KCC’s Agriculture & Horticulture Program is the Innovator in Agriculture for the 2026 Daily Journal Progress Awards.

KCC provides hands-on learning, internships, industry connections, and community engagement so students can prepare for careers in agriculture and horticulture.

Class topics include greenhouse operations; turf management; cultivating plants, fruits and vegetables; soil science; landscape design; animal science; pest management; and farmsteading.

KCC's agriculture and horticulture degrees and certificates:

• Associate degrees
  • Agriculture - A transfer option that awards an Associate of Science
  • Agri-Hort Technology - Associate of Applied Science
• Advanced Certificates
  • Agriculture
  • Horticulture
• Certificates
  • Agriculture
  • Horticulture
  • Local Foods

To learn more about the program, contact Katelynn Ohrt (pictured below), program director, at kohrt@kcc.edu or 815-802-8859.

The Progress Awards are sponsored by the Kankakee County Chamber of Commerce and The Daily Journal.

Prospective students are invited to an Explore KCC Day at Kankakee Community College on Wednesday, July 8.

The session begins at noon.

Participants will learn about KCC’s academic programs, whether they are still exploring options or already have a career path in mind. There will be tours of various academic spaces, along with information about support services, financial aid, and the enrollment process.

To learn more and register, go to visit.kcc.edu. KCC’s Riverfront Campus is at 100 College Drive, Kankakee.

KCC serves more than 3,500 students each year with award-winning, accredited programs that lead to associate degrees, certificates, and transfer opportunities to four-year universities. With guidance from local business and industry, KCC’s career programs prepare students for today’s workforce. The college also offers continuing education, certification training, job fairs, literacy, English as a Second Language, and GED preparation. With 40 areas of study, KCC is the region’s trusted choice for affordable education and career advancement.

KCC's Hammes Bookstore will be closed for Inventory from Wednesday, June 24 to Wednesday, July 1.

Students should note that June 15 is the final day to make purchases using financial aid.

Although the college online bookstore at books.kcc.edu will be accessible, no orders will be sent between June 24 and July.

The tradition of celebrating Independence Day with live music followed by fireworks will continue Saturday, July 4 along the south banks of the Kankakee River.

The event is a fundraiser for the Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra and takes place on the north lawn of Kankakee Community College. Each performance will feature American and patriotic music.

• 4:30 p.m.: Gates open at KCC. Admission is $20 per carload – cash only. All proceeds benefit the Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra.
• 5 p.m.: Food concessions open. Vendors are Jimmy Jo’s BBQ, Martinez Tacos, Lauren’s Hot Apple Dumplings, Brewhead Espresso, and Kankakee Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra Concessions.
• After 5 p.m.: Barbi Brewer-Watson, president of the KVSO board of directors, will give opening remarks.
• 5:30 p.m.: Kankakee Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra concert
• 6:30 p.m.: Kankakee Municipal Band
• 7:30 p.m.: Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra concert
• Dusk: Fireworks begin. The fireworks show will be approximately 25 minutes long.

On the KCC grounds, picnicking is welcomed, and indoor restrooms are available. Concertgoers are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets; no seating is provided. KCC’s grounds are handicap accessible. Grills and personal fireworks, including sparklers, are not permitted.

The KVSO symphony concert is underwritten by Riverside Medical Center and the Illinois Arts Council. Kankakee Valley Park District, the City of Kankakee and KCC are also sponsors.

KCC is located at 100 College Drive, off River Road, south of downtown Kankakee.

About the Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra

Originally known as the Society for Friends of Music, KVSO was established in 1967 for the purpose of experiencing the joy of music together. Today the KVSOA Board of Directors, the Kankakee Valley Youth Symphony, The KVSO Women’s Guild, and the KVSO Foundation all make up the Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra Association.