Wabash County Adult Education Center to Open Spring 2025 – InkFreeNews.com

Press release

WABASH — Construction is underway at 1100 Cass St., the former Miller Furniture store, for an Adult Education Center.

Wabash County’s industry, economic development, education, government and philanthropy partners are pursuing a long-standing goal to create a Wabash County Adult Learning Center that will provide adults with a one-stop destination for high school equivalency, post-secondary education courses, certifications and workforce training that will help them prepare for in-demand and higher-paying jobs.

The Adult Education Center will offer a wide range of programs aimed at enhancing employability and personal growth. Adult learners will have the opportunity to take basic literacy and English courses, high school equivalency training, college and career preparation and industry standard certifications in Industrial Maintenance, Advanced Manufacturing, Certified Clinical Medical Assistant, Industry 4.0, Child Development Specialist, CDL Training, and Leadership Development, to name a few. The center will be led by the Learn More Center, which will coordinate use of the new center by other education providers and partners, including Freedom Academy, Ivy Tech Community College, IU Kokomo, Purdue Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Besiege LLC, Manchester University and WorkOne. .

The Wabash County Learning Center, a highly successful adult basic education program, has a more than 20-year history of empowering adults through education and training. In an important move to expand its role in adult education, the Learn More Center signed a lease agreement on July 15 to house and build the new center. In the spring of 2025, LMC will move its services and operations at Wabash to a new location at 1100 Cass Street, where it will continue to offer its own programs and provide leadership and coordination for the use of the center by other education providers and partners. This expansion of space and inclusion of additional providers and services represents the realization of the community’s long-standing vision to create a dedicated center for adult learning, career development and workforce development.

The Wabash County Adult Learning Center was a community vision of the Learn More Center, as well as economic developers, industry leaders, social service agencies, public education, philanthropy and government. Patty Grant, President of the Community Foundation of Wabash County, says, “There are many who strongly advocate and support the idea of ​​creating a place where Wabash County adults can pursue career opportunities, earn workforce certifications and become lifelong learners. Today, this dream is becoming a reality thanks to the financial support of county businesses, economic development, local and county government and many individuals. We are grateful to the Learn More Center for taking this step to expand its services and provide even more learning opportunities to Wabash County adults, their families and our businesses,” said Grant.

Grant added, “The Learn More Center was conceived in 2002 by community leaders and was originally funded by the Community Foundation through a grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc. Community Alliance.” to promote education. For the past 22 years, the Learn More Center has successfully helped adults learn to read, pass their high school diploma tests, and move on to higher education. Each year, the Learn More Center graduates 40 to 50 high school equivalency students ready for postsecondary education and career training that will further prepare them for the workforce and support their families.” Over the years, Grant notes, the Learn More Center has received generous support from the Community Foundation, individuals, businesses, and Indiana Workforce Development Initiatives.

Recent funding from the Community Foundation of Wabash County, the City of Wabash and the Wabash County Commissioners supported the expansion of the area. The Pauline Barker Education Foundation has supported the Learn More Center and its efforts for over a decade and is investing heavily in expansion. In recent years, the Community Foundation has received more than $500,000 from Wabash County donors to build an adult education center. Contributions demonstrate the need, generosity and commitment of individuals, industries and organizations in Wabash County. Collaborative support from local stakeholders and continued leadership are allowing the Learn More Center to expand its services and transform the long-vacant Miller Furniture Building into a vibrant adult learning center.

According to Julie Garber, vice president of strategic initiatives at the Community Foundation, “Adults in Wabash County are already quickly using existing workforce grants to improve their skills. Over the past two years, Grow Wabash County and the Community Foundation have invested $150,000 to help students and businesses prepare for growth. Although funding is for the entire year, students will take advantage of all funding opportunities well before the end of the year. Before we committed to building the centre, we had clear evidence of the need for higher education for adults.”

The Learn More Center will schedule placements for educational partners who wish to provide training and courses at this facility. These partners will include Freedom Academy, WorkOne, Purdue Manufacturing Extension Partnership, IU Kokomo, Besiege LLC, Manchester University and Ivy Tech Community College. Adult learners at any educational level, from literacy level to high school equivalency level to postsecondary credit, will find the program they need under one roof. Teachers and staff will be able to seamlessly move students from literacy levels to high school equivalency levels and then to programs at the next level. In its first year, the Learn More Center and its partners plan to serve 150 students overall and a minimum of 50 students in industry-recognized training programs.

The Adult Learning Center will support Wabash County’s goals for long-term economic growth and sustainability by promoting talented, skilled workers who can fill the high demand, high-wage jobs in the county. A high school diploma, according to Census data, can increase a worker’s annual salary by $8,900. This year’s graduating class of 34 students will earn an average of $302,000 more than their non-degree counterparts. After receiving certificates for further education or career, your income will increase even more.

Renovations will begin soon at 1100 Cass Street. Cynthia Johnson, director of the Learn More Center, calls the center’s development the first step in supporting an educational center where citizens can access many levels of education and increase their earning potential and their value to the businesses and industries that provide high levels of education to Wabash County. demand, high-paying jobs. Johnson says, “We are grateful to the many district leaders who have worked tirelessly over the years and to those who have generously contributed to the vision of the district’s adult learning center. We continue to rely on these partnerships for guidance and advice as skills demand changes, but our close working relationships will help us meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.”

Tenille Zartman, Chair of the Board of the Learn More Centre, said: “We are excited to begin the renovation and look forward to opening the transformed space. This is a significant step towards realizing our vision of an adult learning centre. As we continue to expand, increased capacity will create opportunities that will require additional equipment, operating costs and personnel. We are confident that with the continued support of our community, generous donors, businesses and partnerships, we can meet these growing needs and create a dynamic learning environment for all.”