In 2014, the building was donated to Eagle Grove by the National Guard and, with the foresight of community service, then-Eagle Grove Mayor Darrell Betterman and Iowa Central President Dan Kinney proposed to use the site for its current purpose: an educational bridge to a college degree.

The NCRC enrolled its first students in 2014 while still under renovation.

Today, enrollment in the NCRC and all of its programs, which are designed to help students determine their career pathways, are 100 percent free to high school students from Eagle Grove, Webster City and Clarion. All credits earned at the NCRC feed into other Iowa Central programs and transfer to state universities.

NCRC offers several career pathway programs.

-Messenger file photo by Chris Fullerton
The North Central Regional Center is located at 216 S. Park Ave. in Eagle Grove.

The manufacturing and technology program is a hands-on learning experience where students have access to state-of-the-art milling and lathing machines, as well as their own welding station. The focus of the program is on welding, metal working and blueprint reading. This two-semester program earns students 17 credits.

The Health Sciences pathway program is designed for students who are interested in the health field. Students can study to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), take nursing prerequisite courses such as Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II, Nutrition and Developmental Psychology.

Students have access to cutting edge technology with the use of an Anatomage Table. This table is the size of a hospital bed, covered by a giant touch screen and connected to a computer. The instructor can project realistic images of the human body, all of its systems, and can manipulate the image to show any number of abnormalities for student observation and study.

Students also practice real-life skills in the classroom with the use of mannequins, that are full body patient simulators. Classrooms emulate a true hospital setting with beds, wheelchairs and common equipment found in nursing facilities. At the conclusion of this program, students earn 18 credits.

The Teacher Academy pathway prepares students interested in entering an academic teaching career. This program offers coursework related to the principles of teaching. Courses may include Educational Psychology, Biology, U.S. History and Music Appreciation. This pathway allows students to earn 19 credits.

The High School Options program allows students from Eagle Grove High School to earn their high school diploma at the NCRC. This is a self-paced program where students receive in-class lessons in math, reading, writing, as well as science and social studies fundamentals. Students work with computerized curriculum at their own pace and level to prepare for the High School Equivalency Test (HISET). Upon completion of this program, students may enroll in Iowa Central classes and degree programs.

Undecided students may consider the Liberal Arts pathway, which offers a variety of courses from the fields of science, social science, and humanities that can filter into associate degree programs at Iowa Central.

Additionally, NCRC offers English Language Learner (ELL) classes for adults 18 and over; day and evening classes are available. Students use computer-based curriculum and textbooks to acquire the English skills they need to succeed in the workplace and their community.

What makes NCRC unique?

Colleen Bartlett, Career Academy specialist, spoke about the positive transitional and socialization aspects that the center provides students.

“Students come from small towns and have grown up with their classmates,” she said. “In this environment, they meet new students and learn to navigate new partnerships in and out of class. It is their first experience with a college level class that has different expectations from high school. The rules are different, the instructors are unfamiliar and the learning platforms are different. Students learn to be more independent as they make their way through the program.”

She recalls a student who came back to visit after some years who told her that he never thought he could go to college, but attending the program gave him the confidence he needed and he is now enrolled in a master’s program.

The North Central Regional Center can give the community’s high school students a free head start in obtaining a college degree or a trade.

For more information on the enrollment process, contact Colleen Bartlett at 515-574-1974.