Strategic Initiatives

Mountain Career Academy

With the concurrence of Archuleta School District 50, The Education Center filed an

application with the Colorado Department of Education’s Charter School Institute to

establish Mountain Career Academy (MCA), a unique state-wide, web-based and

career focused charter high school to specifically serve Colorado’s growing drop-out

population. The curriculum is focused around the WIN Career Solutions program with

supplemental electives and a community college occupational certificate program

option. For students 17 to 21 years of age and still qualifying as a secondary school

student, the MCA will deliver WIN’s self instructional system via web-access by

assuring each student has a laptop computer, high speed internet access and Skype®

(or similar) telephony service allowing for real-time human interface. The core program

is competency based and students will progress and graduate at their own rate. Each

student will be assigned a coach who will monitor, mentor and tutor the learner and act

as an advocate on the students’ behalf.

Part of the diploma requirement will be achieving a Career Readiness Certificate at the

Silver Level or higher.  Successful diploma students will receive a high school diploma,

ACT National Readiness Certificate and/or a CareerReady Colorado Certificate and,

possibly, graduate simultaneously from a community college occupational certificate

program. 

The goals of the MCA are to improve the transition to meaningful employment for the

student, either through direct employment and on-the-job training; military service;

and/or postsecondary study and to expose the learner to the international community

through visual technology systems and ultimately through student/teacher exchange

programs.

Approval of the MCA application is expected in February 2010 Enrollment will begin

late spring 2010 for the 2010-2011 school year. Go to this website or

www.mountaincareeracademy.edu for more information.

Global Communications & Learning Center

The Education Center, in an effort to broaden its service base and impact on human

and economic development, is actively seeking resources and strategic partnerships to

establish a Global Communications & Learning Center deploying and sustaining high

definition video conferencing technology. This technology will give Archuleta County a

window to the world that will encourage economic diversity and support and sustain

global commerce; enable the engagement of global markets; and, at the same time,

expand access to education and training content and programming that will support in a

timely manner diverse workforce development and sustainability needs. The goal is to

enrich the learning experience for all levels of learners and to satisfy the “content”

needs of the customer on a real-time basis.

Through this technology, and with the availability of high capacity broadband wireless

and fiber services, global commerce becomes a reality for rural America.  It also

provides access to a growing menu of quality education and training programs and

services now provided by both the public and private sectors via this technology,

essential resources needed to create and sustain jobs.

The Global Communications and Learning Center becomes a key infrastructure asset

for Archuleta County to maximize human potential, maintain economic health, and

globalize the areas economic base to sustain this economy in challenging economic

times.

Southwest Colorado Community College - SCCC

Southwest Colorado Community College is an extension of Pueblo Community College

(PCC) that serves Southwest Colorado. The physical campus locations of SCCC are in

Durango and Cortez/Mancos. Currently, there are no on-site programs and few classes

offered in Archuleta County.  Discussions are ongoing regarding those programs,

certificate and degree, that are offered exclusively at the PCC Pueblo campus which

have value in SW Colorado and could be offered through The Education Center as the

Archuleta or East Campus of SCCC.  Enrollments would be augmented through

regional, state, national, and international enrollments via the Global Communications

and Learning Center.

Region 9 Beanpole II Project

The Town of Pagosa Springs, in collaboration with Archuleta County and The Education

Center, is applying as part of a Region 9 Economic Development District collaborative

grant to the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) for resources to finalize the

fiber infrastructure installed by then initial Beanpole Project. Extend the broadband fiber

infrastructure and/or create a move pervasive wireless infrastructure that would support

a community wide WiFi Network in the Pagosa Springs Downtown area and link more

areas of the County.  Included in the Town application are resources to secure the

hardware and associated systems for the Global Communications and Learning

Center. The premise of the DOLA grant is to create regional smart communities in rural

Colorado enabling improved commerce, economic diversity and competitiveness, and

workforce development and sustainability.

 

Special Tax District

The Education Center, dependent on gifts, grants and donations, is restricted in

programming and services as dictated by the funding priorities and timelines of

individuals, organizations and agencies. It is even more challenging for rural

communities which have special needs but have small populations. Most Foundation

and government grant sources prefer urban projects as they serve larger numbers of

people. In order to strategically program services, sustain meaningful programs,

engage innovative ways to serve multiple populations, and meet the unique needs of

rural Colorado at the most opportune times, the Education Center Board of Directors

has approved the development of a Special Tax District Initiative (Countywide) for the

November 2010 election ballot that would provide property tax revenue to The

Education Center at a rate of 1.5 mils. This is the same mil levy rate that currently

supports the Pagosa Springs Public (Sitton) Library.

Appreciating that tax increases are generally unpopular and understanding the

challenges of a down economy, this tax initiative is an critical infrastructure investment

that will assist Archuleta County to grow and sustain a healthy economy, create

meaningful jobs for our youth and adults, and provide the technology that is attractive

to new enterprises and allows businesses to expand into global markets.

           Call 970-264-2835 to get started today!

Making a Difference