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Local dignitaries cut a red and white ribbon to symbolize the opening of the new Miami University Voice of America Learning Center on Thursday, Nov. 6, during an open house at the learning center in West Chester Twp.Click to enlarge

WEST CHESTER TWP. — The Miami University Voice of America Learning Center was "the culmination of 13-plus years of thought, dream and hard work," said Rod Nimtz, the center's director, during an open house reception Thursday, Nov. 6, at the facility.

"It's a fantastic sense of seeing something that began as a dream ... finally coming to reality."

The open house gave the West Chester Chamber Alliance and Northeast Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce a chance to look around the 23,000-square-foot multipurpose instructional facility.

Located at the corner of Cox Road and VOA Park Drive, the building features five classrooms, a 152-seat tiered auditorium, a seminar room and space equipped with state-of-the-art videoconferencing capabilities.

Programs available will include Alumni Career Services, graduate programs and an undergraduate degree completion program.

Classes are scheduled to begin Jan. 12.

"Think about the young people who have not even been born yet who will get an education here," said Miami University Provost Jeffrey Herbst. "Think about the workers who will get training here. The Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts who will have meetings here. The community events that will happen here over many, many years, and I think you'll get a sense of how excited we are ... to have this facility here."