The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) recently approved the Central Lakes College (CLC) and Freshwater Education District joint application to establish an early middle college.
The program works with junior and senior alternative education center students to earn college credits while in high school.
"It's an opportunity for students who are at risk of not graduating with their peers to have an opportunity to experience PSEO (postsecondary enrollment options) with more additional support than a typical PSEO student would have," said Jana Timm, alternative learning center specialist for the Freshwater Education District in Staples, in a news release.
The early middle college, which is formally called the Freshwater Education District Gateway to College, will be located primarily at the CLC Staples campus. Students can apply now and classes will start in the fall semester.
This is the first early middle college approved by MDE located outside of the metro area, said Nick Heisserer, director of enrollment services at CLC.
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"It will give at-risk students some more skills, as well as a chance for them to see college is a worthwhile investment," he said in the news release.
Timm added that with the early middle college, students could graduate high school with a college-level certificate in hand to get them into a good paying job right away.
Students can apply to be in three programs:
โข Pathway for phlebotomy technician
โข Pathway for manufacturing technician certificate program
โข Pathway for individualized studies diploma program
For more information about the early middle college contact Heisserer at 218-855-8038 or nheisserer@clcmn.edu , or Timm at 218-894-2439, ext. 1069, or jtimm@fed.k12.mn.us .
