Roanoke Valley Early College High School opens in fall

WELDON — Following a nationwide trend, Roanoke Valley Early College High School should give area students a unique opportunity to get a leg up on education many of the targeted students would not otherwise get.

The school is on track to open in the fall. It is based on the principle that academic rigor combined with the opportunity to save time and money, is a powerful motivator for students to work hard and meet serious intellectual challenges. Early college high schools blend high school and college in a rigorous yet supportive program, compressing the time it takes to complete a high school diploma and the first two years of college.

Beginning in 2002, the Early College High School Initiative has started more than 200 of these schools in 24 states and the District of Columbia. North Carolina is a leader in creating these schools with more than 40 already operating.

The schools target kids that historically do not attend college — consisting of low-income youth, first-generation college goers, English language learners, students of color and other young people who are underrepresented in higher education.

Through this unique opportunity, organizers say the small number of youths accepted into the school can simultaneously earn a high school diploma and an Associate’s or up to two years of credit toward a Bachelor’s — tuition free.

Roanoke Valley Early College High School is a partnership like all of the other early college schools. Weldon City Schools District and Halifax Community College have combined resources to create this opportunity in the Valley. The school will accept only 60 students in this first year and will be located on the college campus, in the 600 Building.

According to the national Web site www.earlycolleges.org, “the Early College High School Initiative began with a captivating, though radical, concept: Challenge not remediation will make a difference for those young people who are least likely to attend college and for whom society often has low aspirations for academic achievement.”

The designers continued saying, for the proposition to succeed, secondary and postsecondary partners would need to rethink traditional curriculum sequences, find creative ways to align and connect high school and college experiences and provide the academic and social supports students need to succeed in an intensive early college program of study. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation provided start-up support for the program.

School designs vary based on the needs of particular student populations, but a college degree is the goal for all. This school will take advantage of the abundant natural resources of the Valley, from the Roanoke River and lakes, rich history and possibly even the nearby entertainment district said school Principal Monica Smith-Woofter.

Smith-Woofter was clearly excited about her new school and the possibilities it brings to area students. Started just two years ago, the new RVEC will start with up-coming seventh and eighth graders from all across Halifax County and the western part of Northampton County, which is already partially covered by another Early College.

“RVEC will give students an opportunity to finish high school with a Weldon High School diploma and two years of college transfer credits, or an Associate’s within five or six years,” Smith-Woofter explained. “The best part is its tuition free. Can you imagine that?”

Smith-Woofter, who is in Boston this week visiting other successful new schools, continued, “We are thrilled to begin this educational adventure with our first cohort of students beginning in August 2009. As partners, Weldon City Schools and Halifax Community College have collaborated to expand the limits of achievement for students who may have previously underestimated their knowledge, skills, and ability to successfully access the many opportunities in the American and global society.”

“We are committed to providing a learning environment that nurtures and prepares our students to further their college education, to face global challenges, to be productive citizens and to embrace life-long learning as they pursue future endeavors.”

 For more information on Roanoke Valley Early College High School, contact Monica Smith-Woofter at (252)  536-2551 or go to its Web site at www.rvec.weldoncityschool.org.