Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus will host a dedication ceremony for the Tyson Foods Logan County Career Center at 2008 Wood Street in Paris at 10 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 22.
The Tyson Foundation provided a $266,600 grant to assist in the construction of the new educational facility. The building will serve as an Arkansas Tech Career Center (ATCC) satellite location in Paris.
The state of the art facility will allow Arkansas Tech-Ozark Campus to provide courses in automation technology, allied health and adult education in the Paris community. A $644,034 regional workforce grant from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education allowed ATU-Ozark to purchase equipment needed for each program.
Arkansas Tech-Ozark Chancellor Bruce Sikes stated, “The establishment of the Tyson Foods Logan County Career Center will provide students and employers with educational access to relevant industry training in the high demand fields of automation and allied health. We plan on serving entry-level secondary students from the area schools as well as adult learners in need of job training opportunities. Arkansas Tech-Ozark Campus appreciates the public and private efforts of the Paris Public Schools, the city of Paris, Tyson Foods, the Economic Development Administration, local and state officials and the leadership of our Governor. Arkansas Tech University is committed to providing the communities it serves with educational programming in support of economic initiatives.”
Scheduled speakers for the dedication include: Governor Asa Hutchinson; Mr. Wayne Fawcett, Superintendent, Paris School District; Dr. Lee Lane, Paris Economic Development; Mr. Jorge D. Ayala, Regional Director, Economic Development Administration; Ms. Tonya Baumgartner, Director, Paris Chamber of Commerce; Mike Rogers, Tyson Foods, Inc.; Dr. Robin E. Bowen, President, Arkansas Tech University; Senator Gary Stubblefield; Representative Jon Eubanks; and Bruce Sikes, Chancellor, Arkansas Tech University – Ozark Campus.
The ATCC satellite at Paris enables access to credit-bearing credential, certificate and degree attainments offered through Arkansas Tech-Ozark Campus. The classes will provide high school students with concurrent college credit at no charge. Adult learners will also have the opportunity to take both GED coursework and industry training classes as a result of the new facility.
The ATCC location in Paris serves high school students from Scranton, Magazine and Paris. For the current semester, there are approximately 58 students enrolled through ATCC.
