The James Kerney Campus
Campus Resources
Counseling Services details
room KC409 / 609-570-3402 / counseling@mccc.edu
High School Equivalency/Adult Basic Education (HSE/ABE) - 609-570-3185
Mercer provides adult basic education for community residents who wish to improve their basic skills to prepare for the High School Equivalency examination. Classes available morning, afternoon or evening hours.
more information about HSE Program
The English Language Institute (ELI) - 609-570-3185
ELI at the James Kerney Campus provides English as a Second or other Language (ESL) instruction for people whose first language is not English. Classroom instruction offered mornings, afternoons and evenings all year long. Instruction allows students to prepare themselves for employment or job training. Many ELI students go on to complete associate degrees and transfer to four-year colleges.
Bilingual Instruction
As needs are identified, some credit course sections at the James Kerney Campus are offered in a bilingual mode for students whose native language is Spanish. With English as the primary language, instructors use Spanish as needed to help students master course objectives.
Upward Bound Program
Through the federally funded Upward Bound Program, the college provides Trenton area high school students with college preparatory courses and tutoring as well as personal and career counseling. Upward Bound's primary purpose is to help students improve their grades and develop the skills needed for college or other programs of higher education. In addition, limited college credit courses are available to ease the transition from high school to college.
GEAR UP
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)
GEAR UP is a 6 week summer and 20-week academic year program designed to assist students in 7th – 12th with graduating from high school and encouraging students to obtain college degrees by providing: after-school and Saturday tutoring, summer programs, mentoring, counseling, test preparation, information about financial aid, and access to college visits. The initiative also emphasizes the importance of taking rigorous high school courses to prepare for postsecondary education. NJ GEAR UP also provides professional development for educators within GEAR UP target schools.
Talent Search
Talent Search enrollees must be at least 12 years old, show academic potential and meet federal guidelines. Services such as tutoring and academic, career, personal and financial aid counseling, as well as job site and college visits are provided to 800 students each year. Talent Search clients are encouraged to enter, continue, or resume a program of study at the secondary or post-secondary level. Diagnostic testing and placement follow-up are integral components of the program.
The Career Training Institute (CTI) - 609-570-3185
CTI provides short-term intensive training for those who are unemployed, underemployed, or changing employment fields. Offerings reflect local area job market demands, and may vary according to area employment needs.
more details
The Beverly A. Richardson Learning Center
The Beverly A. Richardson Learning Center provides a full range of instructional and testing services for students and members of the community. All Mercer County Community College students, public and private junior and senior high school students, adult learners, and people interested in improving their basic skills can attend classes or obtain individual tutoring in the Center. Subjects taught include English composition, reading, mathematics, and science.
more details
The Academic Testing Center
The Academic Testing Center, located in the Beverly A. Richardson Learning Center, provides students and staff with a variety of services. Students may take tests at their convenience in accordance with deadlines established by instructors. The center also administers the college skills placement test and specialized diagnostic tests.
more details
Campus History
From its roots as the Evening Drawing School in 1890, the James Kerney Campus (JKC) stands today as a testimony to educational leaders whose vision and persistence have created a dynamic educational institution. The JKC serves the changing needs of thousands of students seeking educational fulfillment and personal and career growth.
In 1972, the James Kerney Foundation of Trenton donated an acre of land on the corner of North Broad and Academy streets to house MCCC's James Kerney Center. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held on Aug. 23, 1974, and the building was dedicated on May 21, 1975. The immediately prior West State Street site -- purchased for the school in the early 1900s by Henry Cooper Kelsey, a former New Jersey Secretary of State -- was sold to the state and now houses Thomas A. Edison State College. Kelsey's name lives on at the college, however, in the acclaimed Kelsey Theater on the West Windsor campus.
On June 16, 1998, in Trenton, the James Kerney Center at North Broad and Academy Streets became the James Kerney Campus of Mercer County Community College. The new facility, at North Broad and West Hanover Streets, measures 19,000 square feet and is linked by a skywalk to the main building. It houses the JKC Career Training Institute, four computer labs with Internet access, nine classrooms, a business practice firm in which students apply learned office skills, a conference room, and office space for the New Jersey Department of Labor Employment Services. A 2,000-square-foot multipurpose activity area is available for student and community use. The Learning Center on the third floor bustles with activity six days a week, with students from ages seven to 80 making good use of the center's computers.
(see also full MCCC history)
Room Scheduling
For JKC credit and non-credit classroom scheduling, room rentals and assistance with campus arrangements, contact Natasha Bullock: bullocknb@mccc.edu (609) 570-3160