In the News
New Stockton University program offers Palmyra High School students early college credits
Aedy Miller -Burlington County Times: November 15, 2021
Five Palmyra High School students are among the inaugural class of a new early college program for students from historically marginalized backgrounds at Stockton University.
Along with more than 100 students from Pleasantville High School and STEMCivics High School in Ewing, they will take courses that count for both high school and college credit, said Diane D’Amico, a spokeswoman for Stockton.
“I hope it’ll save me some money in college,” said Owen Jacobs, a freshman at Palmyra. “And it’s useful experience.”
The two-year “Addressing College Completion & Equity for Student Success,” or ACCESS, program will see high school students participate in five classes and a summer college readiness program, said D’Amico. Some teachers will also receive training as part of the program, she said.
Sean Toner, president of the Palmyra Board of Education, said the district had previously made a commitment to establishing more dual credit programs for its students, which made this partnership the “perfect opportunity.”
“Our school board asked us to look at how we could expand opportunities for our students beyond high school and make that four-year college connection,” said Palmyra Superintendent Brian McBride.
The program is the result of a partnership between the districts, Stockton University and the George Washington Carver Education Foundation, and an Opportunity Meets Innovation Challenge grant from the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education.
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Governor Murphy Announces P-TECH Grant for Trenton Central High School, Opening Pathways for Students to STEM Careers
TRENTON – Governor Phil Murphy today announced a grant award of nearly $200,000 to bring the P-TECH educational model to Trenton Central High School. P-TECH (Pathways in Technology Early College High School) is a model co-developed by IBM through which public high schools, community colleges, and businesses work collaboratively to create a program where high school students graduate with a high school diploma and an associate degree in a STEM field. Students in the six-year program also receive workplace experience through mentorships and internships.
“A cornerstone of our Jobs NJ initiative is ensuring that we have a workforce that has received a high-quality education and that has the high-demand skills employers need in the 21st century,” said Governor Murphy. “Programs like this will bring innumerable benefits to graduates and their families, to local businesses, and to the New Jersey economy. I am proud of the continued expansion of P-TECH and of the innovative approaches we are taking in New Jersey to prepare our students for the future.”
Supporting STEM-focused high school programs and increasing degree attainment for all residents are key strategies in Governor Murphy’s Jobs NJ initiative, which aims to align the state’s workforce with high-growth job opportunities. The expansion of the P-TECH model to the Trenton School District increases the number of New Jersey school districts with the program to four. Last school year, Burlington City, New Brunswick, and Paterson launched the P-TECH dual-enrollment program.
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