About the Berkshire Center
A Small New England Town Full of Charm and Opportunity
The town of Lee is located in Berkshire County with approximately 6,000 people in 26 square miles. 112 miles from Boston and 130 miles from New York City, the Berkshires are known as "America's Premier Cultural Resort", offering an eclectic mix of shops, dining and culture and nature. With over 50 students, the Berkshire Center has the largest community of students and staff of all the CIP centers. Founded in 1983, the Berkshire Center has strong roots in the community and with Berkshire Community College. The small town environment provides safe and easy living.
Exceptional Local College & Certificate Programs
Berkshire Community College offers more than 40 credit programs including Business Administration, Computer Information Systems, Criminal Justice, Culinary Arts, Early Childhood Education, Animal Care, Engineering and Fine Arts. All students complete a Learning Skills Assessment prior to registration in order to determine their level of skill. The Berkshire Center also has a valued relationship with the office of disabilities at the college enabling our students to obtain extra supports. Mildred Elley Business School offers credit-bearing certificate programs in Business Management, Massage Therapy, Medical Studies, Paralegal Studies and Criminal Justice. The school also has an academic support center providing academic assistance to enrolled students through individualized developmental instruction, peer tutoring, class visits, computer-assisted instruction, skill-building workshops, and other internal and external resources.
C-STEP (Career Skills Training and Employment Program)
Through this program students receive the support services and skills instruction they need to become self-motivated, self-sufficient, young professionals that can forge ahead and succeed in developing a clear objective for their career paths and be successful negotiators in the world of work. The goal of the program is to enable our students to develop self-advocacy and motivation so that they may take their places in the adult workforce, contributing to society and fulfilling their own potential.
Internship & Career Opportunities
Our goal is for every student to have an internship or job so that they can begin or continue developing their career skills. If a student is enrolled in college, their internship will typically be just a few hours per week. Some students hold one or two internships or jobs up to 20 hours per week. The Berkshire Center offers a variety of internship opportunities. Recent examples include placements at Stockbridge and Lenox Libraries, Habitat for Humanity, Fairview Hospital, Muddy Brook Day Care, Rosewood Assisted Living, Lee Youth Association, Catholic Youth Center, Loeb's Foodtown, Lee Family Practice, Jonathan Foote Construction, City Clerk’s Office, the YMCA and patrolling with the LPD’s Officer Bushey.
Health & Wellness
CIP is deeply committed to promoting the wellness of each and every student. CIP offers wellness sessions lead by experienced staff members who assist in identifying that balance of wellness through nutrition, exercise, yoga, stress reduction practice, walking clubs, local health clubs, volleyball team and many more modern and innovative techniques.
Comfortable Apartment Living
Students reside in nicely furnished apartments located within a couple blocks of the Main offices. Living with one to four roommates, each student has their own bedroom and shares the bathroom(s), laundry, kitchen and living room. Instruction is given in meal planning, food preparation, clean up, laundry, apartment maintenance, executive functioning and leisure skills. The apartments are conveniently located in the downtown area which features grocery shopping, restaurants, banks and the public bus line. Students have easy access to the college, business school and internship sites. Laundry rooms are located in the buildings.
Coordinated Weekend Activities
Weekend recreational activities are very important opportunities for students to put into practice the social competencies they are developing. Every weekend, several activities are planned and transportation provided. Students may also propose alternate activities. Swimming, fairs, festivals and alpine slides, hiking, sports and whale watching in the spring and fall and skiing, sledding and hockey games in the winter. Visiting museums, bowling, shopping and seeing plays and performances happen year-round. New York City, Boston, Salem. We have an “activities meeting” every week lead by the Residential Coordinator, where students are involved in choosing and planning the events.
Exciting Travel Opportunities
Students enrolled at CIP have the option of attending a fun and educational travel program one week a year during the college spring break in March. Students prepare for this trip through a series of class meetings in which they study the language, arts, culture and trip itinerary. Each year an exciting new world destination is chosen. Part of the spring break experience is participating in community service. Besides being able to help those in need, this experience instills leadership and develops character. These trips are an excellent opportunity for students to travel and broaden their horizons in a safe, supervised atmosphere. Past trips include Spain, Ecuador, The Galapagos Islands, Greece, Chile, Belize and France.
Student Senate
The student senate with the guidance of a CIP staff member provides students the opportunity to develop and refine their leadership skills through event planning and fundraising. These events range from game nights, movie nights and dances to Halloween parties, Super Bowl parties and more. In addition to functioning as an opportunity to develop leadership and social skills the student senate also plays a critical role in providing valuable feedback to the staff concerning program improvement.
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