Published on July 7, 2025

Lake Land College will host a Grand Opening celebration for its new Effingham Technology Center on Wednesday, July 30 from 3 – 7 p.m.

The family-friendly event will give guests their first look at Lake Land’s newest facility, allowing them to explore program offerings and discover the opportunities the building will bring for higher education, career exploration and workforce development in the region. The event will include building tours, classroom and lab demonstrations, giveaways, refreshments, food trucks and hands-on simulation activities. Lake Land College President Josh Bullock and business leaders representing local College partners will provide special remarks for a brief dedication ceremony beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Acquired by Lake Land in 2023, the Effingham Technology Center is a 100,000-square-foot facility located in northeast Effingham. With nearly four times the space as the College’s nearby Kluthe Center, the new Effingham Technology Center will allow Lake Land to expand opportunities for higher education in the Effingham community.

Beginning in Fall 2025, the Effingham Technology Center will house all classes and programs previously offered at the Kluthe Center, including nursing, massage therapy and physical therapist assistant. The building will also provide students with cutting-edge learning technology in the new Innovation Center, which consists of a virtual reality lab, an augmented reality lab and a makerspace lab.

“Effingham has been a key part of the Lake Land College community since the very first days of the College, and we’re proud to further strengthen that connection by expanding the opportunities for higher education and partnerships in the area,” Lake Land College President Josh Bullock said.

The Effingham Technology Center will also serve as a host location for several local partners. It will be the first-ever home for Creating Opportunities for Regional Employment (CORE), an Effingham-based career academy that provides skill-building courses for local high school students and creates sustainable pipelines to vital careers. The Effingham Technology Center’s previous owners, Patterson Companies, has also leased back space in the building to maintain a strong presence in the Effingham community. The building will also serve as a satellite location for the Illinois Small Business Development Center at the Eastern Illinois University Lumpkin College of Business, which supports local start-ups and entrepreneurs with free advising and affordable training.

“It’s an honor to partner with local organizations that share our goal of supporting education and economic growth in the Effingham community,” Bullock said. “We are excited to see how the Effingham Technology Center will help these organizations magnify their local impact.”

The Grand Opening Ceremony will include remarks from Cecile Schauer, Vice President and General Manager of Dental Software Business at Patterson Companies, and Norma Lansing, CORE Effingham Regional Career Foundation Treasurer. Guests will also be able to tour all Lake Land College partner facilities during the event.

To learn more about the Effingham Technology Center Grand Opening ceremony, contact Lake Land College at 217-234-5253.

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