The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently awarded Gulf Coast Community College a $245,304 Distance Learning and Telemedicine grant to expand interactive distance learning educational opportunities for residents of Gulf and Franklin counties. The project will be implemented over a three-year period and will serve 600 residents of Gulf and Franklin counties each year.
Distance learning opportunities will include: outreach and educational enrichment activities for middle and high school students, dual enrollment courses for eligible high school students, workshops to equip parents to foster their children’s academic success, college courses for high school graduates, and continuing education workshops and seminars for professionals. Residents will also be able to participate in one-on-one or small group instruction or assistance from tutors located at the GCCC Panama City Campus via desktop video communication stations.
By offering educational opportunities in more convenient locations, the project will remove some of the obstacles to increasing educational attainment, and residents of all ages will have access to higher education. “This grant helps support the core mission of our College by providing more access to more people across our service district,” said Dr. Jim Kerley, President. “Guided by our Strategic Plan, we are committed to bringing education to the residents of Gulf and Franklin counties in as many ways as we can.”
Through that commitment, middle and high school students will have more educational opportunities and interaction with college faculty and staff. High school students will be able to earn college credit while they are still in high school, which will encourage them to pursue higher education after gradation, and will facilitate graduation from college earlier. Furthermore, parents will have more convenient access to resources to help their children be better prepared for college, and professionals in the workforce will have access to the continuing education they need to meet professional requirements.
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Quelle/Source: Foster Folly News, 06.10.2008
