University Training Center Project Update
December 2019
Progress continues with the University Center project at Hennessey Hall. Currently, the City is working to include renovation of the Milborne-Stone Theater for a workforce training prospect that would like to be located in Southwest Kansas. Working this project in while contractors are remodeling the University Center classroom would present savings on construction costs versus bidding the projects separately.
In most recent news, the City of Dodge City was notified that they had received funding for the USDA Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant. The City was awarded $190,546 that will be used to fund initial technology costs at Hennessey Hall as well as five other frontier communities including: Elkhart, Jetmore, Scott City, St. John and Tribune.
In addition to this technology funding, Black Hills Energy generously donated 40 iPads to the Dodge City/Ford County Development Corporation to assist in the effort to adequately address workforce needs.
The Rural Education & Workforce Alliance (REWA) has also recently received grant funding for this project. The Arthur and Cornelia Scroggins Fund at the Community Foundation of Southwest Kansas awarded $25,000 to REWA to purchase classroom furniture for Hennessey Hall. Once the classroom is remodeled, it will be able to seat 50 students for various classes and seminars.
Working together as a community and region is critical to bringing this project to life, and effectively using it to combat the healthcare and other workforce shortages that our region faces.
This project is being made possible through funding in part by the USDA Rural Business Development Grant, USDA Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant, the Arthur and Cornelia Scroggins Foundation Fund at the Community Foundation of Southwest Kansas and the Kansas Health Foundation.
This Institution is an equal opportunity provider.