Lincoln Trail College and the Crawford County Development Association will invite the community to explore a new space built around connection, collaboration and opportunity during an open house for The 618 Project. The open house will be held Nov. 12 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Lincoln Trail College. Visitors will have an opportunity to tour The 618, learn more about how the space can be used and enjoy a light lunch.

Lincoln Trail College students got a firsthand lesson in leadership, citizenship and college governance when members of First Year Experience classes taught by Tona Ambrose, Connor York, Amie Mayhall, Austin Alexander and Monte Newlin attended the September meeting of the Illinois Eastern Community Colleges Board of Trustees. For Ambrose, who serves as both LTC President and an FYE instructor, attending a board meeting has become an annual part of the course. She said the experience helps students understand that their education extends beyond what happens in their classrooms.

Kim Cox moved from Robinson in 1977, but he has long maintained close ties with the town where he grew up. His latest love letter to Robinson is the self-published book "Historical Handbook of Crawford County, Illinois," a 445-page history of the county and its early settlers illustrated with historic and current photos.

The Lincoln Trail College Foundation is making a major investment in the future of career and technical education at LTC, providing funding for the college’s new Career and Technical Training Center, specialized training equipment and future program growth.

A student working alongside an entrepreneur. A small business owner meeting with an adviser. An employer connecting with a potential employee. A community member learning a new skill. Lincoln Trail College President Tona Ambrose sees all of those possibilities, sometimes happening at the same time, inside The 618 Project.

A series of moves at Lincoln Trail College this summer have transformed two familiar campus spaces, creating new places for students to eat, shop, study, socialize and, eventually, access academic advising.

Lincoln Trail College has named Stewart Cramer its new director of performing arts, bringing an experienced educator, director and performer to a program with longstanding ties to the college and surrounding community. Cramer comes to LTC with experience leading vocal music, musical theater and performing arts programs at community colleges. His background includes directing stage productions and ensembles, recruiting and mentoring students, developing community partnerships and managing performance programming.

The first days of college can come with a mix of excitement, questions and a few nerves. Lincoln Trail College is working to make those first days easier, and a lot more fun, with New Student Orientation and two full weeks of activities designed to help students connect with the campus and one another.

Lincoln Trail College has released its academic honor lists for the Spring 2026 Semester. Three lists have been established by Illinois Eastern Community Colleges to indicate students who have achieved academic excellence. They are the Chancellor’s Honors List, the President’s Academic Honors List, and the Dean’s Academic Honors List. To qualify for any of the honor lists, a student must be enrolled full-time (12 hours or more) and must be taking college-level classes.