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JCCC driver ed ‘Zooms’ to offer online self-paced and streaming courses

April 14, 2020

Johnson County Community College offers two online options for theory-based driver education training –a comprehensive 20-hour online self-paced course and a new virtual instructor-led live-streaming alternative using Zoom.

Regrettably, COVID-19 put the brakes on driver training programs across the state due to stay-at-home orders and the need to practice social distancing. JCCC helped lead conversations with the Kansas Department of Education by pushing to expand options for driver education amid the coronavirus pandemic. With state DMV offices closed, driver education is the only way students can get a learner’s permit in Kansas. Successfully completing certified training is a required step for drivers under 16 to obtain a license issued by the state of Kansas.

"Thousands of Kansans were stuck in limbo with their driver education program," said Josh Smith, program director at JCCC. “I applaud the State Department of Education for allowing tech-savvy students of this generation and others to continue their coursework.”

Regardless of the format, once students have completed the online or live-stream section and passed the in-person Kansas handbook test, they are eligible for behind-the-wheel driving lessons. Up to six lessons will be arranged with their instructor.

"We are proving that JCCC can still provide an effective driver education experience online in Kansas," Smith, said. “Spring and summer are popular times to enroll in driver education training and we want to keep our students on course.”

JCCC introduced online driver education training in 2016. Unlike many other driving schools, JCCC instructors have a Kansas K-12 teaching license that is issued and overseen by the Kansas Department of Education. Plus, courses are taught by the same certified driving school instructor from start to finish.

For more information, call 913-469-2323.

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