Last Updated on September 16, 2021 by Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo Region
KOKOMO, Ind. – Seeing is believing! And Saturday, Sept. 18, is the date community members can see for themselves what’s been happening out at 1815 E. Morgan St. in Kokomo.
After an investment of three years and $43 million, myriad moves and relocations, and dealing with a pandemic for the past year and a half, Ivy Tech Community College is officially unveiling its transformed Kokomo Campus. The community open house is set for 1 to 4 p.m. and will include tours of the new campus, faculty and students demonstrating hands-on educational opportunities, and chances to try your hand at everything from welding in a virtual “welding booth” to administering healthcare to SimMan, one of the campus’s many robotic “patients.”
“We are planning a fun afternoon with drawings and giveaways, refreshments, and a variety of activities that can interest the whole family,” said Kelly Karickhoff, executive director of Resource Development for Ivy Tech’s Kokomo Service Area. “We are so excited to finally be able to share what may be one of Kokomo’s best-kept secrets – all that Ivy Tech Kokomo has to offer in its transformed facilities!”
Ethan Heicher, vice chancellor for Academic Affairs for Ivy Tech Kokomo, echoed Karickhoff’s excitement, noting more than 20 faculty members will be in their classrooms and labs to show off the new facilities and equipment in the four buildings grouped near the large quad that centers the new campus.
“We’ll have demonstrations of 3D printing and the use of CNC technology. The Paramedic Science program will be offering a ‘trip’ in our virtual ambulance,” Heicher said. “In the Surgical Technology suite, visitors will learn about surgical instrumentation. The Dental Assisting program will use Playdoh to make tooth models and, in the Biology lab, visitors will be able to experiment with determining DNA.
“There will be presentations on nursing, chemistry, agriculture, HVAC, how to navigate the dangers of public WiFi … even fairy tales and early childhood education,” he added.
Heicher said it’s a great opportunity to learn more about all the programs available at Ivy Tech Kokomo, whether you’re the parent of a high school student looking for what comes next or an adult looking to move up the career ladder. Staff will be on hand to discuss how to enroll in classes that begin as early as Oct. 20.
Guests are also welcome to visit the new home of the Howard County Community Garden on the southside of the campus and to talk a stroll on the walking path that encircles it.
“With this new campus, Ivy Tech has boosted its game in a way that we think will surprise many people,” said Dean McCurdy, Ivy Tech Kokomo chancellor.
“With our location just off the Touby Pike exit on U.S. 31, the campus is easily accessible to people throughout north central Indiana,” he continued. “We know it can have a tremendous impact on both educational attainment and future economic development in the communities Ivy Tech Kokomo serves.” The Ivy Tech Kokomo Service Area includes Cass, Fulton, Howard, Miami, Pulaski, and Tipton counties.
Parking for the open house will be available primarily on the southside of the campus with golf carts touring on regular intervals to bring people who need assistance up to the buildings. Following Ivy Tech’s statewide guidelines, facial coverings will be required and there is plenty of room for social distancing.
Karickhoff also noted that the open house is an opportunity for the community to see the improvements and amenities funded through the $3.3 million that 254 area donors – individuals, businesses, civic organizations, and governmental bodies – contributed to the project’s capital campaign.
“From the beautiful Hingst Hall community room to the community garden, from a well-equipped fitness center to a landscaped quad, $3.1 million was put to use in completing the transformation,” she said. “An additional $209,950 was pledged in planned gifts to begin a sustainability fund for continued maintenance and upkeep to assure this community investment will last long into the future.”
McCurdy said, “We are so grateful for all the support we have received from the community and for the many individuals, business leaders, and government officials who have joined us on this journey. We are really looking forward to welcoming people to see what we’ve got here.”
SOURCE: News release from Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo Region
