WNC Jump Start Program recognized as national semifinalist

Courtesy Steve Yingling, Western Nevada College

It’s on to the “Final Four” for the Western Nevada College Jump Start program.

WNC’s dual-credit academic program has been recognized as a national semifinalist for the 2017 ACT College & Career Readiness Campaign, which celebrates individual and organizational efforts to advance college and career readiness for all.

The commendation from ACT puts WNC in the semifinals with two universities, Arizona and Alaska Anchorage, as well as Butler Community College of El Dorado, Kan. They form the national semifinalists in the postsecondary institutions category for career preparedness exemplars. ACT also selected 12 additional exemplars in three separate categories.

“These semifinalists are an encouraging group of innovators and problem-solvers who seek success in college and career readiness for everyone in their communities,” said Scott Montgomery, senior vice president of public affairs at ACT. “We hope their stories serve as enlightening examples of what is being, and what can be done to shape the education and career landscape for years to come.”

In recognizing WNC, ACT complimented the college for serving students in rural areas who might not otherwise have the opportunity to attend college.

“The Jump Start College Program at Western Nevada College promotes career success beyond academics, providing dual-enrollment opportunities for high school juniors and seniors from 14 (mostly rural) high schools across the state,” ACT’s review read. “The Jump Start College Program serves a large low-income and first generation population of students who are considered ‘at-risk’ academically. In spite of this, 94 percent of students enrolled in the first year of the program passed their classes successfully and 96 percent of second-year students passed their classes.”

WNC’s Jump Start College provides high school students in seven school districts with the opportunity to earn up to an associate degree, or earn credits toward Career and Technical education degrees and industry certifications before graduating from high school.

Next, the campaign will select four National Exemplars — one exemplar per category. National Exemplars are chosen by a National Selection Committee comprised of education and workforce leaders from across the nation.