“HOW DO you change poverty levels — how do you create a greater workforce participation that is going to be transformational to a city, to a county, to families, to a community?” That was the question Randy Dunton asked, and he answered it with Legacy Education Center.
Dunton became concerned with poverty and a lack of workforce participation after retiring from his coaching position at Liberty University. Much of the talent available in Lynchburg, Dunton realized, was missing the training that would increase its value in the community’s marketplace. It was there he saw the opportunity to make a difference, and in 2017 he founded Legacy Education Center. Partnerships with Lynchburg City Schools and Campbell County allowed Legacy Education Center to flourish in the beginning, Dunton said.
“[Legacy Education Center] got off to a really quick start with the ability to put systems in place,” Dunton said.
There wasn’t a model for the type of program he wanted, and so the center had to organically work out its solutions. It has been outcome-based, as Dunton looked for actual transformation in the community to judge whether a program was working.
“The methods of Legacy Education Center have evolved to produce, really, a more effective training method on developing sustainable employees for the businesses that end up hiring our learners,” Dunton said.
While the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the center’s timeline back quite a bit, the organization has recovered well and is working hard to help everyone in the community, regardless of age or situation. They can join in one of two tracks: workforce entry or degree completion.
“One demographic is high school graduates because there’s a number of them that are going into the workforce, and then we also work in community neighborhood centers and with community partners to identify other postsecondary individuals,” Dunton said.
Other legacy students have a career in mind that requires a four-year degree, and the center helps those students apply for grants and supports them during their education. Legacy Education Center also offers college classes — a legacy student has the opportunity to get their associate’s degree in 21 months, debt-free.
“We can support a student that goes to the community college. We can support a student that goes to a four-year school because we’re still partnering with them and helping them advance their careers,” Dunton said.
In both tracks, students find an advocate in Legacy Education Center, and every student can find their life changed. Change goes both ways, however, and Dunton said he has grown a lot through joining the nonprofit world and through the interactions he has with students every day.
“It brings in a great dose of humility,” Dunton said. “It’s a phenomenal experience for me to sit there and look at this talented individual that may just need a little bit of direction in their life or a little bit of support to bring that talent to fruition.”
The design of Legacy Education Center’s program took many years, but now they have entered the implementation stages of a wonderful community solution. The center’s plans for 2025 include creating jobs in the community with Legacy Launch 100, which Dunton said will add $5 million in economic mobility for the citizens of Lynchburg. The ultimate goal is to build something in Lynchburg that can be replicated in other cities.
“There’s a lot of individuals in our country that are held back because they just need a little bit of direction along the way, and they need a system and support that can help them,” Dunton said. “Then they can take off, go, and really succeed.”
Lynchburg is the launching point for so many talented individuals — and one day, it may be the launching point for a program that changes the lives of many more families and communities across the country. GN
