P-TECH in Brooklyn, NY. is celebrating its first class of students that are graduating from its school which blends public high school, community college, and work experience to prepare students for future careers in STEM fields.

"The students, some of whom are first in their families to obtain a college degree, are earning their college degrees in technology two years early. These students were thought by some to be the least likely to succeed, and yet, they are beating the odds. Students will either take jobs at IBM or choose to continue their higher education career," according to the school's press release.

The blended learning model could serve as examples and role models for the 100 other P-TECH schools nationwide and could represent a new way to educate and get students interested a STEM, a recent nationwide endeavor that is growing in popularity and need.

“The performance of P-TECH’s first six graduates has been truly outstanding,” said Stanley S. Litow, President of the IBM International Foundation and Vice President of Corporate Citizenship & Corporate Affairs.

“College completion rates for low-income students in the U.S. have been stagnant for 40 years, but P-TECH can break that mold. Given the opportunity and a redesigned academic pathway, students who some thought could not succeed can defy stereotypes and exceed expectations. P-TECH is transforming high school, giving young people options that they could not imagine. We celebrate this important milestone as students blaze their own bright paths," he said.

The school gives underprivileged children an opportunity to get a college degree for no cost, an acknowledgement to the growing problem of unaffordable higher education.

P-TECH opened its doors in Brooklyn in 2011 and has plans to open several and eventually a hundred locations throughout the country and even in Australia.

According to the press release, "[t]he school’s graduation rate is on target to significantly surpass the 20 percent nationwide average graduation rate for community colleges, with nearly 62 percent of fourth-year students already advancing towards college degree completion."

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Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

06/04/2015