Adult Education
The Adult Education department offers a variety of educational programs to meet the needs of the community. The program serves adults who are age 17 or older, who are not currently enrolled in high school, who have not yet completed their high school education, and/or need to learn English or improve their basic literacy skills.
An orientation and placement session must be completed in order to register for any class. Adult Education classes are offered at no cost to students, which is made possible by grant funding by the Illinois Community College Board.
Programs are offered at the MCC campus and at several satellite locations within the county.
Adult Volunteer Literacy
Volunteers wanted! Adult literacy tutors help students develop reading, math or English language skills. Volunteers may tutor students in a classroom setting or meet with individual students in libraries throughout the county. Throughout the year, Adult Volunteer Literacy tutors develop the skills necessary to help other adults learn basic skills.
NOTE: Volunteers need not speak another language to tutor ESL.
Career Training Program
Career Training Programs provide career entry and continuing education for certified professionals. Topic areas include Emergency Dispatcher, Certified Clinical Medical Assistant, Phlebotomy Technician, Home Inspection, and Real Estate. Opportunities are also available for professionals who need continuing education hours to meet requirements for license or certification renewal.
Community Education (CE)-Personal Development
The Personal Development Program serves individuals who wish to explore and continue learning throughout life. Students can register for classes, workshops or activities which do not carry college credit. These activities provide engaging, quality learning opportunities in a variety of subjects.
Conferences and Event Services
With locations in both Crystal Lake (main campus) and McHenry (Shah Center), McHenry County College has the space you require for a successful event. The Luecht Auditorium, located on Main campus, features a 350-seat auditorium and meeting rooms for breakout sessions. There is also a private dining room and space for exhibitors or vendors. Shah Center, in McHenry, has a large meeting room with seating up to 100 as well as training rooms and a computer classroom. Space is available on both campuses on a fee basis for community groups and businesses for conferences, seminars, training sessions and other events. Catering services and professional audio visual support are also available.
English as a Second Language (ESL)
English as a Second Language (ESL) classes help adults whose native language is not English develop English skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing. Students are from a variety of different countries, and instruction is in English. Classes are offered at several levels including advanced, and textbooks are provided for classroom use.
Focus on the Kids: Helping Your Child Cope
At the McHenry County College Shah Center
Focus on the Kids: Helping Your Child Cope offers parents, with minor age children, the opportunity to understand the impact that divorce and separation can have on their child(ren). The program assists parents in developing solutions to common and unique dilemmas faced by families during this process of change. Parents have the opportunity to learn effective ways of communicating with each other and learn to make decisions that are in the best interests of their child(ren)..
High School Equivalency (HSE) Program
HSE instruction prepares students to take the test required to earn the high school equivalency certificate. Instruction covers all the areas of the test: social studies, math and writing skills/language arts. HSE preparation is offered in both English and Spanish.
The HSE may also be completed through IPathway. This on-line class prepares students for the HSE. To qualify for IPathways, students must score at an eleventh grade reading level or higher on an assessment for placement and attend an orientation to register for this class. Visit the MCC website for more information.
Illinois Small Business Development Center (ISBDC)
At the McHenry County College Shah Center
The Illinois Small Business Development Center (ISBDC) is a grant-funded program that provides businesses with the necessary tools to grow and succeed. Since 1991, the ISBDC’s experienced business professionals have been providing no-fee counseling to business owners throughout every aspect of starting, managing and growing a small business. Services include assistance with business plan development, funding preparation, financial management, marketing research and strategies and personnel management. The center also offers seminars and workshops to help business owners expand their knowledge and houses a small business resource library for client use.
Retired Adult Program (RAP)
The Retired Adult Program (RAP) is a membership-based program designed for people age 50 and better. This program is both intellectually stimulating and socially rewarding. Participants share their love of learning, knowledge, and expertise with peers through a wide variety of classes and activities.
The Sustainability Center
Since 1994, McHenry County College has been a proven leader and active partner in sustainability initiatives in the northern Illinois and Greater Chicagoland area. MCC Sustainability Center, created in 2012, works with all departments and academic disciplines across campus, to move the college forward, to reduce its carbon footprint, provide sustainability leadership in the local community, and continue to guide MCC’s sustainable initiatives. The mission of the McHenry County College Sustainability Center is to foster a green campus, green curriculum and green community. The vision is McHenry County College will be a premier model of sustainability and environmental stewardship.
The sustainability initiatives outlined in the plan support MCC’s efforts to be a model of resource conservation and sustainability, while aligning with the College’s mission and goal to focus on learning and student success. Through the implementation of strategic initiatives, MCC will continue to reduce its carbon footprint and become more environmentally sound while conserving its resources, both physical and fiscal. With this plan, MCC strives to create a greener campus, a greener curriculum and a greener community. Details about all three areas can be found at the Center’s webpage.
Traffic Safety Program
At the McHenry County College Shah Center
The Traffic Safety Program offers three National Safety Council classroom defensive driving classes. Taught by National Safety Certified Instructors, classes are offered on-site or online. Driver Safety classes are available to anyone who wants to take a refresher class, learn skills to avoid accidents and citations, learn about new laws, possibly reduce insurance costs, or just be a safe driver.
The Traffic Safety Program also offers driver safety classes for business and industry and can teach classes at an employer’s facility to meet their schedule.
The Alive at 25™ program is ideal for new drivers and complements standard driver’s education courses by helping young drivers commit to positive driving choices.
These programs have proven to be effective at improving skills, decreasing the possibility of future traffic violations and reducing the possibility of serious accidents.
Workforce Services
Workforce Services provides direct and coordinated services to adult residents of McHenry County. MCC is one of three partners that operate the McHenry County Workforce Center. Headquartered in Woodstock with a satellite office in Harvard, the center provides Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) one-stop services for job seekers and businesses. The MCC Workforce Services staff at the Woodstock center provides college orientation, job-search assistance, and information on job opportunities and training.
Workforce Training and Business Programs
At the McHenry County College Shah Center
Workforce Training Programs provide open enrollment and customized workforce training. A full schedule is quality and affordable non-credit training programs are available throughout the year. Topic areas include Computer Applications, Leadership and Professional Development, and Safety and Manufacturing Skills. The quarterly publication, the Catalyst, provides current open enrollment class schedules and information on upcoming events. To meet specific business needs, customized contract training can be provided onsite at a business’ location or at the Shah Center in McHenry.
Workeys® Assessments
MCC offers WorkKeys® assessments to students, residents and businesses in northern Illinois. WorkKeys assessments measure an individual’s skills and competency levels required to successfully perform on the job. Business and industry in the community are using WorkKeys to determine skill levels of current employees and often provide training to increase those skills of their workers. Some organizations are using WorkKeys to help identify which applicants have appropriate skill levels or which employees have the skills to be promoted. The department also offers WorkKeys assessments to teacher aides/paraprofessionals who are seeking the Paraprofessional License from the State of Illinois and the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Testing is provided that can lead to the National Career Readiness Certificate which is a portable credential that demonstrates core employability skills in Applied Math, Workplace Documents and Graphic Literacy. In addition, MCC students who complete certain career and technical education degrees and certificates are also assessed using WorkKeys.
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