The New P-TECH Alliance Brings Free College to More Students
In this article, you’ll discover:
- How a unique school gives students a free college degree.
- Why the new P-TECH Alliance wants to help more teens.
- The success of 150,000 students finding great jobs after graduation.
- How this program helps solve high college costs for families.
Imagine a high school where teens do not just get a diploma. They also earn an associate degree for free and get directly connected to great jobs. This is exactly what Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) does. Now, leaders in education and business are celebrating 15 years of this amazing school model. Even better, they are starting a new group called the P-TECH Alliance to bring this chance to more teens.
The original school started in Crown Heights in Brooklyn. It recently became the top open admission high school in all of New York. The school’s founding principal, Rashid Ferrod Davis, knows how much this matters. He says, “More students are waiting for schools that inspire and empower them, and they can’t wait for months or years. I tell our nation’s leaders, don’t give up on any young person, for any reason. Look at what all students can achieve with this opportunity.”
A Clear Path to Future Careers
The P-TECH idea is simple and clear. It builds a bridge from high school to college and straight into a career. Students get ready for high potential jobs in tech, health care, and green jobs. This model works so well that it has spread across 16 states and 28 countries. It now serves over 150,000 students in more than 600 schools.
People measure its success by looking at high graduation rates. They also look at how many college credits teens earn and how easily they find work after school.
Growing the Success Story
The new national nonprofit is launching at a special event at Civic Hall in Manhattan. The main goal of the P-TECH Alliance is to increase the number of students who can join. They want to open more schools and give technical help to new and existing partners.
Principal Davis points out that the school is very good at helping male students of color start tech careers. Their college graduation rates are much higher than normal. At the big event, he will introduce some of the amazing students who have changed their lives through this program.
Solving Big Problems
Stanley Litow helped create this model when he led the IBM Foundation. He was also a deputy chancellor of schools for the city. He is speaking at the event about how the new group will tackle huge issues. These schools help fix the problem of college costs. They also help train workers for jobs that really need people, like teaching and nursing.
By working together, public schools, community colleges, and industry partners are changing how kids learn. The new alliance proves that when we give young people the right tools, they can build an amazing future.
