Ozarka College recently received a $10,000 donation from the Stone County Community Resource Council (SCCRC) in Mountain View, Arkansas. The recent donation will be used to support Ozarka's Welding Center expansion in downtown Mountain View.   The contribution will fully outfit two of 10 welding booths at the center. Each welding station will be equipped with welders with industry driven add-ons, specifically, a "push-pull gun " application used by local Stone County industries.

"The generous support provided by the Stone County Community Resource Council will greatly impact our ability to provide technical training to students in Stone County this spring and beyond, " said Dr. Josh Wilson, vice president of advancement. "Ozarka's response to industry needs in Mountain View was met immediately with strong SCCRC support for the Welding center. We are extremely grateful for our friends at SCCRC. "

The SCCRC is comprised of volunteers who collect, sort, and donate items through the Dorcas House Thrift Store where most of the items are sold for just 25-cents each, or $2.00 per bag. These small purchases really add up; so much that they have brought the total donations from the SCCRC for Ozarka College students to an incredible $150,000! The monetary contributions that the SCCRC has made to Ozarka College only begin to touch the surface of the lives they are changing. Of the $150,000 donated, $130,000 has been designated for scholarships and $20,000 for priority College enhancements.  

The new Welding Center in Mountain View is an expansion to serve the greater Mountain View area. The Center will house advanced welding education for college students in preparation for today's workforce, will assist local industries with continuing education needs for their employees, and will enable area high school students an accelerated pathway into high-demand career fields.

In 2019, Ozarka received a designation as a regional Secondary Technical Center by the Career Education and Workforce Development Board.   The designation allows the College to offer secondary technical training to area high school students.   Secondary technical centers are designed to provide career and technical education programs too costly for the local high schools to offer.

The commitment from SCCRC is a contribution toward Ozarka College Foundation's Vision for Excellence in Education campaign, an effort to raise capital to advance programs as well as furnish and equip state-of-the-art facilities.   If you are interested in supporting these new technical education opportunities, there are multiple giving opportunities available. For more information, contact Dr. Josh Wilson with the Ozarka College Foundation at 870.368.2060 or at advancement@ozarka.edu.