provide accessible, quality education and to prepare students for what’s next,” Thornton said. “More than half of our enrollment is students already out of high school, which means learners of all ages are taking advantage of this new location. We’re helping to create the pipeline and future workforce for our region within the walls of Linn Regional. We feel really proud of that fact.”

The regional center exists as a one-stop-shop for students. In addition to the wealth of learning opportunities, students can take advantage of the Workplace Learning Connection and Iowa College Access Network (ICAN), both co-located in the facility. Workplace Learning Connection helps high school students connect to job shadows and internships with local business and industry, while ICAN staffers help students complete complicated financial aid forms. In addition, one-on-one financial aid counseling, academic advising, a writing lab, developmental math emporium, tutor center and career counseling are all offered at the center.

“The Linn County Regional Center opens a lot of doors for the northern part of Kirkwood’s service area,” Thornton said. “There is truly something here for everyone, from high school through working adults, whether you’re the top of the class or you need a little help getting started. Kirkwood will meet you where you are and get you to the next step.”