Region – Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School has announced its participation in The Academy for College Excellence, a collaborative initiative of Northeastern University College of Professional Studies and the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators (MAVA). Co-Chairs of the initiative are Carol Doherty, the Northeastern University liaison, and Peter Dewar, the Director of Professional Development for MAVA.
The mission of the new program is to provide opportunities for CVTE (Career Vocational/Technical Education) students to develop the knowledge and skills necessary for success in post-secondary education and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) focused pathways in a 21st Century economy.
The goal is to have the high school curriculum transition seamlessly into the offerings at the university level so that students will be able to maintain college status while still at the high school. The Academy for College Excellence will be introduced to sophomore students in the Computer Programming and Web Development program, and their parents, in February, explaining the application process. Those accepted will be considered Northeastern University students, and have the opportunity to earn college credits each of their junior and senior years in high school, providing a pathway to an Associate of Science in Management Information Systems degree.
“I am so excited about being able to have our students also enrolled at Northeastern University,” said Mary Jo Nawrocki, Superintendent/Director of AVRTHS, “but the real thrill is in seeing a major university collaborate with technical high schools. There will also be academic courses available to the students, but the initial push came from the technical side, and I just find that refreshing, and a validation of what we do here at Assabet Valley on a daily basis.”
For more information, contact Peter Dewar, Director of Professional Development, Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators, at 508-528-5400 ext. 208 or via [email protected].
