ACD Opens New $23 Million Westside Education & Training Center

新中心有助于增加教育机会，为圣安东尼奥西区带来更大的社区影响

SAN ANTONIO, TX - The Alamo 大学 District Board of Trustees, Chancellor Dr. Mike Flores, 西北远景学院(NVC)将庆祝新西区教育培训中心的剪彩仪式, also known as WETC on Thursday, March 30 at 2 pm at 610 SW 41st St. 新建筑取代了同一地点的旧建筑，并将对圣安东尼奥西区产生更大的社区影响.

The original WETC building opened in 2006 with an enrollment of 1,347 students - three times more than its target. In the last 17 years, West Side area residents have enrolled and turned into students, earning their high school diplomas, associate degrees, and certificates and transferring to universities. Northwest Vista 大学, the second largest in the Alamo 大学 District, 在WETC提供学术课程和社区卫生工作者计划.

”The new WETC is the realization of many years of planning and investment,” said Alamo 大学 Chancellor Dr. Mike Flores. “欧洲杯投注入口很自豪能够开设新的WETC，这将继续成为许多希望为自己和家人创造更好生活的西区居民的机会灯塔.”

In May 2017, 贝尔县选民批准了一项4.5亿美元的欧洲杯投注入口资本改善债券, with $23 million allocated for the WETC.

Constructed by Joeris General Contractors, 46个,907 square-foot building doubles the size of the previous building, which was the former Lincoln Elementary. The architect, 香港, 设计最先进的教室和实验室，为学生创造电脑和学习空间. The multi-use building will also feature a 退伍军人 Outreach office.

WETC还将作为欧洲杯投注入口区准备工作团队的主要站点, where intake, advising, case management and Career Services will take place.

欧洲杯投注入口区的教育和培训中心(ETC)是满足社区劳动力培训需求的一站式中心. The ETCs have expanded college, 为欧洲杯投注入口区服务的八个县的学生提供技术和学术选择.

Since 2018, 在无数社区伙伴的帮助下，这些中心为35人提供了援助,000 students and community members, including training in high-wage, high-demand industries, adult literacy education, GED preparation and testing, and skills for small businesses.

他们还担任西北维斯塔学院，圣安东尼奥学院，圣. Philip’s 大学, Palo Alto 大学, and Northeast Lakeview 大学. Currently, there are seven ETCs and two are under construction.

WETC and Lincoln Elementary Share a Common Mission

In 1959, the older WETC building (at the same location) was home to Lincoln Elementary, where both Black and Hispanic children went to school. Just five years before the school opened, 圣安东尼奥是继1954年美国废除种族隔离法案后，最早废除学校种族隔离的主要城市之一.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education. 由于凯利空军基地/邓肯陆军机场提供了机械师和飞机维修人员的就业机会，许多非洲裔美国人在WETC附近和周围移动.

At Lincoln Elementary, Elizabeth T. Wrenn became the school’s first principal. 在此之前，她是乔治·华盛顿·卡弗非裔美国儿童学校的一名教师. Wrenn was also Edgewood’s first Black teacher. In 1968, the Edgewood Independent School District named their junior high after her, which is still open today.

新的WETC大楼将继续雷恩的传统，教育来自不同背景的学生. WETC顾问委员会成员和社会正义倡导者曼纽尔·加尔扎说，参加WETC的学生亲切地把WETC的首字母缩略词变成了“我们赋予社区权力”.’

NVC临时总裁黛比·盖坦表示，欧洲杯投注入口教育和培训中心正在改变人们的生活, such as that of Armida Flores, who came to WETC in 2007.

弗洛雷斯来到这个中心是为了提高她的英语技能，后来她在NVC的社区卫生工作者项目中获得了证书. 现在, she has a bachelor’s degree, serves as a mentor to many students, and is a bridge between the Latino community and healthcare workers.

“阿米达(弗洛雷斯)的经历鼓舞了所有非传统成人学生，他们通过欧洲杯投注入口西区教育和培训中心提供的在自己的社区上大学，成功地追求教育,” Gaitan said.