College Announces Revamped Community Education Program: Enrich Wyoming

In the Fall 2021 semester, Western Wyoming Community College put their Community Education program on hiatus to review the types of programs offered to better service Sweetwater County. It has been restructured and rebranded as Enrich Wyoming – Cultivate your passion.  

The program previously focused on non-credit enrichment courses for individuals in the community and had been operating in a budget deficit for several years. After meeting with key stakeholders such as Community Education instructors, community partners, and the public, Western received feedback that there were a number of duplicated services and that the previous program wasn’t meeting local needs.  

Using the feedback from the stakeholder meeting, Western revamped their community education program. Enrich Wyoming will focus on four categories: Business in partnership with the Sweetwater Economic Development Coalition, Recreation, Personal Development, and Senior Citizens.  

These categories and courses were chosen to help fill a gap in community needs. Many of the new classes will work in tandem with the College’s credit programs. Those who benefit from taking an Enrich Wyoming small business workshop could find that they wish to delve deeper into a subject and enroll in Western’s new online Bachelor’s degree in Business Management program. 

The Small Business Education Series, in partnership with the Sweetwater Economic Development Coalition, will provide small businesses, entrepreneurs, and organizations an opportunity to learn tools to enhance their business or organization.  

“For years, the Sweetwater Economic Development Coalition (SEDC) has partnered with Western in developing programs to help our Sweetwater County businesses grow and thrive. We are grateful for the opportunity to expand our partnership to the new Enrich Wyoming program. The SEDC believes Enrich Wyoming will provide the resources that our business community and community members need to stay informed and educated. Western Wyoming Community College plays a key role in the Economic Development efforts for Sweetwater County. We are very fortunate to have the institution in our community, said Kayla McDonald, SEDC Economic Development Specialist. ” 

In addition to Small Business Education, Enrich Wyoming will provide community members with personal development and recreation opportunities. The Program is currently seeking instructors as well as class suggestions for either category. Those interested in sharing can contact the Outreach Department at enrichwyo@westernwyoming.edu, with their suggestion.   

“Western really took the time to look at opportunities in the community that would enhance the quality of life. We hope these courses appeal to all ages and are excited about the partnership opportunities that we have begun,” said Senior Outreach Coordinator, Alex Schumacher. “We encourage all community members to sign up for our Spring 2022 courses or send in suggestions for courses they would like to see in the Fall 2022 semester,” said Schumacher.  

Community members can enroll in courses starting now through the end of the semester. To learn more about Western’s Enrich Wyoming courses visit westernwyoming.edu/enrichwyoming.