Charles City NIACC center holds open house

To The Press

North Iowa Area Community College Charles City center held an open house Monday evening, showcasing the programs and classes the center has to offer and offering an opportunity to meet staff and instructors.

The event was a Member Monday feature of the Charles City Area Chamber of Commerce.

The NIACC Charles City Center features three multi-purpose classrooms, an Iowa Communications Network (ICN) classroom plus a student computer lab, conference room, student lounge/study area and office space.

In addition to continuing education and community education classes, the center is utilized for adult literacy (HSED and ESL) classes, business and industry training, and also provides meeting space for local clubs and organizations.

There are currently two full-time employees on staff. Robert Mulcahy, the HSED and ESL instructor, also teaches many community education classes, such as Russian cooking, various computer classes, and the Wednesday Night Book Club.

The community education coordinator and certified program planner is Wendi Coen-Ward, the other full-time employee.

Coen-Ward said she would be happy to meet interested persons in person, by email or by phone to discuss any programs or activities they would like to see at the NIACC center, or to answer any questions.

She also said the center is looking for people interested in teaching classes and she would be happy to provide information on the steps necessary to become a NIACC community education instructor.

Business hours are 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Monday through Friday, and the phone number is (641)-228-4634. The center is located at 203 Brantingham Street, at the end of the Hy-Vee parking lot.

The NIACC Charles City Center opened in 1975 in a rental space on Main Street and moved to its current home by Hy-Vee in 1988. The Charles City Chamber of Commerce endorsed the establishment of a permanent NIACC campus in Charles City and supported that goal.

Voters in the NIACC district overwhelmingly approved renewal of the NIACC plant fund levy in the late 1980s, providing the necessary resources to purchase and remodel the building.