BELVIDERE, Ill. (WTVO) — Rock Valley College has opened the new Advanced Technology Center in Belvidere.
The facility held a ribbon cutting and some classes on Wednesday. RVC President Howard Spearman said that this will address the community’s workforce needs. These include manufacturing and mechatronics fields.
One student said that she is excited to be involved in the expansion.
“That humbled us a little bit,” said RVC student Erica Turner. “The Stenstrom Center has been there for quite a while. Coming into this brand new building with all this technology and even more classes, it’s one of those things where you come in here like wow, I’m really proud that I was able to be a part of this.”
Spearman said that Belvidere School District #100 has created scholarships for students who go on to study at the ATC. The center offers both credit and non-credit programs.
Rock Valley College’s board chose the Belvidere location back in 2020, but that was not the original location. The center was going to be at the old Barber-Colman complex south of Downtown Rockford several years ago. The plan was then to put it in the Register Star building at E. State Street and the river.
RVC board members and administrators said that the cost, and potential partnerships, are a couple of reasons why they picked Belvidere.
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