EWC provides comprehensive assistance and routes to enduring careers.
Source: https://www.harpercollege.edu/about/news/archives/2023/posts/051123.php
The E and W in EWC stand for Education and Work, but they just as easily could be short for Everybody and Welcome.
That’s because faculty and staff at the Education and Work Center, 6704 Barrington Road, Hanover Park, are as devoted to offering a path to a sustainable career as they are to supporting a prospective student’s dream of an education. Everyone is greeted warmly. Each person gets the assistance they need. No one is turned away.
“The first face you see is very important when it comes to institutions. Our priority is to be approachable,” said Monika Gadek-Stephan, EWC’s senior director. “It starts with the front desk and the bilingual staff who can work with students in English or Spanish. The majority of the people we serve are Spanish language speakers. They can get answers and support in Spanish.”
Founded in 2014, EWC is strategically located in Hanover Park, home to large immigrant populations that have been underserved when it comes to educational resources. For instance, 37% of EWC students don’t have a high school degree. Many barriers exist for these individuals: language, cost and proximity to the central campuses of nearby community colleges. Harper College and Elgin Community College are each about a 10-mile drive from EWC.