Page 81 - BusinessWest December 9, 2024

Getting a Leg Up
Discovery High Students Make Connections, Earn College Credit
Students from Discovery Polytech Early College High School are taking a leap into higher educa- tion by earning credits from Springfield Technical
Community College (STCC).
This innovative partnership offers students a head
start on their college journey, giving them the oppor- tunity to take college-level courses, gain valuable aca- demic experience, and save on future tuition costs.
As part of the ‘wall-to-wall’ early college program, high-schoolers ride a bus to the STCC campus two days a week — Tuesdays and Thursdays –— to take STEM-focused classes together in cohorts. The only technical community college in Massachusetts, STCC is one of six area colleges and universities that offer an opportunity for Discovery students to earn at least three to six college credits per semester.
Discovery is one of the schools operated by the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership (SEZP), which has collaborated with STCC since 2020, when students at Springfield High School of Commerce started taking college courses to earn credit.
Discovery is one of several in the family of Com- merce schools. These schools have distinct identities and leadership teams that serve their student and fam- ily communities, while still reflected as part of Com- merce at the Massachusetts Department of Elemen- tary and Secondary Education.
The Springfield Empowerment Zone is a partner- ship between Springfield Public Schools, the state, and the Springfield Education Assoc.
Discovery students started coming to STCC in the fall of 2023. They are taking classes focused on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and are enrolled in the following pathways at STCC: busi- ness, cybersecurity, healthcare, optics and photonics, mechanical engineering technology, and technical arts.
Students in the cybersecurity pathway take courses in the newly opened Richard E. Neal Cybersecurity of Excellence at Union Station in Springfield, which fea- tures a cyber range, which is a virtual environment to practice real-world skills.
STCC President John Cook said the partnership with Discovery gives students a valuable opportunity to get exposure to a college environment and take classes in programs that cannot be found elsewhere in the region.
“The students are gaining a significant head start, and the experiences they have here will help prepare them for the next steps in their academic and profes- sional lives,” he said. “We are thrilled to welcome Dis- covery students, and we are proud to work with the Springfield Empowerment Zone.”
SEZP collaborates with STCC staff, including Melanie Laurin, director of Early College Initiatives. The academic pathways align with the Pioneer Valley Labor Market Blueprint, said Kelley Gangi, chief of School Innovation for SEZP.
“Melanie and I and others on the STCC team have been strategic on which pathways are optimal for high- wage, high-growth career areas,” Gangi said. “We’re
so blessed to be one of the first on the ground at the STCC cyber range.”
View to the Future
The wall-to-wall early-college program means all students taking college classes are on a pathway to earn an associate degree or 60 credits toward their bachelor’s degree for free, said Declan O’Connor, prin- cipal of Discovery. They begin classes on the STCC campus or other college campuses starting in the spring of their freshman year.
“We’re a STEM high school,” O’Connor said. “Our kids pick us because they want to be in a STEM envi- ronment. They’re gamers, they’re coders, they’re inter- ested in digital media and managing social media. No student would come to us that didn’t have an interest in a STEM field.”
Gangi said some Discovery students may obtain a degree from STCC, while others might take classes at STCC but obtain a degree from another partner insti- tution, depending on their major.
For many students, this program provides an opportunity to explore a field of study that interests them and prepare for the academic rigors of college. It also fosters a sense of independence and responsibili- ty as they navigate college courses, manage their time, and engage with
STCC’s diverse
student body and
faculty.
STCC
>>
Continued on page 38
BusinessWest
<< ENGINEERING >>
DECEMBER 9, 2024 37