The construction class begins work with
improvements to the center itself

Vocational and technical education opportunities in Round Valley took a major leap forward in early 2000 with the initiation of new programs at the Tech Prep Center. Alliances with Mendocino College, the Regional Opportunity Program(ROP) program, and Round Valley High School(RVHS) generated new job training classes as well as college courses available to the local community. Ernest Merrifield, Director of the Vocational and Technical Preparation Program, indicates that the two-year contract goal of enrolling and training 58 students has already been surpassed in the initial six months of the first contract year.

Mendocino College classes currently being offered on the reservation include two sections of an introductory computer skills course (CSC 20) and a section of a more advanced computer course (CSC 101) to begin in March. These classes are serving 17 Tribal Community members and 15 non-Tribal Community students. The Tech Prep Center opened the computer classes with an astonishing show of 40 students wishing to enroll in the computer classes. More classes are planned for the summer. The computer lab is currently being upgraded to accommodate 15 computers with state-of-the-art systems which include current networking technology, the latest software releases, and wireless internet capabilities. The Child Development 180 course in progress (Child, Family and Community) is serving 14 Tribal Community members and 5 non-Tribal Community participants in their efforts to further their degree and certification programs.

Computer students Donna Mangel and Bertha Gonzales at the new facilitie.

Students working on an outdoor building.

An exciting addition to the Mendocino College curriculum is a new course, Business 60, Becoming an Entrepreneur. Through Vicki Patterson, Director of Tech Prep at Mendocino College, Round Valley was chosen as the launching site for this new program. Participating in the international Virtual Enterprise Network, this course offers students the opportunity to create and run a virtual business while learning the basics of entrepreneurship. Serving 8 Tribal Community members and one non-Tribal Community student, this course offers support for creating viable enterprises for the Tribal Community. While focused on one business, the class content will support participants to implement future local Tribal Community businesses. Those businesses will offer opportunities to the students training in the vocational programs as well as to other community members interested taking part in the community business ventures.