Thank you, Teton County!
We are committed to this community and passionate about meeting the unique educational challenges and workforce needs of Teton County
On behalf of the entire Central Wyoming College family – our students, teachers, and staff – thank you for your support of CWC-Jackson’s 2017 SPET campaign. It is because of your commitment to advancing and expanding higher education opportunities that we were able to be successful on the May 5 ballot.
CWC-Jackson has been serving the Teton County community for over forty years. We are committed to meeting the education and workforce needs of the valley and to providing opportunities for locals, from all walks of life, to improve their lives. As we move this project forward to complete a dedicated Jackson center, we look forward to continuing our partnership.
Again, thank you for your support.
Who is CWC Jackson?
For nearly four decades, Central Wyoming College has been proudly serving the Jackson community.
For nearly four decades, Central Wyoming College (CWC) has been proudly serving the Jackson community. We are committed to this community and passionate about meeting the unique educational challenges and workforce needs of Teton County by providing:
- Foundational courses that open doors to a college future, including focused support for those with English as a second language
- Adult Basic Education and High School Equivalency
- Accredited culinary and hospitality program that fits within the off-seasons
- Excellent nursing and health science programs
- Business degrees, entrepreneurial success programs and customized workforce training
- Dual and concurrent credit for high school students
- Community enrichment courses for ongoing learning and improvement
CWC-Jackson has been partnering with community non-profits, schools and businesses to serve more students, increase skilled workers and advance our shared community goals. The results?
In the past ten years alone:
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Google Map coming soon!
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The good news? There is a single solution that can help tackle most of these challenges — a dedicated, state-of-the-art facility in the heart of Jackson.
With a new, expanded space in which to operate, CWC-Jackson will be able to address our community’s need for:
-An increased number of better prepared culinary/hospitality graduates
-Trained healthcare workers in new CWC programs of Medical Assistant, Health Information
Technology & Medical Lab Technician
-Business degrees, innovation & leadership training, and increased opportunities through the Start-Up
Intensive
-Quality educational programming with dedicated classroom space
CWC-Jackson Center
The expanded CWC-Jackson Center will be a boon for local residents, businesses and organizations, helping the diverse population of Teton County pursue their dreams while reinforcing community priorities.
The use of SPET funds for the new center will:
- Provide more classrooms, labs, offices and a commercial kitchen
- Allow CWC-Jackson to service an additional 200+ students
- Meet the needs of a growing International (including Hispanic) population through extended ESL programs, College Readiness and career pathways
- Expand Culinary, Hospitality, Business & Entrepreneurship offerings
- Diversify Health & Wellness programs including Dental Assistant, Radiology Technician, Massage & Alternative Medicine
- Offer Certificates in Sustainability & Green Construction
- Bolster Science and STEM Programming & Undergraduate Research
- Increase Outdoor Certifications
- Grow Computer Programming Courses in 3-D Design, Robotics & New Media
- Expand the Workforce Development Department to quickly respond to community/business needs
- Accelerate graduation rates, resulting in higher completion
- Give CWC-Jackson the ability to create new programs as demanded by a changing local economy
CWC-Jackson is a smart investment
An investment in CWC-Jackson is one that will benefit our community for decades to come. It is an investment not just in Teton County students and in the community as a whole.
For every $1 that students pay for their education at CWC, they can expect $4.80 in higher future earnings. What’s more, a two-year degree will increase an individual’s earning potential to an additional $1 million over their lifetime. The overall ROI for Community College is 400% for students.
For every tax dollar spent on educating students at CWC, taxpayers will receive an average of $1.30 in return over the course of the students’ working lives. In other words, taxpayers enjoy an annual rate of return of 3.2%.
For every dollar invested in an education from CWC, an average of $4.50 in social benefit will accrue to Teton County and Wyoming over the course of the students’ careers in the form of reduced crime, lower welfare and unemployment, and increased health and well-being.
Commonly Asked Questions
CWC-Jackson has been requesting state funding to build a dedicated center here in Teton County for a number of years. However, there are two major barriers we face in receiving state dollars.
First, Teton County is one of the few counties in Wyoming that does not assess a mill levy to support its community college district (which is served by Central Wyoming College based in Riverton). As such, it greatly hurts our chances of receiving state funding when competing with communities that do assess a mill levy. Local funding through SPET would show the state that Teton County taxpayers are committed to the college, making future requests for support more viable.
In addition, the state is currently facing a significant revenue shortfall. Wyoming currently faces a $1.8 billion education-funding shortfall over the next five years. The citizens of Teton County simply cannot afford to wait and see if and when state funds will become available.
Over the past decade, CWC has explored a number of funding options for the Jackson Center – from private capital to grants and strategic partnerships. However, none of these have proven to be viable funding sources at this point. The bottom line is this: Teton County needs to fund this project if it is to move forward at this time and in this location.
Day-to-day operations for CWC-Jackson will be funded through a few revenue streams including funding from CWC, the state and private philanthropy. CWC is mandated by state statute to provide educational services to Teton County, and, as a result, ensuring operations continue smoothly is a responsibility of the college in Riverton. CWC also has a private capital fundraising campaign already underway to pay for operations.
In terms of bang for your buck, taxpayer investment in local community colleges historically makes returns in spades – contributing not only financially to the town and county, but improving health and well being, reducing reliance on government and social services and enhancing the cultural vibrancy of the community.
For every tax dollar spent on educating students at CWC, taxpayers will receive an average of $1.30 in return over the course of the students’ working lives. In other words, taxpayers enjoy an annual rate of return of 3.2%.
What’s more, for every dollar invested in an education from CWC, an average of $4.50 in social benefit will accrue to Teton County and Wyoming over the course of the students’ careers in the form of reduced crime, lower welfare and unemployment, and increased health and well being.
An investment in CWC-Jackson is one that will benefit our community for decades to come. It is an investment not just in Teton County students, but also in the community as a whole.
Teton County SPET funds will allow CWC-Jackson to move forward plans to establish a dedicated campus in the heart of Jackson. The $3.82 million in SPET funds will pay for the acquisition of two lots in downtown Jackson as well as planning, engineering and architectural planning.
Currently operating in a small, shared space at the Center for the Arts, CWC-Jackson faces a number of challenges when it comes to serving the community, including:
- No dedicated professional kitchen
- Lack of adequate classroom space
- Shared lab space with local schools that limits curriculum options
- Technology constraints due to using temporary spaces
- Students delayed in graduating due to course sequencing obstacles
- Lack of office space for existing staff
However, establishing a dedicated, state-of-the-art facility will address many of these challenges. With a new, expanded space in which to operate, CWC-Jackson will be able to address our community’s need for:
- An increased number of better prepared culinary/hospitality graduates
- Trained healthcare workers in new CWC programs of Medical Assistant, Health Information Technology & Medical Lab Technician
- Business degrees, innovation & leadership training, and increased opportunities through the Start-Up Intensive
- Quality educational programming with dedicated classroom space
Absolutely. We are committed to providing beds for our students and our working with our team and developers to identify a location to house up to 32 students.
CWC-Jackson’s SPET ask is only for land acquisition, planning, engineering and architectural drawings. Upon completion, and the acquisition of additional funds needed for construction, we will move immediately into the next phase.