Positive Options Program Has Students AchievingBy Tammy Daniels, iBerkshires Staff
10:32PM / Tuesday, June 01, 2010 | |
 Wahconah students Andrew Karch, left, Brandon Kingsbury, Destiny Kight and Jenna Cowie completed the POP program at BCC. |
BCC President Paul Raverta hands Steven Beagle of Drury High School his certificate of completion. |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — It started three years ago with eight Drury High School students and a teacher. This year, 35 students been involved with the Positive Options Program and there's a waiting list at the four participating high schools.
The alternative educational program hosted at Berkshire Community College provides a resource and incentive for youngsters who might otherwise drift away from not only higher education but from getting their high school diplomas as well.
"I've watched many of my students come into the program with, need I say, a strong aversion to high school and school in general," said Pittsfield High teacher Valerie Poirier at a luncheon Friday at the college marking students' completion of the program. "A lot of them had a pessimistic outlook on their future, and now I'm watching them jump in with both feet and take pride in the quality of their work and express ownership for their success in school."
The luncheon was attended by graduating seniors and juniors who will likely be returning next year, along with college President Paul Raverta, Dean of Student Affairs Michael Bullock and the three superintendents of the participating school districts, James Montepare of North Adams, Jake Eberwein of Pittsfield and James Stankiewicz of Central Berkshire Regional.
Teacher Melanie Rancourt of Drury and former student Amanda Barton talk at the luncheon. |
This was the first year that the Pittfield and Wahconah sent students into the program. The eight students from Wahconah teamed up with a dozen from Drury; Pittsfield and Taconic high students moved in across the hall.
The classrooms are located near the library, allowing access to resource materials. The students are expected to keep up their academics, in part using the Plato software system that allows for individualized learning, to participate in internships and to attend regular lectures and other learning opportunities at the college. Students can also earn college credits along the way, further encouraging them to continue on the path to higher education.
Drury High School teacher Melanie Rancourt was the pioneer in a program that she said could be summed up with one word: Collaboration.
"We really did not know what to expect, but we created a program that has grown and expanded in many ways," said Rancourt (whom Raverta joked was "probably quickly and quietly achieving tenure"). "The number of students helped by BCC this year is amazing."
Amanda Barton was one of those initial eight Drury students who began traveling to BCC with Rancourt in the fall of 2008.
North Adams School Superintendent James Montepare looks over some of the displays the students made expressing what they had learned through the program. |
"Before this program, I never thought much about college, however, it provided me with many opportunities ... to grow mentally as well as academically," said Barton, who not only returned to BCC as a student but was accepted into its registered nursing program for this fall. "You have all proven you can do whatever you put your mind and effort into ... your education is your future."
Stankiewicz credited the support of Berkshire Community College and its staff for making it possible for Wahconah students to participate.
"It's a real opportunity that students wouldn't have in a regular high school setting," he said. "We were lucky to have the opportunity to collaborate and not start from scratch."
The money for this year's program came from federal stimulus funds. Stankiewicz said it was so successful, the program will now be a regularly budgeted item. "It's pretty exciting."
|
MEMBER SIGN IN
