Apr 08 2008
School - College Collaboration
Thanks to the Model Transition Program in place for High School students at the Hewes Center, 4 students will be visiting Jamestown Community College all day tomorrow 4/9/08 with their consultant teacher Rose Dorey and the Coordinator of the MTP grant, Jennifer Clark. The Model Transition Program is a state department of education funded intiative which has granted the Erie 2 CC Boces together with Lake Shore and Silver Creek Central School Districts over $700,000 for the next 3.5 years. The grant is administered in conjuction with VESID with program advisement, support and training from Cornell University and State University College of New York at Buffalo.
The students are one 9th grader, Ben R., two 11th graders Julio Z and Cody A, and one 12th grader Danielle J. The two 11th graders are both students of Career and Technical Educaton so will graduate with extra college credit in math, science and english as a result of the accreditation agreement between the CTE division of Erie 2 Chautuaqua Cattaraugus BOCES and Jamestown Community College. As a result these two CTE students will have a leg up on their college counterparts in terms of college credits and will be accruing savings because of this in terms of college tuition and time spent on an Associates Degree which JCC awards. Of note is the fact that the CTE department of this BOCES has various other articulation agreements with colleges and universities.
The purpose of this visit to to expose our students to the college entry process and get them to consider college as an educational extension to their high school years. It is our goal within the Alternative and Special Education High School program to expand the opportunities for skills development and job readiness of our students. All students who are eligible for help and support through this state wide grant, are classified special needs students who have a 504 Plan or an IEP.
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Our visit to JCC yesterday was highly successful. It was our second visit to the college and we have now taken a total of 9 students. High school students from both the Alternative and Special Education programs have participated. These visitations have been extremely important and meaningful to our students. For many of them, this is an affirmation that they are capable of furthering their education beyond high school. One student who accompanied us on the first trip, had been talking about dropping out of high school. Now, he talks about going away to college. He was so interested, he went back to JCC with us the second time to see another program in which he was interested!
Unfortunately, many of our students have struggled through school and been give negative labels such as “lazy” or “stupid”, which they internalize. They need to be told that they are bright, capable students, who perhaps may not have the learning style of most other students. By letting them see that they do have a future, and that we do believe in them, we are valuing them as people and empowering them.
I am very proud of the students that we have taken to JCC. They have represented BOCES in a positive light and reaffirmed my belief in them, but more importantly their belief in themselves.