College Kick Start

Ambitious high school students have long availed themselves of the opportunity to take college courses to get a head start on further education. An innovative collaboration between Bangor High School and Eastern Maine Community College aims to help students who aren’t so certain about their future see how a college education will boost their prospects.

Dubbed “Early College” by Bangor Superintendent Robert Ervin, the program is an effort to help see what is necessary to get them where they want to be, whether that be a job at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor that requires a Ph.D. or a job at Lemforder in Brewer that requires an associate degree. Too often, Mr. Ervin says, students head to college because they are told to do so by a counselor or because all their friends are going on to higher education. Once on campus, they have no real direction and don’t see how a college degree will get them to their end goal, if they have one. Or worse, they don’t see how more education will get them beyond a low-paying job.

Early College aims to help students see how college fits into their life plan. For example, they will learn what skills are needed for the job they’ve always dreamed of. If students know what they need to accomplish, they will be more motivated to work toward their goal, whether that requires a two-year degree, a bachelor’s degree or more, reasons Mr. Ervin.

The program has many other advantages as well. By being exposed to college-level courses and the campus atmosphere, students will know what to expect after high school. College is demystified for those who may have had misgivings about continuing their education after high school. In a state where nearly half of high school students don’t go to college, any attempt to show them that college is worthwhile is welcome.

Early College is still in its infancy and many details need to be worked out, but students are likely to get both Bangor High and EMCC credits for courses they take as part of the program. This has the added benefit of allowing students to accelerate their college education. This means it will cost less to earn a degree. Since cost is often cited as a factor in not going on to higher education, this program also seeks to reduce the financial barrier.

While it is far too early to tell if this program lives up to expectations, it has the makings of an endeavor that is worth emulating.