Board Approves STEM Early College at N.C. A&T
Program Targets High-achieving Students and Will Include College Credit

Students interested in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math will have a new opportunity next year to prepare for the two million new jobs that are expected in those fields.

At its meeting Tuesday, the Board of Education approved a proposal to create an early college on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University that would focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education.

The STEM Early College at N.C. A&T will open in fall 2012 with a class of 50 freshmen, bringing the district’s total number of schools to 123. It will be Guilford County Schools (GCS)’ second early college, joining The Early College at Guilford, which is consistently listed among the top 20 high schools in the nation.

“The STEM Early College will provide a rigorous education and prepare students to enter college and the workforce by creating learning environments where they act like scientists, mathematicians and engineers,” said Dr. Terry Worrell, GCS Central Region Superintendent. “With this program, GCS is adding a new level of opportunity for those who will be the high-tech leaders of tomorrow.”

As an early college, the new school will offer students the opportunity to graduate high school with 60 hours of college credit, transferable to most public and private colleges and universities. Students will take advanced high school classes in grades 9 and 10, followed by two years of college classes in grades 11 and 12.

"North Carolina A&T State University welcomes another opportunity to partner with Guilford County Schools to launch this major new initiative,” said Harold L. Martin Sr., chancellor of A&T. “The STEM Early College at N.C. A&T represents an extraordinary commitment to the students of Guilford County, by providing a rigorous academic and research oriented curriculum in an innovative environment, as well as a format for engaged learning through business internship experiences. In addition, it will have a significant impact locally by graduating students who are qualified to attend college and further prepared to meet the growing needs of the STEM oriented workforce."

The STEM Early College will prepare its graduates for one of three career pathways: renewable energy, engineering and biomedical sciences. College graduates with STEM-related degrees may earn up to $1.2 million more during their lifetime than those without a college degree.

Generous financial support has been pledged from many organizations, including the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation, Cemala Foundation, RF Micro Devices, VF Corporation, Solstas Lab Partners, Blue Bell Foundation, HondaJet, Tyco Electronics Foundation, Unifi, Toleo Foundation, Samet Corporation, Randall Kaplan, Gilbarco and Smith Richardson Foundation. Current pledges total nearly $700,000.

N.C. A&T, which offers more than 50 STEM-related majors, has been a strong supporter of a second GCS program on its campus. The university already houses The Middle College at N.C. A&T, one of the district’s two single-gender programs, which serves about 120 young men.

Middle colleges differ from early colleges at GCS in that, while both programs offer the opportunity to earn college credit, middle colleges are designed to reach students who may not thrive at a traditional high school. Early colleges are an intensive college-prep option for students who are highly successful.

Students who are interested in applying for this program, as well as the district’s 51 other magnet programs, can do so at the GCS Magnet and Choice Schools Fair, on Saturday, Feb. 18, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Greensboro Coliseum Pavilion. The magnet application period is Feb. 18 through March 16.