We begin this school year with our renewed partnership with Mount Wachusett Community College in full swing. First, we are proud to be the partnering high school with Mount Wachusett Community College in the Gateway to College Program. This innovative educational program currently provides educational services to nearly 200 students from all over Central and Western Massachusetts. The program was started by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and some other partners several years ago. There are now 24 Gateway to College Programs in the country – and we are honored to be a part of the network.
The Gateway to College is an educational program designed to reconnect teenagers with education after they have dropped out of high school, or if they are considering dropping out. In recent years, Mahar has touted a very low drop out rate, and this is one of many reasons that Mount administrators would consider our district. We already do much to keep our students in school with our AM and PM Alternative Programs, dual enrollment offerings, and our in house special education programming. Mount Wachusett Community College could have asked any school district in the area to partner with them in Gateway. Mahar is nearly 20 miles away from the Mount, and there are many schools in between Orange and Gardner. The fact that Mount Wachusett Community College chose Mahar to become their new partner in the Gateway to College Program is very very special. Over the last year we have discovered that the administration at Mount Wachusett Community College shares our ideology that all of our students can learn and grow – hence the Mount’s campaign, “Start Near, Go Far.”
The partnership that is now solidified in Gateway has brought us to where we are now. The next phase of our partnership involves our joint effort in creating a prospectus for a “Readiness School.” The Readiness initiative that began with Governor Deval Patrick’s Readiness Report will bring new innovative learning centers to Massachusetts. On September 15, 2009 we will submit our intent to use the 2009 – 2010 school year to plan the Ralph C. Mahar/Mount Wachusett Alliance School. For more information on the Readiness Project you can view the Readiness Report be clicking on the link below.
http://www.mass.gov/Agov3/docs/Readiness%20Final%20Report.pdf
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