Education, Careers & Professional News
Higher Ed receives $7,000 grant nursing program
Cook County Higher Education has received a $7,000 grant to support the Registered Nurse program that is being offered in Grand Marais. Support from the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation will provide an opportunity for RN students to stay in Cook County for almost all of the lab and clinical portions of their course work, as opposed to commuting to Hibbing.
According to the students who come to CCHE looking for college information, the biggest barrier to going back to school is the distance from Grand Marais to the nearest college or university. And individual scholarships and grants don’t cover transportation and lodging costs.
Distance-learning programs provide the solution for subject areas such as business management, accounting, teacher licensure, and many other programs. For hands-on degree programs, however, CCHE has had to be very creative and persuasive when working with the regional colleges. CCHE’s 10-year reputation as a distance-learning center has built the important relationships required to create an off-campus learning opportunity. One example is the RN program offered through Hibbing Community College.
Off-campus programs come with a price tag, however. Because of Cook County’s small population base, classes cannot always be filled to capacity, so some courses need to be subsidized.
CCHE’s director, Paula Sundet says, “When we have the opportunity to provide a much-needed RN program that will provide living wage employment in the community, we are thankful to the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation and the North Shore Health Care Foundation who are able to provide vital financial support to make these programs a reality.”
Thirteen students will complete their first year of studies this May, and will be joined by several students who currently have an LPN degree. The entire cohort will complete their studies and earn their degree in May 2009, and be ready to join the healthcare workforce as RNs.
More : grandmarais-mn.com