Smithsonian Celebrated Sculpture Gardens
Caldwell County has the most extensive collection of permanent public outdoor sculptures per capita in the U.S. Our annual Sculpture Celebration is the largest in the South.
Appalachian State Expansion to Hickory
Appalachian State University established the App State at Hickory Campus as a new initiative to expand public higher education access and outreach in the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton Metro Area. In the next 20 years, the Hickory Campus is projected to outpace the size and population of App State’s main Boone campus. Hickory is just outside Caldwell County in our neighboring Catawba County, with US 321 connecting the primary campus in nearby Boone to the Hickory Campus.
Our Shining Regional Asset: CCC&TI
Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute (CCC&TI) is an affordable, convenient higher education and career training option serving the people of Caldwell and Watauga counties and beyond. They strive to positively impact students' lives, support economic development and offer diverse services and opportunities that improve the quality of life for everyone. Fast Track Training, completely online programs and complete academic courses of study are available. The institution is award-winning. CCC&TI’s President was named North Carolina Community College President of the Year in 2023.
CCC&TI Fast Track Training:
- IMPACT Institute: Free training for advanced manufacturing careers.
- BioWork: Basic preparation for entry-level process technician jobs in bioprocess manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing and chemical manufacturing.
- VMware IT Academy: Preparation certification for VMware, a virtualization and cloud computing software provider.
- Welding Technology: A diploma program.
- Many more, plus customized workforce and completely online programs.
