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Adult Learning Center staff settling in at new downtown location
LEWISTON, Idaho - Donna Callahan, Director of the Adult Learning Center at Lewis-Clark State College, couldn't be happier.
The center has moved from its former location in the basement of Reid Centennial Hall on the LCSC campus into a new home in downtown Lewiston. You can now find Callahan and her staff in the west wing of the main floor of Clearwater Hall at 400 Main Street. The center's offices and classrooms are in the remodeled section of a historical commercial building, formerly called the Adams Building, which is now part of Clearwater Hall.
According to Callahan, it was challenging to meet the needs of the program at the previous location on campus.
"There were times when we needed three classrooms, but only had access to two," Callahan said. "In an effort to meet the needs of our students, we would often have to teach a small class in our reception area."
When an opportunity to move downtown came up, Callahan requested Adult Learning be considered for the new space.
"We believed a storefront property would provide more program visibility," she said. "Our new location is easy to find. In addition, we have not experienced any parking issues downtown this summer. Students can park along the street for up to three hours without getting a ticket. If they plan on staying longer, we advise them to park in one of the public parking lots. We have a good number of students who ride bikes to our classes, so we are anxious for the City to get the new bike racks and benches installed along the sidewalks, which should happen in the next few months."
The Lewiston Urban Renewal Agency is currently reconstructing First and Fifth Streets, including roadways, portions of the sidewalks, public art, and full streetscape (trees, planters, street furniture, and other pedestrian amenities), as part of the Downtown Lewiston Streetscape project.
Callahan said once their move became a reality, they were a little nervous about leaving the main campus.
"But now that we are settled in we absolutely love our new Center located in Beautiful Downtown Lewiston!" said an enthusiastic Callahan. "We now have three classrooms, one of which is a computer lab, and an advising room. Each of the classrooms have teaching stations equipped with ELMOS, DVD players, and short throw projectors. Everything is new and that has been exciting for our staff and students."
Callahan says the campus is just a short walk away, so they are still fairly close to other campus offices and resources. She says a future wish list item includes a golf cart that can be used to transport students back and forth from the campus to Clearwater Hall or to the Center for Arts and History.
Callahan said the Adult Learning Center provides free, quality instruction in reading, writing, math, and English to help students prepare for college, the workforce, or the GED. Students may enroll in the program at any time and progress at their own rate. Orientations are offered on Tuesdays.
Structured classes are offered throughout the year. Classes that began on July 9 will wrap up on August 23. The next set of classes will begin on August 27, the same day other classes get under way at LCSC.
GED tests are administered every Thursday morning and students must make an appointment in advance.
Summer hours are Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.-noon and 1-5 pm, and Fridays 8 a.m.-noon. During the school year, the Center will be open Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.-noon and 1-7 p.m. It will close at 5 p.m. on Fridays.
Callahan said they are looking forward to having people stop by to see the new space and to inquire about program offerings. They plan to have an open house in September.
The Adult Learning Center has a staff of seven in Lewiston, with an instructor in each of its outreach sites in Moscow, Orofino and Grangeville.
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