UW-Green Bay’s Rising Phoenix Program Expands to Marinette School District
Program provides pathways to higher education for high school students
Marinette, Wis.—The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay’s Rising Phoenix Early College High School Program continues to gain momentum. The Marinette School District has committed to offering students the opportunity to get a head start on earning college credits through dual enrollment while still in high school. The program will officially launch in Marinette in Fall 2022.
The Rising Phoenix program in Marinette is the fourth Rising Phoenix partnership and is modeled after the inaugural cohort of 25 students at Manitowoc School District that launched in Fall 2020. The first cohort of Rising Phoenix students will graduate in May 2022, earning their high school diploma and a UW-Green Bay Associate of Arts and Sciences (AAS) degree. The program was created with the goals of reducing college debt, closing the achievement gap and providing advanced learning opportunities for students in Northeast Wisconsin communities.
“We are excited to bring Rising Phoenix to the Marinette School District,” said UW-Green Bay Chancellor Michael Alexander. “The University is committed to growing equitable access to higher education to our educational partners by offering dual enrollment programs, providing students with the opportunity to get a head start on college. Students’ involvement with Rising Phoenix will create a seamless transition to college and reduce their overall college debt.”
Current Marinette High School sophomores will have the opportunity to apply for the Rising Phoenix Program and if admitted will be enrolled during their junior and senior years of high school. Rising Phoenix students will be concurrently enrolled in courses at Marinette High School and UW-Green Bay, Marinette Campus. Rising Phoenix courses are selected to meet Wisconsin high school graduation requirements and the UW-Green Bay AAS degree. Courses will be offered at Marinette High School, online and UW-Green Bay, Marinette Campus, providing students flexible options to take courses and participate in extra-curricular activities at the high school and on the university campus. These opportunities allow for students to experience college coursework in the familiar environment of their high school and to learn alongside other college students at a college campus.
The goal for participating students is to earn both their high school diploma and get a significant head start on their college degree with an opportunity to earn an AAS degree at the same time they graduate from Marinette High School. Students who complete an AAS degree will have the first two years of a bachelor’s degree completed. The accomplishment will apply whether students decide to continue at UW-Green Bay, transfer to a different college or university or enter the workforce upon graduation with an earned college credential.
The Marinette School District is committed to providing equitable access to the program by covering all expenses, ensuring deserving students have an opportunity to thrive in the program.
“We are excited to continue to build our working relationship with UW-Green Bay, Marinette and the Rising Phoenix Program,” said Corry Lambie, Marinette School District Superintendent. “This is another opportunity to fulfill our mission to inspire learners, engage communities and impact the future. Through this collaborative effort, our students will experience college education while still in high school and become college, career, community and military ready by utilizing a great resource right in our neighborhood. It will be amazing for students to exit Marinette High School with both a high school diploma and an Associate’s degree.”
Significant advantages of the Rising Phoenix program are student support and coaching. Every student enrolled will work consistently with UW-Green Bay’s Rising Phoenix Student Success Coach, who will:
- Assist students through the admissions process
- Facilitate academic advising
- Provide social and emotional support
- Serve as a transition specialist upon graduation (college applications, scholarships, FAFSA and financial aid assistance)
To learn more about the program, visit the Rising Phoenix website at www.uwgb.edu/rising-phoenix/marinette
About the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
Established in 1965, UW-Green Bay is a public institution serving 9,276 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students and 79,604 continuing education enrollees each year across all campus locations. We educate students from pre-college through retirement and offer 200+ degrees, programs and certificates. UW-Green Bay graduates are resilient, inclusive, sustaining and engaged members of their communities, ready to rise to fearlessly face challenges, solve problems and embrace diverse ideas and people. With four campus locations, the University welcomes students from every corner of the world. In 2020, UW-Green Bay was the fastest growing UW school in Wisconsin. For more information, visit www.uwgb.edu.
