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Education

Education thrives in the Pioneer Valley. There are 40 preparatory schools, 110 colleges, and some of the finest secondary schools in the country within a 50-mile radius. Holyoke Community College, the nearby Elms College in Chicopee, and Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, offer a variety of programs. There are 13 colleges convenient to the city which cooperate to provide excellent undergraduate and graduate programs.

Many Pioneer Valley colleges are enjoying record-high applications. The education industry remains one of the region’s strongest.

Holyoke has an innovative public school system in a state known nationally for leadership in education. There are eight elementary schools, three middle schools, and two secondary schools: Holyoke High School and Dean Technical High School. There are also six non-public schools.

Holyoke Community College
303 Homestead Avenue
Holyoke, MA
(413) 538-7000

Founded in 1946 with fewer than 50 students attending, Holyoke Community College today enrolls almost 9,000 students in credit programs annually and over 4,000 annually in workforce development and community service courses. The College offers 82 associate degree options, 42 certificate programs, as well as hundreds of non-credit courses. Through an extensive distance learning program, students can also earn an associate degree in Business Administration, Liberal Arts, or Liberal Studies. A branch location in Downtown Holyoke - the Picknelly Adult Learning Center - is providing a variety of adult education opportunities.

Cambridge College, Springfield Campus
570 Cottage Street
Springfield, MA
(413) 747-0204

Cambridge College, based in Cambridge, MA, has a regional site in Springfield. This location serves about 400 adult learners with 13:1 student teacher ratio. Under- graduate program offerings include Human Services, Management Studies and Multidisciplinary Studies. Flexible evening and weekend schedules allow students to take classes while maintaining their current jobs.

Elms College
291 Springfield Street
Chicopee, MA
(413) 594-2761

Elms College is a dynamic, Catholic, coeducational liberal arts institution in Chicopee with the goal of educating reflective, principled, and creative learners. With a 12-to-1 student-faculty ratio, Elms College provides students with a faculty and staff responsive to individual students, as well as a challenging curriculum, and thriving, inclusive athletic program. For more information about Elms College, visit www.elms.edu.

Mount Holyoke College
50 College Street
South Hadley, MA
(413) 538-2000

Mount Holyoke College is a highly selective, residential, liberal arts college for women enrolling approximately 2,100 students from across the United States and more than 80 countries. Founded by the revolutionary educator and chemist, Mary Lyon in 1837, the College is known today for its rigorous academic program, its global community, its legacy of women leaders, and its commitment to connecting the work of the academy with the concerns of the world.

University of Massachusetts-Amherst
300 Massachusetts Avenue
Amherst, MA 01003
(413)545-0111

UMass Amherst, the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system, sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, 90 miles from Boston and 175 miles from New York City. The campus provides a rich cultural environment in a rural setting close to major urban centers. 88 bachelor's degree programs, 6 associate's, 73 master’s and 53 doctoral programs in 9 schools and colleges are offered.

Community Programs

The Holyoke Tutor/Mentor Program was established in 1991 by the Holyoke Employment Partnership, which identified a lack of basic education as a barrier to employment for many area residents. Existing programs in Holyoke are supplemented by recruiting, training and supporting a pool of tutors to work in classrooms with adult learners studying English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) or reading, writing and math in preparation for taking the GED. In 2004 The Holyoke Tutor/Mentor program became a member of the Juntos Collaborative, a group of seven Holyoke agencies funded by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to provide adult basic education. For more information on the Tutor/Mentor Program, including what is involved in being a tutor and how to apply, please visit our website at www.juntoscollaborative.org

Holyoke Works is regionally recognized as one of the area’s premier workforce development programs. Offering in-house and on-site job-training, Adult Basic Education, GED, and English speaking and literacy instruction, Holyoke Works has ample experience in helping employers prepare their workforce for the constantly changing challenges they face in today’s job market. Holyoke Works also provides instruction and training to individuals in need of skills development and employment. These services are provided at no cost to those eligible for Workforce Investment Act services, and through City of Holyoke Community Development Block Grants, and Massachusetts Department of Education grants.

New England Farm Workers' Council (NEFWC), an affiliate of Partners for Community, began its service to the community as an Employment and Training provider to New England's Agricultural workforce in 1975. NEFWC has since grown into a multi-service provider of community based programs providing a broad range of services such as, Pre-GED, GED, Native Language Literacy, English as a Second Language, Employment and Training, Fuel Assistance, Shelters, Community Re-entry, Young Parent Program, WIA Youth programs and others. To learn more about the services and to see our job postings, please visit Partners for Community.

The HALO Center provides Beginning Literacy, ABE, Pre-GED, and GED services in English and provides Beginning and Intermediate ESOL classes. HALO is part of the Juntos Collaborative, and is funded by the Massachusetts Department of Education and the Holyoke Public Schools. The Beginning Literacy - GED classes are located at the Center for Excellence, formerly known as the Lawrence School, 156 Cabot Street, in Holyoke. The main office and ESOL classes are located at 57 Suffolk Street in Holyoke and can be reached by phone at 534-2026.

The Care Center services approximately 120 students in The Care Center Education Program each year on an open enrollment basis. There are four GED classrooms (two taught in English and two in Spanish), computer classes, parenting education, career exploration, and ESL. The Teen Resource Project, an after-school teen pregnancy prevention program is also operated by the Care Center. For more information please visit the carecenterholyoke.org .

The Holyoke Community College Adult Learning Center (HCC/ALC) is an evening adult basic education GED preparation program committed to providing high quality instruction and services to community members in the greater Holyoke area. Classes include GED subject area knowledge as well as skill development in reasoning, decision making and test taking skills. An initial assessment, and pre-and post-testing are also provided along with GED Practice Testing for qualified students. All services are free of charge. Please visit www.hcc.edu/programs/adult for more information.

The Community Education Project has provided a variety of adult and family educational opportunities in the diverse Holyoke community since 1991. Today the educational programming includes: pre-GED in Spanish, two levels of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), and an Adult Basic Education (ABE)-to-College Transition class at Holyoke Community College. For more information about programs, visit: www.cepholyoke.org.