BELGREEN, ALA. — Belgreen High School and Northwest Shoals Community College (NWSCC) are partnering to offer students the ability to take child development courses through the Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit (DE/DC) program beginning this fall.
According to Franklin County Schools Superintendent Greg Hamilton, the impact this initiative can have on the Pre-K profession is tremendous. “We have a tremendous need for Pre-K teachers,” said Hamilton. “Pre-K is expanding throughout the state and I believe this new dual credit offering at Belgreen can really help boost the interest in Pre-K careers. We plan to offer this to all Franklin County students in the 2020-2021 academic year.”
Students who complete three specific child development courses with 120 clock hours of training will meet the requirement for the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. Also, they will meet the minimum requirements for state-funded Pre-K Program Auxiliary Teachers.
According to Belgreen High School Principal Derek Ergle, the high school will offer this opportunity to students going into the 11th grade. “We are going to start this with our juniors this year, and I hope it will create a pipeline of college and/or career ready students interested in child development,” said Ergle.
NWSCC, with assistance from Franklin County Career Technical Director Jonathan King, will oversee the program offering at Belgreen and work closely with Principal Ergle to ensure the program successfully meets the needs of all participating students. Belgreen and NWSCC have partnered to offer academic DE/DC course offerings in the past such as history, but this is the first career technical offering at the high school.
“We are so excited to offer Child Development course offerings at Belgreen this fall,” said NWSCC Associate Dean of Instructional Programs, Dr. Timmy James. “This program can help students on their career pathway at an early age and build our workforce with highly qualified students. It is a win-win for our community and local business and industry.”
Fall classes begin at Belgreen High School Tuesday, August 6th, and at NWSCC Monday, August 15th. For more information on the Child Development course offerings at Belgreen, please contact Susie Tverberg at susietverberg@franklin.k12.al.us or call 256-332-1376.
About Northwest Shoals Community College:
Northwest Shoals Community College (NWSCC) is part of the Alabama Community College System and home to more than 3,500 students. NWSCC offers over 100 certificate and degree programs and is committed to providing career technical, academic, and lifelong educational opportunities that promote economic growth and enrich the quality of life for the people it serves. For more information about the NWSCC, visit www.nwscc.edu.