Ledger-Dispatch

By Bethany A. Monk (bmonk@ledger-dispatch.com) =

The Amador Learning Center, located on=20 Independence Drive in Sutter Creek, offers an array of = college-level=20 classes, and will be able to expand its programs if the passage of = a=20 senate bill for the College Preparation Initiative = passes.

Photo by: Bethany A.=20 Monk
The buck stops here.

At least = that's=20 what the proponents of a $250,000 senate bill for educational programs = are=20 hoping to say. If approved by legislators, the bill, requested by Sen. = Diane=20 Feinstein (D-CA), would fund the College Preparation Initiative and amp = up the=20 amount and variety of college courses offered at the Amador Learning = Center in=20 Sutter Creek.

Late last month, the U.S. Senate Committee on = College=20 Efforts approved the fiscal year 2009 Department of Labor, Health and = Human=20 Services appropriations bill, which provides funds for education, = science,=20 technology and workforce projects. If approved, the bill could help = jumpstart=20 new and support existing educational programs in Amador County. Sen. = Barbara=20 Boxer (D-CA), who has, in the past, helped enhance the community college = presence in the county, supported the request. Currently, the bill is = awaiting=20 action in the Senate.

"The appropriation would provide a = significant shot=20 in the arm to the ongoing and long term process of establishing a = community=20 college presence in Amador County," said County Administrative Officer = Terri=20 Daly in a release. Daly's been working with the Amador Community College = Foundation on public outreach and generating local and regional support. = The=20 foundation has been working collaboratively with the county, Los Rios = Community=20 College District and the Amador Unified School District through the = county's=20 congressional delegation office to advocate federal support.

"It = will=20 really provide an opportunity to grow, with that infusion of funding," = said=20 Patrick Blacklock, dean of careers and technology at Cosumnes River = College.=20 Officials at the college, which has its main campus in Sacramento, along = with=20 Amador County supervisors and school district officials, worked together = to=20 create the Amador Learning Center, located on Independence Drive near=20 Independence High School in Sutter Creek.

The center opened its = doors to=20 students in 2007 and is currently accepting registration for its fall = 2008=20 semester, which begins Aug. 23 and runs until Dec. 18. For more = information,=20 visit www.co.amador.ca.us/depts/CRC-ALC/index.cfm?id=3D7 or call=20 267-5274.

The center is offering six courses next semester, = including=20 creative writing, computer information science, early childhood = education,=20 emergency medical technology, fire technology, and photography. If the = bill=20 passes, Blacklock said the center will be able to offer much more. =

"Our=20 goal would be to augment the high school curricula by adding an added=20 component," he said, explaining the college's plan to offer the entire=20 firefighter 1 certification program for local high school juniors and = seniors=20 via a dual enrollment program. High school students would take classes = through=20 their high school and the college. Blacklock was unsure if that = particular=20 program would be open to non-high school students. "It could go either = way," he=20 said, adding that the details, including the program's location, are = still in=20 the works.

The fire certification program would be a pilot = project,=20 Blacklock said. "If it were successful, it would provide a model for = similar=20 programs."

In addition to offering more classes in various = subject areas,=20 Blacklock said the center may offer career technical education programs = in=20 allied health and medical-related programs.

"We're watching = closely the=20 enrollment numbers," Blacklock said. "As we see enrollment grow, we'll = offer=20 more."

Blacklock expected the Senate to vote on the bill some = time in the=20 fall.

Bethany A. = Monk