Marinette board approves Rising Phoenix early college program

Students at Marinette High School will have an opportunity to earn a two-year associate’s degree while still in high school starting next year. During Tuesday’s School Board meeting, Meagan Strehlow talked to the board about UW-Green Bay’s Rising Phoenix program, which began last fall with a cohort of students from Manitowoc Lincoln High School.

“They looked at students who had the aptitude to go to college and excel, but maybe didn’t have the tools to do that,” Strehlow explained. “They were either first-generation college students, students on free or reduced lunch, or generally underserved in some way. As a result, we now have 25 students from that district who are now earning an associate’s degree this May.”

She said the goal was to see about half of those students earn an associate’s degree and the other half get a good head-start toward a bachelor’s degree program at a four-year college. Now, 90% of those students are on track to receive an associate’s degree.

“Rising Phoenix uses the courses that are already available at the high school,” Strehlow said, “so at Marinette High School, there’s a mix of UW-Green Bay classes, St. Norbert College classes, NWTC classes; Rising Phoenix uses those courses to help students meet the requirements of an associate’s degree.”

Source: Marinette board approves Rising Phoenix early college program | News | ehextra.com