Sept. 28, 2023 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Learning Center is celebrating a 20-year partnership between Grand Rapids Public Schools and Grand Rapids Community College that helps students complete high school while working on an associate degree.
The center, established in 2003, provides opportunities for 16- to 19-year-old West Michigan students to earn a diploma online, dual enroll at GRCC, identify a career path, and start college or workforce training after completing high school.
Students, program alumni, educators, community leaders and the public are invited to a celebration lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 29, at GRCC’s Sneden Hall, 435 E. Fulton St. An open house will follow the lunch from 3 to 7 p.m. RSVPs are due Thursday, Sept. 28; call (616) 819-1045 or email CerdaM@grps.org to sign up. No reservations are needed for the open house.
Two local visionaries will be recognized during the luncheon for their roles in the GRLC’s success: David Selmon, GRCC’s dean of Strategic Outreach and a former basketball coach, and Kurt Johnson, executive director of athletics at GRPS.
The center, then known as the “Learning Corner,” started with two locations: one on Wealthy Street and the other on Grand Rapids’ West Side. The two sites eventually consolidated on the GRCC campus, where it has thrived for 14 years.
“This ground-breaking collaboration between GRPS and GRCC gives our students a unique opportunity to make up missing credits and work ahead to earn college credits,” said Rodney Brown, the center’s principal.
You can learn more about the Grand Rapids Learning Center online.