PCC Information Session Is Today

LAKE WALES | Southeast Polk residents can learn what Polk Community College has to offer them before the community college opens its new Lake Wales campus in January.

PCC will offer five late afternoon and evening classes at Lake Wales High School for the fall term starting Aug. 18. The classes, open to the general public, will cover college success, composition, basic algebra, arithmetic with pre-algebra and an introduction to literature.

"We didn't want to wait until spring to offer classes to the community," said Cheryl Meeks Garnett, PCC enrollment services and outreach coordinator.

An open house is being held from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the Lake Wales Library to give area residents a preview of what the center will look like and what will be available there. PCC employees will be on hand to provide information about the center, enrollment and related topics.

On Saturday, a Super Saturday event from 2 to 6 p.m. at the library will let people apply and register for fall term classes. People can apply for classes taught at any of PCC's campuses, not just for the evening classes being offered for the first time at Lake Wales High, Garnett said.

In preparation for these events, more than 12,000 pieces of information were mailed to residents in the Frostproof and Lake Wales area. Information sessions have been held at the library in Lake Wales and at the Latt Maxcy Memorial Library in Frostproof.

"We also placed postcards at the Lake Wales City Hall, the library and some businesses," Garnett said.

PCC is starting evening classes this year because of strong community demand, said Tom Dowling, who does PCC's public relations.

The satellite J.D. Alexander Center will be in the former city hall. The 2008-09 PCC budget includes $3.7 million for the center.

[ Robin Williams Adams can be reached at robin.adams@theledger.com or 863-802-7558. ]