Baltimore City Community College announced Monday that it will give the city?s public schools 60 scholarships worth $3,400 each to honor the college?s 60th anniversary.
Forty of the scholarships, which cover tuition, fees and books for about two semesters, will be awarded to eligible Baltimore City high school students. The remaining 20 will be given to students in the community college?s continuing education and General Educational Development programs.
The announcement came as school officials met to promote the Alternative Options Program, a joint effort by the college and city schools launched in February to help high school dropouts earn diplomas.
The graduation rate for Baltimore?s public school students in the 2005-06 school year was 60.3 percent, according to school officials.
“We know that we are far from our goal. We know that we must do something different for all students to ensure that they graduate,” said Florence Johnson, director of extended learning at the Baltimore City Public Schools.
Students in the Alternative Options Program come to class Monday through Thursday. Classes are small, and students work at their own pace. Students also get career and college preparation.
Of the 62 students who enrolled in February, 12 will graduate with a high school diploma, 38 will earn enough credits to advance one grade level and 12 will continue in the program.
One student, Ranelle Trottman, 17, said she had left the Academy for College and Career Exploration in February because she was “going to school for the wrong reasons.”
But now, Trottman said she will earn her diploma in July and will enroll full-time at BCCC in the fall. After that, she plans to head to Towson University and has her sights set on earning a master?s degree in teaching by age 22.
“Before I started [this program], school was not something I looked forward to,” Trottman said. “[Now] I like going to school every day.”
