Preparing for the drop – Community College Daily
The community college, which serves 2,000 students across 15 counties in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, begins outreach in fifth grade. Students from local school districts are invited to the Escanaba campus, where they learn about potential careers as well as the basics of college life.
Children get a window into continuing education, whether examining insects through a microscope or learning how various metals burn at different temperatures. Visitors also get a personal welcome from President Nerita Hughes, who is happy to meet young minds at their “sweet spot,” she says.
“These are kids who are going into middle school, where they’re percolating ideas of who they want to be, and starting to identify a career path,” Hughes says. “Back in the day, when I was in school, you went to a parent or a mentor. You can still do that, but that’s not as prominent. So how do we reach kids early to start talking about this?”
