Center for Continuing Education

Center for Continuing Education Program Information

The Center for Continuing Education exists to connect the local and regional community with JJC. The department offers a wide variety of non-credit classes that enrich lives for kids through adults. Services include customized contract training for business and industry, short-term career training and professional development programs, lifelong learning and Kids College workshops and the MakerLab.

Contract Training

The Center for Continuing Education offers customized training and consulting to meet the individual needs of clients. Whether you are a Fortune 500 company looking for on-site training for hundreds of employees or a small business owner needing a one-on-one consultation, staff members are ready to assist you. Training is available in a variety of industrial and professional development topics and can take place at your site or at JJC’s campus locations. Staff is committed to meeting your specific training needs and developing long-term partnerships.

Career Training

Short-term career training programs are perfect for the student who is looking to move into a job as quickly as possible. Many of the non-credit options offered by the Center for Continuing Education can be completed in only a few months. Programs focus on fast-growing professions in cannabis, health care, real estate, process operations, technology and transportation. Hands-on classes are taught by experienced and licensed instructors. Schedules keep your busy lives in mind as most career training classes are offered in the evenings. Registration fees are budget-friendly and often include the cost of textbooks and supplies. Financial assistance is even available for eligible students in some programs.

Professional Development Seminars

Want to learn a new business skill or just need a refresher? The Center for Continuing Education offers open enrollment seminars that will help advance your career. The non-credit classes are taught throughout the year at the various JJC campus locations. This provides you with many opportunities to take the classes that best fit your needs and career goals. Popular topics include business and communications, Microsoft, counseling and education CEUs, food sanitation, electrical and industrial maintenance, and water and wastewater management.

MakerLab

The MakerLab is an open community lab that includes elements from machine shops, workshops, design studios and collaborative spaces. This space encourages innovation and is unique because not only do members have access to tools, but they have access to each other’s skills and knowledge. Join the MakerLab and create your next innovative project or invention using the lab’s state-of-the-art equipment. Don’t know how to use the equipment? Staff members will gladly provide training to help you accomplish your goals.

Lifelong Learning

Whether you’re looking to strum a ukulele or cook up a storm, students of all ages enroll in lifelong learning classes to enrich their minds, explore new talents and keep up with today’s constantly changing technologies. Many enjoy the more relaxed atmosphere of non-credit classes as they focus on pursuing a passion without the pressure of grades. Favorite topics included culinary, creative arts, pet training, local history and sign language.

Kids College

Designed for students ages 7 to 17, these classes provide enrichment for imaginative young minds. Many are delighted with the chance to develop new skills and explore topics in creative settings. Students enjoy hands-on activities not only in art and engineering classes, but also in classes designed to foster reading and mathematics. Classes are set during the day, evening and Saturdays to accommodate the busy schedules of today’s families. Kids College features many summer camps.

JJC Planetarium

You’re invited to explore the Universe at JJC’s Trackman Planetarium! 

Located in Room F-1001 on JJC’s Main Campus, the Trackman Planetarium invites you to explore the wonders of the cosmos. Our 55-seat, theatre-style dome offers an immersive environment where science comes to life, with free public shows every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 6:00-7:00 p.m. (unless otherwise noted). For schools, our field trip opportunities on select Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays provide memorable, curriculum-aligned presentations tailored to students’ grade levels.

Space is limited, so be sure to reserve your spot early! Private group presentations are also available during field trip hours or on select Tuesday and Thursday evenings. We cater to a variety of groups, including Scout troops, libraries, day care centers, senior centers, special needs facilities, churches, and lifelong learner organizations, offering engaging shows that inspire curiosity and spark discovery.

Cronin School House

Surrounded by trees and situated next to the JJC Lake in the heart of Main Campus, sits the Cronin Schoolhouse - a building that holds more than 150 years of history, memories, and stories. On May 7, 2013, the Joliet City Council declared the schoolhouse a local landmark, and the Will County Historic Preservation Commission gave the building its annual preservation award. Today, the one-room schoolhouse serves as a living history museum that hundreds of elementary school children visit each week.

A field trip at JJC to visit the historic Cronin Schoolhouse will give students an educational experience to remember for years to come.

At the Cronin Schoolhouse, students will travel back in time, and find out what it was like to be a one-room schoolhouse student in Will County between 1863-1950. Students will learn about local history, but also get a general feel for life as a student in the United States more than 60 years ago.