New Partnership Creates Early College High School At HVCC
Capital Region high school students looking for pathways to well-paid careers will have more options this fall thanks to an innovative new partnership.
Questar III is partnering with Hudson Valley Community College to create a new high school to be housed on the college’s main campus in Troy. The STEM-career focused high school will serve students across seven counties and 46 school districts. Students entering the new high school will take advantage of several career-focused educational tracks through the Pathways in Technology, P-TECH (six-year) and Smart Scholars – Early College High School, SS-ECHS (four-year)programs.
These New York State-sponsored programs allow colleges and universities to partner with public school districts, creating an opportunity for students to earn college credits while completing their high school diploma. The programs will place students on the fast track to a college degree, while saving their families thousands of dollars in possible tuition costs. This is the first P-TECH and Smart Scholar Early College High School to be hosted on a community college campus in the Capital Region.
Academic pathway programs in the fields of computer information systems, engineering technology, environmental science and protection technology, and health science will be taught in the new school, which will be housed in the college’s newly renovated Lang Technical Building.
“We are excited to launch these programs in partnership with Hudson Valley Community College to benefit our region’s high school students by expanding their educational opportunities in STEM and STEM-related fields. These college preparatory programs will also have a positive impact on the economy in the region,” said Questar III BOCES District Superintendent Dr. Gladys I. Cruz.
“Creating a strong educational pathway from the region’s secondary schools, through our college and extending onward into careers, is what these programs are all about,” said Hudson Valley President Roger Ramsammy. “We are so excited to be the site of this new partnership with Questar III and we encourage families to take a good look at the very real benefits of P-TECH and Early College Programs.”
P-TECH and SS-ECHS programs prepare students for in-demand jobs in STEM and STEM-related fields. The models address both education and workforce development skills gaps by providing innovative approaches to high school and college education, while engaging corporate partners and local communities in student success.