Baton Rouge Community College (BRCC) and GEO Next Generation High School strengthened their existing partnership by starting a pilot program that will introduce more students to college courses through the expansion of the early college program.
BRCC originally started collaborating with GEO Next Generation in 2019, with GEO students taking a few college-level courses offered by BRCC.
Beginning, Monday, Sept. 12, GEO Next Generation and BRCC expanded that partnership and began holding high school classes on the BRCC Mid City Campus for 25 high school seniors. The students will be fully immersed in the college culture, by attending both their high school and college classes, five days a week, on BRCC’s campus. GEO instructors will teach high school courses in classrooms on the BRCC campus that have been specially designed for the students. College-level courses will be taught by BRCC instructors in the designated higher education classrooms.
“We are excited to partner with GEO Next Generation Academies to provide this opportunity to more high school students,” said BRCC Chancellor Dr. Willie E. Smith. “The early college model will be a game changer. We are transforming the high school and college experience. The program will help students become better acclimated to the college culture, while exposing them to different career pathways. Students will finish knowing they can succeed in college.”
BRCC and GEO plan to expand the program next semester, and offer the opportunity for 100 high school students to participate in the program on BRCC’s campus. Eventually, the plan is to increase enrollment in the early college program to more than half of the GEO Next Generation High School student body.
"Sometimes big ideas start with small steps and today, we are taking a step toward a very big idea,” said GEO Next Generation Academies President/Founder Kevin Teasley. “GEO Next Generation High School is starting down a path toward moving more of our high school classes onto the campus of BRCC. While we are starting with 25 senior students this week, the goal is to grow this program to where fully half of our student body attends high school classes on BRCC and then move seamlessly between their high school and college classes."
Both the Louisiana Community and Technical College System Board of Supervisors and the Louisiana Board of Regents approve the early college model. The program is open enrollment and will serve all student interests and career pathways.
For additional information about Baton Rouge Community College, visit mybrcc.edu. For additional information about GEO Next Generation High School, visit geonextgenerationhighschool.org.