The Community Colleges of New Hampshire Foundation was recently awarded a $25,000 Workforce Development/Education grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. The grant will be used to support and increase access to eStart, a partnership between the Community College System of New Hampshire and the Virtual Learning Academy Charter School in Exeter, that enables high school students to take courses online for concurrent high school and college credit. The grant will also be also be used to host Discovery Days at the colleges, targeting high schools currently under-served by the programs.
The eStart program was created in 2009 by CCSNH and VLACS and offers online courses, taught by college faculty, to New Hampshire high school students for dual credit. The program broadens learning opportunities for students who can access college-level courses for high school and college credit, that may not be available locally, giving students a jump start on their college education.
Discovery Days introduce high school students to college life. The high school students spend a day at one of the seven community colleges where they meet with key college personnel and students.
Both programs prepare students for college, stimulate career exploration, and equip students with skills needed to enter the workforce.
The grant will be used in high schools in all areas of the state served by the Community College System of New Hampshire, which includes Great Bay Community College in Portsmouth; Lakes Region Community College in Laconia; Manchester Community College; Nashua Community College; NHTI; River Valley Community College in Claremont and Keene; and White Mountains Community College in Berlin.
