Lamar Community College selected for statewide work-based learning initiative.

Lamar Community College (LCC) has been selected as one of two CCCS colleges to participate in the Colorado Work-Integrated Learning (CO-WIL) Consortium, a statewide initiative designed to expand career-connected learning opportunities for students.

Through a competitive grant application process, LCC was chosen to partner with Riipen, a leading experiential learning platform, to embed real-world, employer-connected projects directly into academic programs. This partnership will provide students with hands-on learning experiences that align with workforce needs while strengthening the College’s ability to deliver scalable, career-focused education.

“This opportunity represents a significant step forward in how we prepare our students for the workforce,” said Dr. Rosana Reyes, President of Lamar Community College. “By integrating real-world projects into our curriculum, we are ensuring that our students graduate not only with knowledge, but with practical experience and professional connections that position them for success.”

As part of the CO-WIL program, LCC will collaborate with employers to design and deliver project-based learning experiences embedded within courses and co-curricular programming. These experiences will allow students to apply classroom knowledge to real industry challenges while developing critical, in- demand skills.

The initiative also provides substantial support to both faculty and students, including:

* Faculty stipends for redesigning courses to incorporate work-integrated learning

* Student stipends for successful completion of employer-connected projects

* Access to Riipen’s platform, employer network, and program support at no cost to the College.

In addition to expanding opportunities for students, the partnership will help build long-term institutional capacity by supporting faculty training, program development, and data-driven continuous improvement. “This is a very exciting initiative for our students and faculty,” said Vice President Kelly Emick. “Being able to earn money as well as college credit for real-world workplace project learning can open an entirely new future to our students, and give our faculty access to industry and corporate connections that they would not otherwise have. We look forward to the next three years and beyond with CO-WIL.”

The program will run through June 2029 and is part of a broader effort led by the Colorado Department of Higher Education to enhance workforce readiness across the state.

Lamar Community College is not only committed to advancing innovative educational models that support student success, strengthen the regional economy, and create pathways to meaningful careers but purposeful in identifying funding opportunities towards this goal.

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About Lamar Community College

Lamar Community College, a residential, division 1 athletic institution serves a broad area of southeastern Colorado with high quality, in-demand degree options. It is strategic and innovative in providing accessible, high-quality education in a supportive campus environment that meets the needs of its diverse student population and the regional workforce.

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