Published on September 18, 2025

The start of the new school year marked a historic occasion for Lake Land College, which welcomed the first group of students to take classes at its new campus, the freshly remodeled, state-of-the-art Effingham Technology Center. Featuring modern classrooms and labs, hands-on learning tools and unique partnerships among business, K-12 and community organizations, the center is poised to provide students with revolutionary educational experiences and enhance workforce preparedness in the local region.

Spanning 100,000 square feet, the Effingham Technology Center allows Lake Land College to expand educational opportunities throughout Effingham and the surrounding communities. There, students can earn degrees or certificates in three Health Services concentrations: Nursing, Physical Therapist Assistant and Massage Therapy. The building contains immersive labs for each program, including highly realistic hospital simulation rooms, a hands-on physical therapy lab and a spa-like massage clinic, all designed to provide students with practical learning opportunities in environments that replicate real workplace settings.

The Effingham Technology Center also houses the College’s first-ever Innovation Center, which consists of virtual reality, augmented reality and makerspace labs. Whether a student is learning to operate a semi-truck through a VR headset, taking apart a digital engine with AR tools or creating something new with a 3D printer, the Innovation Center provides curious students a place to experiment and gain crucial hands-on skills in a safe, risk-free environment.

At the Effingham Technology Center, Students can also enroll in a wide variety of general education courses in topics such as math, history and science. A full wet lab is included in the new building, allowing students to complete key pre-requisite Biology and Chemistry courses in Effingham for the first time in the history of the College. Several student support services are also available in the new building, including financial aid, TRIO, Counseling Services, a bookstore and a Student Success Center, which offers free placement testing and tutoring to ensure students receive the direct support they need to excel in any course.

The Lake Land College Adult Education program also has a strong presence at the Effingham Technology Center, where students can enroll in GED preparation and English as a Second Language (ESL) courses. These classes provide students with vital skills that will help them obtain sustainable careers and thrive in American society.

The space available in the Effingham Technology Center has also provided opportunities for brand-new partnerships that will support the local community, such as the one with Patterson Companies, the building’s previous owner. As a part of the building’s initial purchase agreement, Lake Land is leasing back a portion of the space to Patterson to allow the company to maintain a strong presence in Effingham.

“Patterson Companies has been a part of the Effingham community for many years, and we’re proud to be part of this new chapter for Lake Land College and the Effingham Technology Center,” said Cecile Schauer, Vice President of Planning and Management at Patterson Companies. “As we have transitioned to a workforce of the future with a significant remote work population, we are invested in maintaining our presence in Effingham, both physically and economically. We look forward to the opportunities this arrangement will provide our community.”

The Effingham Technology Center is also serving as the first-ever home for Creating Opportunities for Regional Employment (CORE), an academy that invests in the future of the Effingham region by providing skill development and career exploration classes for local high school students. The first CORE classes at the Effingham Technology Center also began in August.

“The grand opening of the Effingham Technology Center was an exciting culmination of many years of planning to provide our area high school students with an innovative space for career-focused education to take place,” said Norma Lansing, CORE Effingham Regional Career Foundation Treasurer. “CORE Academy Board members are excited to be working alongside Lake Land College’s administrators and faculty to showcase the many ways that CORE provides opportunities for students in our region to explore career opportunities and hone their skills to develop successful careers and contribute positively to our communities. The opening of the ETC marks a significant milestone in CORE Academy’s efforts to create a collaborative environment where students, job creators and the community come together to create connections and grow the regional economy.”

The Effingham Technology Center also serves as a satellite location for the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Eastern Illinois University Lumpkin College of Business, which supports local start-ups and entrepreneurs. Under this partnership, the SBDC will use space in the Effingham Technology Center to offer free advising and affordable training for small business owners throughout the region.

Over the summer, more than 1,500 guests from the Lake Land community attended a Grand Opening celebration at the Effingham Technology Center, receiving a first official look at the opportunities and resources the new building would bring to the Effingham community. The Grand Opening event included hands-on classroom and lab demonstrations, guided building tours and a formal dedication ceremony led by Lake Land College President Josh Bullock, who reflected on the building’s extensive history and shared an inspired vision for its future.

“The Effingham Technology Center will serve as a local hub of innovation, offering new educational opportunities and community partnerships that will impact the success and growth of the area,” Bullock said. “We’re thrilled to take the next step in our partnership with the Effingham community and expand our presence in the area with this new facility.”

The start of the very first semester at the Effingham Technology Center comes 30 years after Lake Land first established a physical presence in Effingham with the opening of the Kluthe Center, the College’s first permanent extension center. Now, with nearly four times the space as the Kluthe Center, the Effingham Technology Center is set to expand on the opportunities previously available at the Kluthe Center, leading the way for educational expansion, regional growth and economic development throughout the Effingham region.

For Lake Land College, welcoming students for the very first semester at the Effingham Technology Center has been a moment many years in the making. With state-of-the-art resources, powerful partnerships and the support of the Effingham community, the Effingham Technology Center is set to lead the way in local education for decades to come.

“As we welcome students to the Effingham Technology Center for the Fall 2025 semester, it’s so rewarding to see the vision for this building finally come to life,” Bullock said. “We’re excited to serve this very first group of students at the Effingham Technology Center this semester and, as we move into the future, position Lake Land College to better serve all learners throughout the Effingham region.”