Excelsior Springs Job Corps Shares Student Achievements, Community Impact During Virtual CRC Meeting
Excelsior Springs, MO – The Excelsior Springs Job Corps Center held its quarterly Community Relations Council (CRC) meeting virtually on December 9, 2025, bringing together city leaders and community partners to hear updates on student accomplishments, community service projects, and program growth.
Business Engagement Specialist Catherine Goodman welcomed participants and opened the meeting with a brief introduction. CRC Chair Courtney Cole followed with an overview of recent community projects that Job Corps students supported during the fourth quarter of 2025.
Among those projects, Student Government Association (SGA) members assisted with setup and staffing at the annual Lane of Lights event. JNROTC cadets served as honor guards for the Excelsior Springs Lighted Christmas Parade and also led the 2025 Excelsior Springs Homecoming Parade. SGA students also organized a Winter Coat Drive for fellow students, collecting new and gently used coats in a variety of sizes and colors for ages 16 to 24.
Security trade students continued their strong presence in the community by working the annual Irish Festival at Shamrock Ranch, where they handled traffic control, parking, bag checks, and event patrols.
SGA students provided additional updates on their activities throughout the year. During Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, SGA sponsored a fundraiser that raised more than $300 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and participated in the Out of the Darkness walk. Students also played a key role during the center’s October Open House, welcoming visitors, giving tours of the campus, and sharing information about their trades. In addition, SGA organized a staff food drive benefiting Good Samaritan, collecting non-perishable food items.
The meeting also included updates from the TCU/IAM Advanced Training Program. Field Education Representative James Zeier shared that the center has doubled its student enrollment in the program. Excelsior Springs remains the only Job Corps campus with a railcar used for hands-on training that directly translates to real-world rail industry work. The program has also expanded to include forklift certification. Student Marquize Jones shared that he has secured employment with Tenneco, earning $23.66 per hour as a welder in Kansas City.
Director of Operations Susan Stanley provided a broader programs update, announcing that the Excelsior Springs Job Corps Center has doubled its graduation rate and now ranks 30th nationally. She also shared plans for an upcoming job shadowing day, during which students will spend time in the community observing work related to their chosen trades. Local businesses and organizations interested in participating were encouraged to contact the center.
The meeting also addressed student support during the holiday season. Each year, some students remain on campus during holiday breaks, and the community has often stepped in to help meet their needs. This year, as in 2024, the United Auto Workers will provide essential items to support those students.
Center Director Lori Sams closed the meeting by noting that the campus continues to hire for a variety of positions. Those interested in working at the Excelsior Springs Job Corps Center can view current openings at https://minact.com/careers/.
The quarterly CRC meeting highlighted the continued collaboration between Job Corps, its students, and the Excelsior Springs community, with a shared focus on workforce readiness, service, and student success.
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