On March 27, Questar III BOCES hosted a regional training program for team members of the Troy Riverfront P-Tech (Pathways in Technology Early College High School) consortium and other regional stakeholders developing similar early-college educational models.
Representatives from the New York State Education Department and Jobs for the Future – a non-profit company that partners with the Harvard Graduate School of Education to build state systems of career pathways using early college designs – discussed curriculum development, ways to connect students to employers and state policy issues.
One of only 16 programs of its kind in New York State, the Troy Riverfront P-Tech program will give Troy High School students the opportunity to begin taking college courses before 11th grade. Students will earn a Regents Diploma and Associate’s Degree at no charge. These students will gain job shadow and internship experiences at partnering organizations such as GE Health Care and Regeneron, and be first in line for advanced manufacturing and biotechnology jobs at those organizations upon graduating from Hudson Valley Community College.
According to Jobs for the Future Senior Project Manager Charlotte Cahill, PhD, the Troy Riverfront P-Tech program builds upon the efforts of Harvard’s Pathways to Prosperity Network which works with states to build a system of grades 9-14 career pathways, combining high school and community college.
“The Troy Riverfront P-Tech program will give students a solid prep for any kind of post-secondary education but it also means they will have real jobs skills they can take directly into the world of work,” said Cahill. “Schools are facing similar challenges on a national scale, so it was so nice to see such a coordinated effort by Questar III and to see how much that effort will ultimately benefit students.”
Troy Riverfront P-Tech is a consortium of Troy City Schools, Questar III BOCES, Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC), Center for Economic Growth (CEG), GE Healthcare and Regeneron. The program will welcome its first class in September 2014.
In addition to coordinating trainings such as these, Questar III is helping to facilitate the curriculum development and is providing professional development for teachers with its experts in the School Improvement Office.
Through its Career Pathways programs, Questar III has established numerous relationships with employers throughout the region and is facilitating the collaboration between Troy High School and those entities to ensure students receive meaningful work experiences.
To learn more about the Troy Riverfront P-Tech program, click here and here.
