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High School Initiatives program continuing to help teens prepare for college

By Laura Hancock | University Advancement | lhancock@eou.edu

Wednesday, August 23, 2006
LA GRANDE, Oregon – Last year, 218 students in Union, Wallowa, Umatilla and Grant counties were off to a running start toward their college educations, and their futures.

The Office of High School Initiatives at Eastern Oregon University is enabling these students to earn college credits. In fact, some students are completing the majority of their general education requirements before they even graduate from twelfth-grade.

“The programs offered through the Office of High School Initiatives are intended to give students a good introduction to what they can expect when they go to college,” said Danny Mielke, program director. “Even the students who aren’t sure if they are going to college will benefit.”

Within the program, students can earn college credits in a number of ways. Credit overlay allows qualified teachers to deliver high school courses in their classrooms that also count for college credit. Teachers must have a master’s degree, preferably in the specific discipline, and their courses are subject to review by EOU faculty.

Students can also get ahead by participating in dual enrollment, meaning that secondary and post secondary credits are awarded for a course already offered at their high schools during regular school hours. Full-term courses on the university campus are yet another option open to high school students, and are available at a discount if they register through the Office of High School Initiatives.

The credit overlay method is proving to be a popular choice among teachers and students in the immediate service area, and it may see the largest growth within the High School Initiatives program. For students from outside the area, either dual credit enrollment or distance education is the best option. If there are four or more students from the same high school who are interested in the program, they may be enrolled in a distance education cohort to provide a group learning experience. Students can then take regular distance education courses at half of the normal tuition cost. The first cohort was piloted last school year by the high school in John Day and proved successful.

With the start of a new school year approaching, Mielke, together with Tonya Evans, program assistant, are busy promoting the dual enrollment program, trying to get as many high schools in eastern Oregon to participate. Ten area high school students have already registered for on-campus classes this fall.

A three-week summer institute was also held at EOU for the first time this year. The institute allows students to earn credits, but maybe more importantly, the experience is designed to give teenagers a real taste of what college life is like.

“The biggest complaint was that they were too busy!” Mielke said. “We held daily meetings with the students and they were always overwhelmed and tired, but overall they were a good group.”

Seven different college level classes were offered for the institute in writing, history, theater, acting, Spanish, computer science, and library information access. Sixteen students from the region signed up for the summer program. Eight were from the high school in Hermiston, which participates in the Oregon Gear Up program. Supporters of the summer institute include Oregon Gear Up and the Oregon Community Foundation, which awarded a $10,000 grant.

Mielke and Evans said they learned a lot from the reactions of students who participated in the first summer institute.

“We learned that it’s good to keep them busy, but it also might have been too much,” Evans said. “It’s all about creating the right mix of classes.”

One student wrote, “The classes are cool, the teachers are great, and it makes it much easier having free food and scholarships.”

Based on eligibility, students who registered were considered for scholarships that covered room and board and any other expenses incurred during the duration of the institute. Emily Byrd, of Summerville, was one of the participants who received a scholarship. She will be a senior at Imbler High School in the fall and can’t wait to be off to college.

“It was nice to experience what it will be like living on my own,” said Byrd, who is almost 17, “but I did have to do my own laundry!”

If she had to pick a favorite class, it would be theater or writing, but she really liked them all she said. Some of her best memories will be of all the people she met and made connections with. Frieda Byrd, Emily’s mother, was equally thrilled with the institute.

“It is a great opportunity for students because it takes some of the fear out of going to college and gives them something to look forward to,” she said. “It was a wonderful experience for Emily to stay in a dorm room and experience the whole college student lifestyle.”

After she graduates from high school Byrd plans to attend Southern Oregon University and pursue her interest in theater.

For more information on the summer institute and the credit options available through the Office of High School Initiatives, contact Evans at (541) 962-3531, e-mail tevans@eou.edu, or visit www.eou.edu/ohsi.

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