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December 6, 2024
For Immediate Release
Life Skills Academy launched to fill education voids
A new educational resource in the planning stages for Montgomery County could help fill a critical training gap for individuals struggling to find fulfillment in today’s workplace. Life Skills Academy (LSA), a private educational organization and subsidiary of Innovative Business Resource Center (IBRC), is committed to empowering learners of all ages and backgrounds to elevate their skills and confidence through experiential learning and focused tutoring in core curriculum.
LSA leaders Jim Correll and Laura Schaid bring a combined 40 years of experience in higher education, as well as more than a decade of work in entrepreneurial programming and project-based learning.
Correll is the executive director of IBRC and retired director of Fab Lab ICC on the campus of Independence Community College, where he oversaw operations of a diverse, public-access maker space with a variety of fabrication equipment and also taught courses in entrepreneurial mindset. Schaid also was employed at ICC, where she worked in various areas of academic administration before joining the Fab Lab staff as program developer in 2017.
In her new role as LSA director, Schaid combines her expertise in educational programming with a passion for helping others “tap into their creativity” to challenge their capabilities and reach their full potential.
“Having worked in higher education for so many years, Jim and I have both observed firsthand how long-held norms, societal expectations and institutional practices can sometimes cause frustrating roadblocks for the people we are serving,” Schaid said. “Conversely, we also have witnessed the spark ignited in folks given the opportunity to ‘learn by doing’ through hands-on experimentation and problem solving in an environment such as a maker space. We fully understand that everyone does not fit into a cookie-cutter education mold. We all have different learning styles, and it is so gratifying to help students discover what works best for them.”
Correll explained the Life Skills Academy concept was born due to glaring voids in traditional education models.
“For years, I have observed deficiencies in education, training and personal fulfillment,” Correll said. “The situation was further aggravated by the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, and young people, displaced workers and small businesses are still struggling to rebound and find a path to success. There seems to be no formal programming available in Southeast Kansas that combines traditional tutoring with the transformative power of an entrepreneurial mindset and experiential learning. We’re here to change that.”
Correll explained the vision for LSA calls for a diverse approach, including traditional tutoring in core curriculum like reading, writing, math and science combined with business coaching for entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners. The physical learning space would be outfitted with updated technology and maker equipment available to students for experimentation and prototyping of innovations and products they can offer for sale.
Schaid noted that the LSA environment would be a welcoming space that is beneficial for learners of all ages, including:
- · young people working to catch up in school, obtain a high school GED or explore career opportunities;
- · individuals already in the workforce seeking new skills to advance their career or simply looking for fulfillment outside of their job or small business;
- · senior citizens planning for retirement but looking to stay active and/or looking for supplemental income outside of traditional employment.
- · veterans adjusting to civilian life, seeking renewed purpose or looking to leverage their military skills in a new entrepreneurial venture.
Correll and Schaid are working with a group of local volunteer advisors to refine the plans for LSA and locate the appropriate facility in Montgomery County to accommodate tutoring services, classroom and meeting space, equipment and modalities, including Computer-Aided Design (CAD); laser engraving; wide media printing; 3D printing; audio/video production; woodworking; metalworking; painting and coating; sewing, embroidery and fabric printing; as well as a commercial incubator kitchen and home kitchen “pods” for classes and meal preparation.
“The facility will be designed to be very flexible so there is room to grow and change as needed to meet the demands of our constituents,” Schaid said, noting the team is actively seeking grant funding and private donations to support the effort.
Correll noted, “We believe that Life Skills Academy, with emphasis on hands-on learning and entrepreneurial thinking, can make a transformative impact and help all individuals take charge of their futures and achieve their dreams.”
More information on Life Skills Academy and ways to support is available by contacting Correll (620-252-5349 /jimc@ibrcenter.org) or Schaid (620-205-9288 / lauras@ibrcenter.org).
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Media Contact:
Joanne Smith, FAB Creative Services LLC
620-330-3006 | fabcreativeservices@gmail.com
