Huntington North & Huntington University Develop Early Entry Program
Posted on 01/11/2024
Director of Secondary Education Chuck Brimbury introduces Chief Operations Officer Russ Degitz and Career and Technical Education Director Tiffanney Drummond in presenting the 1+3 Viking/Forester Early Entry Program at the January 8 School Board Meeting. This program shows what is possible when you collaborate with colleges and universities to provide more opportunities for our students.
"The basic premise of our program is that our students can complete one year of college while still in high school giving them the opportunity to get a jumpstart on their future in multiple pathways. So what it would work out to is that they would just have 3 years left of college after graduating high school," states Drummond. Students would gain college experience through different dual credit opportunities at Huntington North and gain college experience at Huntington University Campus. Currently, there are four main pathways students can navigate within Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses that would allow them to fulfill the Viking Forester Early Entry Program requirements. Agriculture, Business, Education and Radio/TV are the current pathways. Students would have more of a block format schedule during their junior and senior years, providing more time during the school day to take the courses offered at Huntington University.
"Huntington University has been a great partner in this endeavor." states Drummond. Huntington University has expanded their Hometown Grant to Huntington County students. The Hometown Grant is up to $2,500 for students within Huntington County who attend Huntington University as a first-time Freshman. Additionally, beginning in the Fall 2024 Semester, students who take Early Entry Courses at Huntington University may receive up to $2,000 in additional grant dollars! The program is offered at $100 per credit hour and $75 per credit hour for students on free and reduced lunch.
"This is a community investment. We thank the entire community for rallying around a program like this. Some of those dollars come from our community supporters. So when I say it is a community effort, it absolutely is." states Degitz. Kudos to the district and the leadership for making this happen.
There are a range of benefits students can experience through this program including the ability to get the entire high school experience, the freedom and responsibility of navigating the college experience, reduced college tuition costs, applying experiences to career pathways, and gaining a head start to fast track their potential careers! This is a great step forward in our continued collaboration with Huntington University as we aim to provide more opportunities for every student.