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Big Bend Community College will soon be hanging its shingle out at the former Grand Coulee Dam Middle School annex building.

It will be the beginning of a Community Knowledge Center, where students and local residents can take advantage of a range of activities still to be developed.

Barbara Collins, who heads the program for BBCC, said the initial activity will be a beginners’ computer class starting in mid-January.

Big Bend has a number of Community Knowledge Centers, including those at Wilson Creek, Warden, Royal, Mattawa, Odessa and Quincy, all with distinct and different programs. The centers are community-interest driven, Collins said.

Collins has been working with Superintendent Dennis Carlson and the Grand Coulee Dam School District board to get it started.

The district will provide a volunteer coordinator, who will work with BBCC officials in developing activities. That volunteer hasn’t yet been named.

BBCC is waiting for the district to get the computers installed and working before opening the center in the east part of the facility that housed the music program and others.

Working with the initial computer class will be Ed Lyles, an AmeriCorp representative. He also works with the other Community Knowledge Centers in their computer class programs.

The development of the center will renew the community’s connection with BBCC and provide avenues for students in Running Start programs, and also provide information on enrollment at BBCC.