SUNBURY — Community education classes are being offered already at Shikellamy High School as work continues to bring a community college to the Sunbury area. The Susquehanna Valley Community Education Project is ongoing and organizers are hoping 2017 will be a big year for their efforts.
Kevin Singer, executive director of the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit talked about the impact of a community college, “Community colleges are directly tied to the workplace. They really work hard to try to provide education that is tied to workplace skills that various employers can then hire students that are graduates directly into their employment.”
John Kurelja, CSIU Chief Academic Officer and Director of Curriculum, says a community college in The Valley is a big need, due to poverty in the region, “Access to a community college became clear to be a huge benefit if we were able to make one a reality in this area because of the affordable nature of a community college to get started in higher education, or to get a certification that will help them find a job and live and work in this area.”
Kurelja talked about the benefits of offering college credits when students are still in high school, “Many local high schools are opening up the doors of their high schools so students can take classes at local universities and colleges while they are still in high school. Sometimes there is a cost, but it is always reduced. That makes it much more affordable and gives the chance for kids to often times get on a college campus while they are in high school to try to experience it and see what it is like and see if it is for them.”
You can hear more from Kurelja and Singer about the Susquehanna Valley Community Education Project on WKOK Sunrise. The interview is posted online at www.wkok.com. (Ali Stevens)
