Back to school.
Schools across the state are back in session. Including at the Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College L’Anse campus. But today’s first day, for some students, meant learning on campus. Opposed to at home.
Recently KBOCC completed infrastructure work to improve the college’s stem lab space. In 2024 KBOCC received two grant awards from the state’s Department of Lifelong Education Advancement and Potential worth 1.4 million dollars. The larger of the two awards, the Go Big Grant, funded close to one million dollars in STEM lab improvements.
Students had take-home lab kits that they did with an instructor via zoom. But we found that a lot of the students came in to campus and wanted to do it together. So they were able to use different classrooms. The more people and the more advanced labs that they did, um we needed to have that space for them to be able to do it not only together, but safely as well. – Megan Haataja, Interim President & Dean of Academic Affairs, Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College
The Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College has grown. This year the college will see over 300 students move between classrooms. While all will use the new chemistry and biology lab space at least once while enrolled on campus.
We have about 315 students registered for the fall semester. And that includes both college students and dual-enrolled high school students. Compared to 236 last year. So that’s a pretty big increase. And of that we have about 100 dual enrolled students that comes through the CTE program. – Megan Haataja, Interim President & Dean of Academic Affairs, Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College
The grant supported close to one million dollars in renovations that helped transform some of the college’s classrooms, such as a former computer lab, for more chemistry and biology courses. The MiLEAP improvements also provided more space to a nursing program that started in 2024.
The third classroom, we were also able to completely transform a classroom into a STEM collaborative classroom that’s going to be used for our nursing program. So with that, we have a whole nursing clinical lab. We have collaborative spaces for the students. And then we also have um lecture classes as well. – Megan Haataja, Interim President & Dean of Academic Affairs, Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College
KBOCC interim president Megan Haataja says the transformed spaces open opportunities for students to work together and interact with instructors individually. With new programs, additional students, and improved infrastructure Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College continues to serve many people across the region.
And we’re a really big hub in the community that a lot of people don’t realize until you see all the students that come through our door, all the employees that we ah have on staff. So being able to have that and give back to the community, ah I think is a really special thing that we have. – Megan Haataja, Interim President & Dean of Academic Affairs, Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College
Good luck to Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College students. And good luck to all students getting the new school year underway. KBOCC offers more than 15 degree or certificate programs at the campus in L’Anse. Those interested in learning more about the community college or want to get in contact with an admissions advisor can find more information online.
Learn more about the Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College here.
