LORAIN — A small crowd gathered Thursday for the unveiling of Lorain County Community Action Agency’s new technology center.

“Technology is important in people’s everyday lives from their personal to their work perspective,” said LCCAA’s Jackie Boehnlein, director of strategic and organizational development. “This room has all the current technology.”

The Community Learning & Technology Center, funded with federal stimulus money, comes complete with smart-board technology, 20 laptops and audience response technology that lets students directly interact with information being presented. Other businesses and organizations, as well as LCCAA clients, are welcome to use the center at 520 Broadway.

Lorain resident Gregory Williams, 35, said the new center is a great addition to downtown.

“I think it’s good because it shows a diversity of partnerships within an area,” Williams said.

“In the midst of the economic crisis, for them to be upgrading shows you can still make it. You can come here and get a skill set for your education.”

The center will be used for everything from GED preparation to money management seminars, Boehnlein said.

“We want this to be a community center,” she said. “We’ll work with other businesses and organizations to do the same things we’ll be doing here. We’re willing to share resources with anyone and form partnerships with them.”

LCCAA offers programs such as Head Start, home energy assistance, home weatherization assistance, down-payment assistance for home buyers, home buyer education, money management training and foreclosure counseling. The classes will be open to the public thanks to the new technology center.

“There’s a learning component to almost everything we do,” Boehnlein said. “We’re opening up training to our clients and opening it up to the community.”

Carmen Gonzalez of Lorain is happy about the addition.

“I think it’s pretty good,” she said. “It’s to help others and it’s close by. It will motivate people to get their GED to get ahead.”

Representatives of Legal Aid, the 2010 Census team, Head Start and The Ohio State University Extension program were also on hand.

Contact Alicia Castelli at 329-7144 or acastelli@chroniclet.com.

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