Hillcrest and Kirkwood Collaborate to Bring Expanded Opportunities
OPPORTUNITY COMES KNOCKING
At Kirkwood Washington County Regional Center we firmly believe that education is the key to unlocking a world of possibilities, and what better way to empower Hillcrest Academy students than by offering them the chance to earn College Credit in High School.
Kirkwood partners with local school districts to offer opportunities for high school students to enroll part-time in college-level courses. Credits earned through these partnerships count toward a student’s high school diploma AND their future college degree – all at no cost to the student!
Hillcrest Academy and Kirkwood Washington County Regional Center share common goals and objectives, focused primarily on career exploration and personal growth. Dwight Gingerich, Hillcrest Academy Principal, is enthused about the expanded partnership with Kirkwood Community College. He says, “We really like the option of being able to meet the needs of our students this way. We made an intentional decision to provide greater opportunity for college credit where possible, rather than depend entirely on the AP exam as the way to receive those credits.” He notes that a great benefit of having a Regional Center in Washington County is the proximity to Hillcrest. “Kirkwood Washington County Regional Center allows students to still take courses at our school and not be too far away to make it all work.” Gingerich is excited to offer more onsite Kirkwood courses at Hillcrest Academy at this point and then expand from there.
Infographic and article provided by Kirkwood Washington County Regional Center
THREE FORMATS FOR LEARNING
Each student is an individual; they have varying responsibilities, learning styles, social needs, and extra-curricular activities. At Kirkwood, we understand that students need options for concurrent enrollment formats. Students can choose CCHS courses in three different formats:
1) REGIONAL CENTER COURSES are face-to-face, taught at the Washington County Regional Center. Students who select an academy experience take their courses at the Regional Center, using our state of the art lab spaces and classrooms. The majority of our students choose this option and thrive in this hands-on environment with high school peers from all seven partner school districts.
2) ALTERNATIVE CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT is offered to students primarily in an online format. High school students are instructed by a Kirkwood instructor, with the class comprised of both traditional and high school students. This option offers flexibility that some busy students require. In rare cases, high school students are eligible to join traditional students in a course on main campus.
3) ONSITE courses are dual credit courses taught by high school-paid, Kirkwood-trained instructors. In this format high school students are able to earn college credit in high school without leaving their school building. Onsite course availability varies by school; course content and expectations remain at Kirkwood college-level standards.
KIRKWOOD APPRECIATES THE ONSITE INSTRUCTORS AT HILLCREST ACADEMY
A big thank you and shout out goes to the Hillcrest Academy instructors that teach onsite Kirkwood courses:
MARCUS MILLER: US History to 1877; US History since 1877 and MIKE GOUDY: Environmental Science.
A NOTE FROM TERA PICKENS, DIRECTOR
Kirkwood is excited to grow our partnership with Hillcrest Academy and offer expanded opportunities to students. Hillcrest students are able to explore multiple career pathways at the Washington County Regional Center in Career Academy programming that is aligned with local industry workforce needs, offered in state-of-the-art labs, with industry standard equipment. Credits earned count toward both their high school diploma and future college degree.
Dual credit courses are a great supplement or alternative to AP courses and college credit is guaranteed for courses successfully completed. We are confident that Hillcrest Academy students will thrive and grow in Kirkwood dual credit opportunities and go on to do amazing things in their post-secondary careers!