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Gateway offers classes at Whitewater High School

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Suzanne Zentner

WHITEWATER — The Whitewater School District does not educate only children; it now opens its doors to community residents for lifelong learning, Superintendent Suzanne Zentner said.

The school district starting Wednesday is offering two classes through Gateway Technical College.

The classes—fundamentals of auto mechanics and introduction to business—are geared toward high school students preparing for college, people who are interested in gaining skills for a new career and community members who want to take a class for fun, Zentner said.

The classes are another part of the district’s implementation of a 21st century learning community model. The model—founded on the principles of academic excellence; physical, emotional and social wellness, and sustainability—is intended to prepare students for high-skill, high-wage, high-demand jobs. The model includes learning opportunities for community members. The district already offers Arabic, Chinese and Spanish in evening classes.

“We want to facilitate that sense of lifelong learning for the community,” Zentner said. “It’s not just a K-12 building. We open our buildings to serve the entire community.”

The auto mechanics class is three credits. Students will learn auto shop safety, materials handling, tool identification and safety, basic welding, wiring repair and use of electronic information services, manuals and auto trade practice regulations.

The business class also is three credits. Students will learn about typical models of business organization and administration, production and distribution. They also will better understand personnel administration and receive an introduction to finance, accounting and statistics.

The district selected the two classes because officials felt they would best help local people retool for new jobs and develop relevant skills for today’s workplace, Zentner said.

The classes are the first offered in Whitewater by Gateway Technical Colleges, which has campuses in Elkhorn, Burlington, Racine and Kenosha.

Officials plan to survey the community to learn what kinds of classes or career training people would like to see offered in the future.

“It all depends on how the community responds,” Zentner said. “We have no reason to think—based on the success of our evening foreign language classes—these classes won’t take off.

“It’s just a matter of getting the word out.”

TO REGISTER

The fundamentals of auto mechanics class, course No. 602-148-3Z12, will be held from 5:40 to 9 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays in Room 310 at Whitewater High School, 534 S. Elizabeth St. The class starts Wednesday and ends May 10. Cost is $358.

The introduction to business class, course No. 102-137-3Z11, will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays in Rooms 301 and 302 at the high school. The class starts Wednesday and ends May 12. Cost is $333.

The classes will be held if at least 12 people signed up.

To register:

-- Go to the student services building on County H on the Elkhorn campus of Gateway Technical College.

-- Go to www.gtc.edu/webadvisor. First-time students need to create an account, and a password will be mailed to their homes within two days so they can complete registration.