Issue link: http://howardcc.uberflip.com/i/238538
THE CRITICAL INGREDIENT: ATTRACTING & RETAINING STUDENTS < < < the labs, and a chance to talk with faculty and advisers." Student Assessments According to Peterka, a lot of community colleges administer student assessments to determine where high school students stand in math and whether they are prepared for college courses. "What differentiates our program is that our faculty works with the high school teachers to map out the skills the students need to be college-ready," she says. At HCC, there are several innovative programs that help support and retain students. Freshman Focus invites high school seniors to campus to meet with advisors, take placement tests, receive help with course selection, find out about available financial support, and get connected to any service they need. And the Silas Craft Collegians Katelyn Skarbek, HCC alumna and NutriGrown vice president of marketing. Program encourages high school students to continue on to college and provides support to keep them on track to reach their goals. Participants follow a very structured program, with study sessions, tutoring, and meetings with faculty and mentors. From stimulating interest in young TAPPING STUDENT POTENTIAL children to providing support to high school graduates – HCC is involved. "We start our outreach at the earliest stages of One of the primary goals of STEM generated one new product currently education is to provide people with the on the market, and two products in knowledge and background they need to development. And all of this was about STEM careers and open their eyes be innovators and creators who will break accomplished by 143 students, three- to the fascinating and important work they new ground and blaze new trails that fourths of them high school juniors and can do," says Barbara Greenfeld, HCC improve the lives of people in our county seniors, along with HCC associate degree and around the globe. HCC's technology and continuing education students. education to get young children excited associate vice president of enrollment services. "We want to build a basic foundation that lets kids know that college assessment initiative is encouraging and HCC's effort supports a training some of those future innovators. recommendation of Maryland In just four years, the initiative has Governor Martin O'Malley's STEM is affordable and accessible, and we can produced 25 U.S. government innovation Task Force to boost the state's global help them reach their dreams." assessments, started three new businesses, competitiveness by supporting research 20 Pathways | Howard Community College Spring 2011