Johnson County Community College Works to Serve the Overland Park Community

Susan McSpadden

According to Forbes, a two-year college degree – like those you can earn at Johnson County Community College (JCCC) – can increase a person’s lifetime earnings by $400,000, compared to having just a high school diploma. With 100 degrees/certificates in 45 programs of study to choose from, students have just what they need to achieve their desired careers. JCCC isn’t just prepared to help individual students thrive, though; its variety of programs is designed to assist the entire community. 

For example, JCCC’s Workforce Development and Continuing Education (WDCE) program is designed to help those ages 16 and older who are no longer in school. WDCE creates a personalized study plan so students can earn their GED, learn English as a second language or work on the specific reading, writing and math skills needed to land a better-paying job.

“WDCE programs are intentionally short term and help students enter the workforce with the skills they need fast,” says Elisa Waldman, vice president of workforce development and continuing education.

Business Resources 

JCCC also assists local entrepreneurs and small-business owners through the Kansas Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and Kansas APEX Accelerator.

Kansas SBDC advisers meet with innovators and business owners in person or via Zoom, phone or email, guiding clients on how to create a business plan, name their company, incorporate, work more efficiently and secure patents and copyrights. Through the SBDC, entrepreneurs also learn about marketing, raising capital, competing for major grants, finding mentors and more.

The Kansas APEX Accelerator works with small businesses that want to pursue government contract opportunities at the federal, state and local levels. APEX provides individualized counseling and develops a search profile that alerts clients about open bidding opportunities and advertised contract awards. Plus, APEX provides informative training seminars about timely contracting issues, including electronic commerce and the latest procurement guidelines.

Susan McSpadden

Additional Opportunities

The college also offers youth programs, such as studio art classes, driver education classes, performing arts experiences, sports camps and clinics, and programs for adults with mild developmental disabilities or other cognitive disabilities. The adult programs are called CLEAR and CONNECT.

CLEAR teaches noncredit classes that help adults master daily independent living skills, such as cooking, shopping on a budget, cleaning and organizing your home, exercising regularly and using public transportation.

CONNECT is a two-year program for young adults with intellectual disabilities. Participants learn about life on a college campus. The program also helps adults decide what careers would best suit them, and JCCC assists graduates in finding job opportunities, among other things. 

Susan McSpadden

Hands-On Training

Along with classroom courses, the college provides hands-on experiences that relate to certain careers. For example, its pastry/baking certificate program offers students access to a pastry shop, and the JCCC Nail Salon helps cosmetology students learn the latest in nail technology in a salon.

JCCC also has a dental hygiene lab, where advanced students provide the public with $10 preventive treatment services. The school offers a firefighting certificate program. AT&T recently contributed a $20,000 public safety scholarship to the program, so eligible students can receive $1,000 toward tuition.

“This scholarship support is instrumental in enhancing fire safety at JCCC,” says Joy Ginsburg, executive director of the JCCC Foundation. “It enables us to equip our students with the knowledge and skills necessary to safeguard our communities.”

Athletics 

One can’t mention JCCC without mentioning its athletic programs, which create opportunities for student-athletes and draw the community together. 

Cavaliers teams have won 12 national championships. The college boasts men’s baseball, basketball and soccer and women’s basketball, soccer, softball and volleyball.