Casper College President Walter Nolte welcomed his counterparts from the Natrona County School District back to the construction zone as he opened a joint session between the two school boards Thursday. Both organizations are in the midst of design and construction.

The two entities reviewed a lengthy list of educational partnerships.   Janet Hoyt is program specialist for the Accelerated College Education program or ACE.  She gave an update on the program that gives high school students a chance to earn college credit.

"We have between 750 and 800 students participating in our duel enrollment program every year. Around 500 of those students are taking classes at the high school and earning college credit at the same time."

Hoyt says another 350 to 400 attend class on the college campus. She says about 50 percent of last year's graduating seniors had at least one college credit with the average ACE participant completing around 12.

 

Thanks to legislative action, Natrona County School District's future includes a soon to be built Center for Advanced and Professional Studies. An overview of the CAPS curriculum was presented by district officials to college board members.

Designed around four academies, CAPS will offer high school course work in construction and design, business and agriculture, creative arts, and the health sciences.

Casper College President Walter Nolte sees the new program as a way to make seamless the transition from high school to college.

"Much of what I see in the different academies within CAPS, at least on a broad base, matches up with various kinds of curriculum, programs and departments that we have at the college."

 

 

 

 

 

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