POTTSVILLE, Pa. — Juniors and seniors at Pottsville area high school now have the option to take college-level courses, not only through Kutztown University but also through Luzerne County Community College and Penn State.
The district ensures all courses have high transferability before they are offered to students so that they can transfer those credits to almost any college. Pottsville Area High School principal Tiffany Hummel says the program comes at no cost to the students.
"The great part of the grant that we were fortunate enough to receive included not only tuition but the fees associated with the course as well as books, so it's literally no cost to the students, which is super helpful," said Hummel.
Ali Hobbs is a high school teacher. She teaches the first college-level English and education courses offered through Kutztown right at the high school.
"EDU 100 Perspectives in American Education. So we're studying the history, the politics, a little bit of the sociology, and then end with the philosophy of education," said Ali Hobbs, PH.D., Teacher at Pottsville Area.
Students in the course are able to apply what they've learned and have a more hands-on learning experience, like reading for elementary school students, in the Read Across America program.
Trinity Mendofik, a junior, had a full-circle moment when she got the opportunity to read to first-grade students through the dual-enrollment course.
"I did read for first graders. I read to my first-grade teacher's class, which was really amazing. It was like a trip back in time," said Mendofik.
Hannah Martician, a senior at the high school, already knows she wants to major in English.
She says that, apart from continuing her education, the course is a big financial help for students planning to go to college.
"Especially with FAFSA being the way that it is, it's a nice form of payment while still waiting for the FAFSA," said Martician.