Wichita State University’s Center for Entrepreneurship, in partnership with Montgomery County E-Community and NetWork Kansas, will bring an entrepreneurial certificate program called Growing Rural Businesses to Montgomery County starting September 10. This 8-week training course is custom made to meet the needs of existing rural business owners who are ready to grow their businesses and adapt during the coronavirus pandemic.

Weekly sessions will be held each Thursday from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. The first four sessions will be held at Fab Lab ICC on the campus of Independence Community College, and the last four sessions will be held in the Oak Room at Coffeyville Community College. This training provides hands-on, practical solutions and techniques to grow and modernize business ventures while living in a rural setting. A $17,000 grant to the Montgomery County E-Community from NetWork Kansas will provide the majority of the funding for the training, and participants will have a small enrollment fee with discounts available.