Ogeechee Technical College history

Local support and the establishment of the Georgia State Lottery funded HOPE grant (Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally) in 1993 were contributing factors in the rapid growth of Ogeechee Tech.

In 1999, John Groover, an English instructor, was named the statewide winner of the Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Instruction.

The first Associate of Applied Technology (AAT) degree program, Industrial Manufacturing, began during Winter Quarter 2000.

During the summer of 2002, the Evans County Learning Center was opened.

The Occupational Studies Building opened in Fall 2003, offering a variety of programs, such as Agribusiness, Wildlife and Plantation Management, Veterinary Technology, and Culinary Arts.

In 2004, OTC paid tribute to the late Senator Joseph E. Kennedy for his role in the establishment of Ogeechee Technical Institute by dedicating the main building on campus as the Joseph E. Kennedy Building.

In 2008, construction started on the Evans Technical Education Complex which included the Logistics and Public Safety Building and a driving track for the Commercial Truck Driving program.

At the beginning of 2009, an Emergency Mass Notification System for faculty, staff, and students was implemented, providing a way to send emergency warnings via cell phone and email messages.

In January 2013, classes began in the new Health Science Building-North which housed the Echocardiography, Opticianry, Radiologic Technology, and Sonography programs and included a modern biology lab and a tiered lecture/demonstration hall.

Lucas Teague was named the top student in the state by winning the Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership award in 2014.

Early in 2016 classes began in the new 60,000 square foot Natural Resources Building which housed programs such as Agribusiness, Fish and Wildlife Management, and the College’s Adult Education program.

In early 2017, the College’s Foundation announced receiving its largest ever financial gift, when the Strickland Foundation of Evans County donated $500,000 for use in improving the lives of Evans County residents through education.

A Commercial Truck Driving facility and range in Screven County was completed in Spring 2019, providing a boost to the College’s capability to meet the demands of the trucking industry related to the expansion of the Port of Savannah.

In 2020, a new state-of-the-art Practical Nursing studio was completed, as well as renovated space for the Early Childhood Care & Education program and the library in the north wing of the Joseph E. Kennedy building.