skip navigation links JCCC Home
Future Students Current Students Faculty & Staff Continuing Education Friends & Visitors Tracks
Image of sky, and shadowed tree limbs and leaves with two heads in silhouette and the text Learning Comes First at JCCC.
JCCC Offers Classes in Douglas County
Divider

Johnson County Community College
Press Release

College Information and Publications
913-469-8500
Julie Haas, Director, ext. 3120
Peggy Graham, Writer, ext. 3425
Tyler Cundith, Sports Information Director, ext. 3122

11/28/07
Story by Peggy Graham

JCCC Offers Classes in Douglas County

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Johnson County Community College will open a College Close to Home site in three rooms of the former Lawrence Centennial School, now home to Lawrence Virtual School, at 2145 Louisiana St., in the spring 2008 semester. Late-start JCCC credit classes will begin Jan. 30 at the Lawrence location.

JCCC is expanding outreach efforts into Lawrence after being invited to serve county residents by the Douglas County Career and Technical Education Consortium with the approval of the University of Kansas.

“JCCC’s focus in Lawrence is on technical/vocational education and workforce training that does not duplicate what KU offers,” said Bill Osborn, dean, Community Outreach and Media Resources.

Currently, JCCC’s College Close to Home program offers credit classes that count toward an associate’s degree or certificate at off-site locations for students’ convenience and has nine established sites throughout Johnson County.

Initially, the Douglas County Close to Home classes will be Business Math, Introduction to Writing, Fundamentals of Math, Technical Math, Job Search Skills, Career Life Planning, Industrial Safety, Workplace Skills, and Certified Nurse Aide and Certified Medication Aide labs.

“The College Close to Home site in Douglas County is a huge benefit to the Lawrence business community, the Lawrence Public Schools and its students, and, ultimately, to Johnson County Community College,” said Loralee Stevens, assistant dean, Community Outreach for Credit Instruction.

This College Close to Home partnership is a natural extension of the Douglas County-Johnson County Technical College Preparation Program that allows high school students in both counties to receive advance-standing credit for high school classes when applied toward a JCCC technical certificate.

Since 2004, Osborn and Stevens have been attending meetings with the Douglas County Career Technical Consortium, a 40-member task force co-chaired by the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce and Lawrence Public Schools. Richard W. Lariviere, provost and executive vice chancellor, KU, sent a letter to Lavern Squier, president and CEO, Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, in 2007, saying it would be “reasonable and desirable” for JCCC to deliver technical training in Lawrence.

 “We have a close and successful working relationship with JCCC through our Edwards Campus. We have high confidence in their ability to deliver first-rate training. We also have a sound track record of working with them to avoid duplication of course offerings and to articulate offerings to the advantage of students,” Lariviere wrote in his letter.

JCCC’s location in Lawrence Centennial School is one block south of Lawrence High School. It offers a classroom with Internet access, a health occupations lab and a resource room for instructors, staff and students.

For more information, contact Stevens at 913-469-8500, ext. 2750.