Learning center still grows
MARSHALL TWP, Allegheny County — Barely a year and a half old, the new Regional Learning Alliance in the Cranberry Woods office park continues to grow as it has now partnered with 15 educational institutions.
Its corporate and business training aspects and conference center programs also continue to grow as the development continues to strive to become one of Western Pennsylvania's top educational institutions.
The Regional Learning Alliance is in the office park being developed by Mine Safety Appliances Co. that hosts several divisions of the company and numerous other companies. The majority of the park is in Butler County, however the alliance is just over the county line in Allegheny County.
The alliance is a 76,000-square-foot building on 21 acres that opened in August 2004. It was developed through a partnership between 11 educational institutions, and spearheaded by Slippery Rock University, to meet training and educational needs of business and industry in the region.
It cost $12 million.
The "education mall" features high-tech classrooms, specialty manufacturing training centers, conference space, a virtual library, a child care center and food service.
Justin Griffith, general manager of the alliance, said the goals of the facility are laid out in its mission statement: "To be the premier learning center that capitalizes on the resources of a 'regional alliance' of educational institutions and to also be the region's premier conference and training center that utilizes the combined strengths of the educational alliance partners and other workforce development providers, all working together, to enhance the individual and corporate development and ultimately the economic vitality of the region."
Griffith said the center has three distinct areas: higher education, workforce development and conference center.
The facility has partnered with 15 major institutions of higher education:• The Art Institute of Pittsburgh• Butler County Community College,• Carlow University• Community College of Allegheny County• DeVry University• Geneva College• Heart Prints Center for Early Education• La Roche College• Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School• Penn State University, Beaver and New Kensington campuses• Pittsburgh Technical Institute• Robert Morris University• Slippery Rock University• Strayer University• Triangle Tech.Griffith said other universities also have asked recently about becoming part of the alliance."Most of the students are non-traditional, adult education program students," said Griffith. "The educational programs have been growing by leaps and bounds."Penn State, he said, started with just a few students and has now grown to host several classes.Pittsburgh Technical Institute graduated the first class from the center on Jan. 14.Its students completed a 12-month program, which included courses in medical terminology, introduction to health insurance and coding, computerized patient billing, coding concepts, anatomy and physiology/diseases/procedures, computer applications and an internship. These graduates are now ready to work in the medical coding and billing field.The facility also provides professional programs for companies. Among some of the programs offered include customized training programs, experienced trainers and leading edge technology."We're looking at and trying to meet the needs for the region's professional development," said Griffith.One of the highlight's of the alliance is its full-service conference center that features state-of-the-art technology and food service, said Griffith.The center includes 28 meeting rooms for small groups or up to 400 people, computer projection in meeting rooms, a tiered meeting room with double-screens, whiteboard and wireless touch-panel audio visual controls; a 4,000 square-foot great room with wireless touch-panel audio visual controls, two 30-station wireless mobile computer labs, a 30-station wireless language lab available for use anywhere in the facility, and international translation equipmentAn educational resource center serves as a combination library, bookstore and media production center, with food services and child care. This hub provides the link between the community and the educational partners and services in the building.
