Waterloo Career Center Receives $17.5 Million Renovation

posted on Wednesday, August 7, 2019 in The Cedar Valley Community

Education here in Iowa and the Cedar Valley is a top priority and we take pride in that. Have cutting edge resources, tools, and center for students to further their education is crucial when we look at grow the future workforce here in the Community. The Cedar Falls CAPS program and Waterloo Career Center are two great programs that offer high schools students real life experience at career field to persue after college. Preparing students for life after graduation and making the transition from high school much smoother. 

The Waterloo Career Center is preparing for the 2019-2020 school year with $17.5 million renovations. These renovations and investment in our current and future students is going to instrumental in building a talented workforce for the Cedar Valley. On behalf of Grow Cedar Valley we would like to thank all community members and businesses that helped make this development a success. 

Full article written by KWWL reporter, Olivia Schmitt

The Waterloo Career Center is getting a $17.5 million makeover.

The center is connected to Central Middle School, although there will be two separate entrances. The building was originally constructed as a high school in 1972, intended for more than 1,000 students. But when the city’s population dipped after the farm crisis, the building was converted to Central Middle School.

Renovations began in January of 2018. The center now has a new culinary kitchen, comfortable seating, specialty labs, inviting study spaces, taller ceilings and new equipment.

“We wanted kids to come here and to feel like they were at work – to experience what it will be like when they leave high school,” Waterloo Superintendent Dr. Jane Lindaman said. “So really, it’s about transitioning from high school to life after high school, whether that’s college or career.”

The Career Center has different career and technical education paths students can take. They include: manufacturing, culinary/hospitality, digital graphics, digital interactive media, education, electrical trades, finance, nursing, information technology, marketing, plumbing, construction and design and web programming.

“You should be so proud of what our students and the opportunities that they have right here in this industry-ready, authentic learning environment,” Dr. Lindaman said. “So it’s really a great thing for Waterloo. It’s huge.”