Wilkes County’s investment in education is evident in the modern schools throughout the County. Wilkes has recently funded $12MM in school physical plant improvements as part of an ongoing commitment to provide the highest quality educational setting in the area. In addition, in 2002, the construction of four new middle schools was completed. As the result of these and other significant investments, Wilkes County students learn in some of the most modern and well-equipped schools of any rural setting, and the investment has begun to show success. In the 2006/2007 school year 20 0f 21 Wilkes County schools met or exceeded targeted growth levels on End of Grade/End of Course tests.

In a rapidly changing world, Wilkes County Schools is committed to serving the needs of its students to prepare them for a productive life in the 21st century. We are committed to excellence in teaching and to the belief that all students can learn. Our goal is to promote high expectations for student success through a partnership of school, home and community. Each student is afforded a safe learning environment which helps develop lifelong learners, responsible citizens, independent thinkers, and productive adults able to meet challenges in the diverse societies of the new millennium.

Wilkes County Schools

Wilkes Community College

Wilkes Community College is a public, two-year community college serving Wilkes, Ashe, and Alleghany counties with the primary mission of providing education, training, and retraining for the workforce that includes basic skills education, occupational, technical, and pre-baccalaureate programs. WCC also offers a variety of services, cultural activities, and recreational opportunities that improve quality of life for local residents such as a performing arts series at The John A. Walker Community Center and the college’s most well-known event, MerleFest, an annual celebration of Americana music. Community members regularly take advantage of the campus’ walking trail, tennis courts, and playground for family recreation and exercise among WCC’s nationally recognized gardens. WCC has been continuously recognized by the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges as a “Superior Institution,” meeting or exceeding the Board’s established performance measures.

Innovation at WCC

Wilkes Community College faculty and staff are always looking for innovative projects that not only enhance student learning but also enhance the quality of life for our communities.

Advanced Materials Cluster

The Advanced Materials Cluster was formed in January, 2004, when the County Managers of Wilkes, Ashe, and Alleghany came together with Wilkes Community College for the purpose of creating a sustainable and forward-reaching economy in northwest North Carolina. Manufacturing of high-strength nickel alloy, fiber reinforced polymers, thermoformed plastic components, and the transitioning of traditional materials to utilize advanced materials products are ideal industries for northwest North Carolina, not only because they create clean, safe, high-paying jobs, but also because those jobs can be located in a region built upon cooperative competitiveness. Efforts in the region to develop jobs based on applied sciences and advanced materials are being aided by new partnerships beyond the original three-county region of Wilkes, Ashe and Alleghany.

Wilkes Community College is leading this initiative by providing the essential education and training components that will be necessary for the workforce as the Cluster further develops. The Advanced Materials Center, through Wilkes Community College’s Industrial, Engineering and CIT Division, will provide two-year associate degrees that offer training in prototyping, testing, reverse engineering (through collaboration), and production processing and entrepreneurial development for the advanced materials industry. The Cluster has been directed by the WCC Dean of Industrial, Engineering and Customized Industry Training Division, John Hauser.

Lowe’s Hall- Technology

In 2007, Wilkes Community College opened Lowe’s Hall, a new science and technology center on the Wilkes Campus. Lowe’s Hall features remarkable state-of-the-art equipment and facilities that allow students and community members to gain experience and make communication easier. Students learn in new classrooms equipped with the latest equipment and features designed for a quality learning experience. Some features, such as the computer networking lab, exceed that of near-by four-year institutions.

The community also benefits from the technological innovations found in Lowe’s Hall. The building is equipped with cyber classrooms that are used in the educational setting to allow area high school students to take classes at the college level without leaving their high school campuses. These rooms have become a benefit for local business and industry leaders by providing space for teleconferencing around the world. Business and industry leaders in Wilkes County can easily meet with counterparts in Europe, Asia or anywhere in the world without purchasing a plane ticket.

New Program- Respiratory Therapy

Wilkes Community College has a tradition of responding to the education and training needs of area business and industry. Hospitals in our region have expressed a need for qualified applicants to fill vacant positions in respiratory therapy; respiratory therapists are health professionals responsible for taking care of patients with deficiencies in abnormalities of the cardiopulmonary system. In response to this need, WCC will introduce its first respiratory therapy program in the fall of 2007.

WCC’s two-year program will prepare graduates to compose a patient assessment, perform cardiopulmonary diagnostic procedures, set up and maintain a mechanical ventilator, formulate appropriate cardiopulmonary treatment plans, and determine and carry out appropriate interventions in a critical medical situation. Students will be involved in classes such as pharmacology, anatomy, patient management, and pediatrics. In addition to time spent in the classroom, students will gain invaluable hands-on experience by being involved in clinical practice which will take place at surrounding hospitals and medical centers.

Business and Industry Training & Development

The mission of the Business and Industry Training & Development Team is to develop various types of training programs and services to industries and small businesses in Wilkes County. Our team players possess manufacturing, community college, organizational leadership, marketing, consulting, and engineering experience. Wilkes Community College provides essential services to entrepreneurial efforts and Wilkes County businesses through its Small Business Center and Customized Industry Training.

Wilkes Community College

Links

Small Business Center

Customized Occupational Training

NC Advanced Materials Cluster