Classes underway at NEAITC

City of Rector employee Brad Green helps community development director Jacinda Welch carry a table into the nearly completed NEAITC. The center began offering classes as of Monday, and will continue to add programs geared toward benefitting local residents.
(Democrat photo/Ryan Rogers)

[Click to enlarge]

A special open house has been planned to introduce the community to the NEAITC and all it has to offer. The open house will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, May 18. The event will offer visitors a chance to tour the site. Refreshments will be served during the open house.

The site began offering its first classes, part of the Life Skills program, on Monday.

The Life Skills Program will provide participants the opportunity to learn more about parenting, creating a budget and job readiness. It will teach basic life skills in an effort to strengthen persons financially and socially. The program's goals include providing education on the basics of how to obtain employment, support group sessions, education and support on parenting from infancy to teenagers, education and budget planning for the home, education and support for anyone on the Transitional Employment Assistance Program through the Department of Health and Human Services, education and support for repeat offenders through the court system and education and support for the general public or school system programs.

Life Skills classes are scheduled to last one month, meeting three to four days per week. The program will be open to the entire community. Through a partnership with the DHHS, the program will be used to assist individuals who may require assistance in strengthening workforce skills. The program also is expected to work closely with the Clay County court system to identify other candidates who may benefit from the program.

Community development coordinator Jacinda Welch says another Life Skills program will begin in July.

For those seeking to improve themselves in a more physical way, the center is also open for strength training and aerobics. Persons may join the site's gym to make use of an array of strength training and exercise equipment. Gym memberships are $20 per month, with the fees going toward other community development projects. Also, Rector's own Barbi Terry is hosting a number of aerobic classes designed to target several different areas of focus. The center will also host karate classes in separate divisions for both children and adults on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Welch said the site will host a six-week country line dancing class beginning in July. Future plans include guitar lessons and AARP driving classes, among many other programs.

"It's really coming along," Welch said. "We're just getting started, but we already have a variety of programs to offer the people of Rector."

The center's classrooms received a boost on Monday, as a regional industry made a generous gift of 55 chairs and several tables. The Post division of Kraft Foods donated the essential furniture to Black River Technical College, with whom the City of Rector has partnered to make the NEAITC a reality. The tables and chairs will provide current and future students with a stylish, comfortable area in which to take advantage of the educational opportunities offered by the center.

"We're very grateful to Post for their donation," an obviously pleased Welch said. "Through this, we are able to outfit our classrooms with a professional appearance."

Other recent donations to the center include podiums, four ceiling fans and several paintings and large photographs, many of which feature local industries.

The additions have added to the site's overall appearance and feel.

"I think we've been able to create an environment here that not only feels like a training center, but also a hub for the whole community," Welch said. "We've got something for everyone, and we're looking to add even more. I think this (the center) is something the entire community can take pride in and enjoy, as well as benefit from having."