WARWICK – In addition to their high school diplomas, 12 North Providence High School seniors graduated with associate degrees from the Community College of Rhode Island as part of the first Rhode Island Pathways in Technology health care cohort.
According to CCRI, it was one of the largest graduating P-TECH cohorts in the state.
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The 12 students will transfer to four-year schools in the fall as juniors with 60 college credits already completed.
“To begin this journey as the first group in their school to do so, and then successfully transition to remote learning amidst the pandemic all while balancing a busy high school and college schedule shows a tremendous amount of determination and dedication to their academic success,” said CCRI President Meghan Hughes. “Our goal is graduating students who are ready to transfer to a four-year college or enter the workforce, and our work through the P-TECH model is an important step in helping these students prepare and train today for the jobs of tomorrow.”
P-TECH is a partnership between school districts, CCRI, the R.I. Commerce Corp., the R.I. Department of Labor and Training, and industry partners that allows students to earn both their high school diploma and associate degree over the course of four years for free. Mentoring, workplace visits and internships are also part of the program.
The P-TECH program was launched five years ago by former Gov. Gina M. Raimondo. It is also available at William M. Davies Career and Technical High School (Advanced Manufacturing), Westerly High School (Advanced Manufacturing), Rogers High School (Cybersecurity), Woonsocket High School (Information Technology) and Providence Career and Technical Academy (Information Technology).
Susan Shalhoub is a PBN contributing writer.
