EWC receives $1.5 million dollar grant for ATEC

Eastern Wyoming College received official notification today that they have been awarded a $1.5 million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) to help build the Agricultural Technology Education Center (ATEC).

EWC President Dr. Richard Patterson shared the following statement.  “A lot of hard work by our staff and partners helped us with this grant.  It represents a significant portion of the funding for our agricultural building.”

The EDA grant will fund construction of the ATEC, which will include new laboratories for training and education, and foster workforce partnerships in the region.  The ATEC will enable EWC to expand its curriculum to provide the foundation for jobs in the primary areas of agriculture.

EWC partnered with many local entities to identify job growth and development for graduates.

“The commitment of our partners and community strengthened our grant application and secured our receipt of one of the largest EDA grants awarded in Wyoming,” stated John Hansen, Director of Institutional Development.  Additionally, Todd Peterson President of the EWC Foundation stated, “We will now work with the EWC Trustees and Foundation members to chart our course.  This is a very proud moment for the College.”

The proposed ATEC is designed to encompass 27,000 square feet of classrooms, labs, and training support spaces.  It features a central commons with collaboration areas, faculty offices, a seminar/conference room, a tiered lecture hall, a large demonstration area, a meat studies lab, and an agronomy lab.  The floor plan is intentionally designed for future expansion to accommodate program growth.

ATEC funding is also supported with a $3.3 million dollar general obligation bond which Goshen County voters approved in November 2014.

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