Riverland Community College President Terry Leas announced today that a community Early Childhood Education Center valued at more than $3 million would be added to Riverland’s Austin campus. This capital project, scheduled for completion next summer, addresses one of the top ten needs cited in recent United Way survey results.

In an unprecedented local partnership between the private and public sectors, Riverland will convert about 17,000 sq. ft. in its West Building into an Early Childhood Education Center with a capacity to serve approximately 200 full-time and 200 part-time children ages birth through five.  An additional 3,000 sq. ft. that includes landscaping and parking improvements will also be part of the project.  The Hormel Foundation helped secure the more than $3 million in funding so far.

“The Hormel Foundation is proud to be part of an exciting child care project, said Gary Ray, Chair of The Hormel Foundation Board of Directors.  “The Center will benefit the city of Austin’s young children and families for many years to come.”

“The Hormel Foundation’s vision for the Early Childhood Education Center is that every child in Austin would have access to this world-class learning facility,” Leas said. “By the time these children enter kindergarten, they will have acquired the necessary academic, language, and social skills for success in the school system.” To allow access for all, Leas said there are plans to make scholarships available for low-income families.

The expansion of the Early Childhood Education Center on the Austin campus not only benefits Riverland’s student and employee parents with young children, but also offers valuable learning opportunities for students enrolled in Riverland’s Human Services, Nursing, and Law Enforcement programs.

“The Early Childhood Education Center also provides a ‘learning laboratory’ for Riverland students interested in pursuing a career in education or teaching, Leas said. “Riverland officials are currently negotiating with our colleagues at sister universities in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system to establish a two-plus-two program in Early Childhood Education.”

Two-plus-two programs allow students to receive two years of education at Riverland and then complete their bachelor’s degrees with an additional two years at participating universities. Leas said the Center would be a valuable place for student educators to work and hone their skills with experienced educators.

Riverland has been in the process of finding ways to reduce its surplus facility space. The Early Childhood Education Center would be a major enhancement to the aging infrastructure that once housed the Ag Diesel program and is currently used for storage. The Center will have its own public entrance, and the lessee will be responsible for its own operational and maintenance costs.

Work has already begun on the project, which is planned for completion next summer. Riverland is preparing the property for the renovation. “This is a ‘win-win’ situation for all involved,” Leas said.  Leas emphasized the importance of how these improvements, which are consistent with Riverland’s long-term plans and needed regardless of who is using the building, will be returned in future cost savings for Riverland’s facilities, the educational returns for Riverland’s students in related programs, and the benefits for the community’s children as they begin their educational journey in lifelong learning.

Although the complete list of funding is not finalized, The Hormel Foundation has committed $2 million and the Hormel Foods Corporation Charitable Trust has pledged $1 million to the Center. Leas praised the extraordinary cooperation and support this project has enjoyed from the MnSCU Board of Trustees and system office, the Attorney General’s Office and the private partners. “This exceptional private-public partnership meets an identified community need, enhances the college facility, upgrades learning opportunities for Riverland students in programs that work with young children as part of the respective curriculum, and familiarizes young children and their parents to the college.”

“The Hormel Foods Corporation Charitable Trust is excited to contribute to the Early Childhood Education Center because it will provide an exceptional learning environment for the children of many of our employees,” said Julie H. Craven, vice president of corporate communications at Hormel Foods. “We are committed to supporting education, and look forward to seeing how the children in the Austin community benefit from this contribution.”