Outreach to high schools serves a need
Collin College is making it easier for young students to prepare for post-secondary education with its College Express and dual credit programs.
Established in 2016, the College Express initiative provides tools for parents, students, elementary and secondary school officials and the community at large to learn about Collin College and the broader college experience.
“College Express is a vehicle to help students prepare to go to college,” said Raul Martinez, associate vice president of K-12 partnerships. “We take college exploration, preparation, application processes and customized workshops out to the high schools and the community.”
Customized workshops include topics like note taking, time management and reading a textbook effectively. The idea is to give students the tools to thrive at Collin or any college.
Dual credit classes allow high school students to earn high school and college credit simultaneously.
The district has added or expanded 14 dual credit programs since 2015. They include both academic and technical education programs, allowing students to get a head start on their college careers or to make workforce certifications easier. The Career and Technology Center approved by voters in May will be located in Allen and provide even greater access to those programs, much as shared facilities with Plano, Frisco and McKinney ISDs do currently.
More than two thirds of college district’s service area high schools now offer 30 or more dual credit hours. The Collin College Master Plan calls for offering that level of dual credit opportunities at every school in the service area by 2020 as part of district outreach. Dual credit participation has grown from 2,450 students in 2010 to 4,550 in fall 2016 and is projected to grow to more than 6,100 students by 2020.
Would you like to learn more? From dual credit and career exploration with summer enrichment camps to campus tours and financial aid information, more information is available at www.collin.edu/express.