IVCC offers Continuing Education courses

Illinois Valley Community College’s Continuing Education Center delivers the world from A-Z, and on an affordable budget, the college said in a news release.

Flipping through the 24-page course catalog, students can explore curling, the latest technology tools (ChatGPT), the earliest survival tools (the atlatl) or basic yoga.

Each year, about 3,000 participants ranging in age from 5 to 95 sign up for dozens of short courses in leisure activities, youth summer camps and personal or professional enrichment. The summer camps alone draw 400 children.

Along the way, many participants forge lifelong ties to IVCC, such as retired pharmacist William Arkins, who graces the 2024 fall catalog cover and has revisited his alma mater many times since graduating from LPO Junior College more than 70 years ago. He still embraces the adventure and believes he owes much to a lifetime’s philosophy that’s kept him moving.

Continuing Education Center community program coordinator Kim Koehler said college Continuing Education programs trace their roots to turn-of-the-20th-century Chautauqua assemblies and the mid-1970s Road Scholar program. Founding Father Benjamin Franklin founded a club in which members shared a curiosity and a thirst for learning.

“These programs fill a niche, especially in small rural communities,” Continuing Education and Business Services Director Jennifer Scheri said in a news release. “Colleges can offer opportunities beyond traditional education programs, and Continuing Education programs are ‘a part of a trusted institution where you know you will get a good experience.’”

Scheri said course assortment and schedule-friendly delivery options appeal to new and returning participants. Participants usually sign up for multiple courses, drawn by fresh topics or the satisfaction of completing a sequence or advancing their skills.

A typical IVCC catalog features more than 100 programs and introduces about 50 new topics.

“If you cannot find a topic in the classroom, you can probably find it online,” Koehler said, adding that the team helps participants find programs to match their interests and needs.

Bus trips are always popular. Classes have traveled to theaters, wildlife preserves, historic sites and themed cultural activities. Overnight trips, once a yearly staple, disappeared during the COVID-19 pandemic but are expected to return soon, Koehler said.

“We aim to create an experience, something people might not find on their own,” Koehler said.

Every travel destination has some new lesson or insight to reveal, and summer camp lessons are freed from typical classroom settings and pressures.

Each catalog medley emerges from a complex strategy that involves scrutinizing what has been popular, what other colleges are doing and what loyal followers and new students want to see.

“We want to be a leader,” Scheri said. “We try to be mindful about what’s coming in the future and try to introduce new opportunities.”

Some topics are timeless, while others are relevant for a time and disappear as technology and interests evolve. Some courses, such as sewing and fiber art, reappear periodically.

Medical coding, computers and technology, regional history and environmental issues are among the current hot topics.

The curriculum is driven by the availability of college or community resources and instructors. The program enlists active or retired professionals, hobbyists who share a passion, and retired and active teachers – some of whom have been with the program for 25 to 30 years.

Four years later, the program is rebuilding and finding new markets. Recently, more than 100 new students joined within a two-week period in August.

“That’s huge,” Scheri said.

The fall edition catalog dropped into mailboxes and inboxes in early August. Spring editions will arrive in January, and the popular children’s summer camp catalog is released each spring. For more information, visit ivcc.edu/enroll or call to speak to an enrollment specialist at 815-224-0427.