Education gets boost in Valley

TMNews.com
Times-Mail Editorial Board
January 16, 2012

Orange County workers, from the front-line staff to key executives, can benefit from a significant development that will boost education in the community.

The county’s leaders, last week, celebrated the announcement that Ivy Tech of Bloomington would begin offering classes next month at Ivy Tech’s new campus at the Springs Valley Learning Center building in French Lick. The plan to enhance educational opportunities for the community’s residents is one that will benefit students across the spectrum. Students as young as high school age will enjoy new opportunities and even seasoned professionals, through Ivy Tech’s corporate college short-term training, can add or sharpen skills that will make them better employees.

The Ivy Tech of Bloomington website calls its corporate college offerings an investment in a company’s greatest asset — its people: “Your company can only succeed when they (employees) have the knowledge and skills to perform at their best.”

In a community that has enjoyed a reawakening because of a tourism-based economy, it’s important that educational opportunities are consistent with what it takes to keep that economy moving forward.

Students can take classes in French Lick that could apply toward earning an associate degree, or students have the option to transfer their credits to a four-year institution in Indiana.

Space is provided to Ivy Tech without charge by the Springs Valley School Corp. Todd Pritchett, school superintendent, as reported in Orange County Publishing newspapers, noted the campus can help make education more attainable for many of the county’s high school students as well as for older students.

A number of partners, including the Orange County Community Foundation, have cooperated to bring Ivy Tech to French Lick and, in so doing, are helping the community to strengthen its rebounding economy.

Copyright: TMNews.com 2012