FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DCC ONE OF 11 VCCS COLLEGES TO PLACE

“CAREER COACHES” IN HIGH SCHOOLS

          RICHMOND, Va., September 24, 2004 – Danville Community College will be part of an innovative pilot project to put community college “career coaches” in Virginia public high schools. Virginia Community College System Chancellor Glenn DuBois, in making the announcement today, said the project will begin this winter at 11 high schools across the Commonwealth, including George Washington High School in Danville.

        The Community College Career Coach project is a collaboration between the Virginia Community College System and the Virginia Department of Education. A community college employee will be placed half-time in the high schools as an academic and career advisor for students who may be interested in community college programs, including dual enrollment, Tech Prep programs, Pathway to Industry certifications and transitional programs that help prepare high school students for college.

        The coaches will foster communication between high school students, teachers and faculty and community colleges in their region.

            “Community colleges are increasingly becoming the access point for quality higher education,” says DuBois.  “This will position us more closely to the needs of students and their families.  Community colleges provide quality transfer opportunities as well as an array of technical preparation and industry certificate programs leading to the workforce. We are also reaching out in the form of transitional programs to 10^th graders who need some encouragement in setting higher goals.”

        DuBois broached the idea of community college counselors in high schools to regional public school superintendents and educators at roundtable sessions earlier this summer, where the concept was greeted enthusiastically. In one case, a superintendent offered to split the cost so that the office could open sooner.  

             “I’m really excited about it,” says Dr. James Blevins, superintendent of Bedford County schools. “I immediately jumped up and said we’d like to be one of the school systems participating. We see a lot of benefit in having someone work between the high school students and the colleges and the opportunity of expanding programs for both college and careers.”

        Educators at all three of the forums reported good working relationships with community colleges in their areas. They praised dual enrollment programs, where students get credit for college and high school courses at the same time; agreements that help students start at a community college and transfer to a four-year college or university; and increased information about occupational programs leading directly to the workforce.

        But school officials also said that high school staff members, teachers, counselors and parents could use more information about community college opportunities to share with students.

            DCC President Carlyle Ramsey added that the project is an expansion of the college’s K-12 initiatives.

            “This pilot project will strengthen our K-12 partnership and our relationships with the high school,” Ramsey said. “We are working very closely with the Danville Public Schools on the success of this initiative.”

        The two-year demonstration project will begin in October at the following community colleges and their high school partners: 

• Central Virginia Community College at Jefferson Forest High School

• Danville Community College at George Washington High School

• Germanna Community College at Caroline High School

• J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College at John Marshall High School

• Paul D. Camp Community College at Lakeland High School

• Piedmont Virginia Community College at Charlottesville High School

• Thomas Nelson Community College at Heritage High School

• Wytheville Community College at Fort Chisell High School

        Tidewater Community College, Northern Virginia Community College, and Virginia Highlands Community College will also participate in the program at high schools to be determined.

        The community college system will fund the part-time career coaches as a Perkins Special Project through the Virginia Department of Education, says Rose Harrell Johnson, vice chancellor for workforce development for the VCCS.  The high schools will provide the office and assist in integrating the career coaches into the high school environment.