JACKSON, Wyo. — Central Wyoming College has launched the Jackson Campus Campaign, a philanthropic initiative focused on the people, programs and resources needed to bring the college’s first permanent Jackson campus to life.
For 49 years, CWC has served Teton County without owning a permanent educational facility in Jackson, operating programs from leased classrooms, offices, laboratories and commercial kitchens. With the new facility funded and construction underway, the college is turning its attention to what will happen inside the building.
The campaign invites donors, employers, foundations and community partners to invest in education, workforce development and student success.
“Our vision for CWC-Jackson is simple: a place where partnerships, innovation and real-world learning open doors for every student,” says Brad Tyndall, Central Wyoming College President. “The structure is funded. The walls are rising. Our permanent home is no longer a dream; it is under construction”.
Campaign priorities include campus innovation, new program development, health care expansion, culinary and hospitality education, student success, workforce and community enrichment, and faculty and staff recruitment and retention.
“This is something CWC-Jackson and the community are building together,” said Beth Monteiro, CWC Foundation Executive Director. “Our donors are the heroes of this story. They are the people who will transform this new facility into a place that changes lives for generations. Every scholarship awarded, every internship created, every piece of equipment put into a student’s hands and every new program launched begins with someone choosing to invest in another person’s future – in our shared future. That generosity creates opportunity for students, strengthens our workforce and ultimately strengthens the entire community.”
Investing beyond the building
The Jackson Campus Campaign is focused on needs that extend beyond the construction of the new campus.
One priority is startup funding for new academic and workforce programs. New program startup in areas such as healthcare, construction trades, hospitality, etc. requires $1.5 million for faculty and adjunct instructors, equipment and supplies, student support and internships. The beauty of this type of investment is that these programs become self sustaining within 5 years.
“The opportunity is not simply to open a new building,” said CWC-Jackson Dean Amy Madera. “It is to bring that building to life. When a donor invests in a laboratory, an internship, a faculty position or a new program, that investment becomes part of a student’s education and, ultimately, part of the workforce serving this community. Our donors make it possible for CWC-Jackson to respond to the educational and workforce needs of this region and create opportunities that will have an impact for generations.”
A resource for the community
CWC-Jackson also plans for the campus to serve employers, working adults, families and other residents through workforce training, language education, youth partnerships and lifelong learning.
Recruiting and retaining the faculty and staff needed to provide those opportunities is another campaign priority. CWC has established a $3 million recruitment and retention goal to help address housing and cost-of-living challenges in Teton County.
Monteiro said the campaign provides donors with an opportunity to make a direct investment in the people who will shape Jackson’s future.
“A donor’s investment can help a student stay in school, provide an instructor with the right equipment or give CWC the ability to respond when the community identifies a workforce need,” Monteiro adds. “Those opportunities exist because people choose to invest in one another.”
“Central Wyoming College-Jackson can provide the educational foundation and the permanent home, but its greatest potential will be realized through partnership,” says Tyndall. “Donors and community partners have the opportunity to help create what happens inside these walls and opportunities that will extend throughout Jackson and the region for generations.”
FAST FACTS | CWC JACKSON CAMPUS
Campus size: 20,300 square feet
Site: 2 acres
Total project cost: $24 million
Construction began: March 2025
Expected completion: Mid-October 2026
First classes: Mid- to late October 2026
Grand opening: Nov. 5, 2026
The campus will include:
Culinary and hospitality lab; physiology, biology and chemistry labs; nursing simulation lab; two health care classrooms; four standard classrooms; career and technical education flex classroom; computer lab; student study and gathering spaces; and offices.
Upcoming Events
Thursday, November 5, 2 to 5:30 p.m.
CWC Jackson Grand Opening
https://www.cwc.edu/event/
