Partnership Principal John Weigel of Douglas High School

     Wyoming students can complete their first year of college by the time they finish high school in an innovative program offered by Douglas High School in Converse County. If they stay at Douglas for a fifth year, they can earn the equivalent of an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree, and either transfer to a 4 year school or begin a technical career in dozens of fields. Principal John Weigel says "this saves families a lot of money, and really offers a college education to kids who might not otherwise afford it…or who have family responsibilities that prevent them from attending the state university nearly 150 miles away." By taking carefully selected courses in their junior and senior years, students can complete a year of college by the time they graduate from high school. "If they really focus on their course selection, taking some evening or weekend courses at Eastern Wyoming College [in Douglas], they can advance even further," Weigel says.

     Because of small populations and the vast distances between towns in the state, Wyoming has been an innovator in distance learning for many years, says Trent Blankenship, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. The district in which he was Superintendent, Carbon County District # 1 in Rawlins, offered a similar "Fifth Year" program, as well as other innovations for their students interested in higher education. Although designed for rural populations, this innovation has important implications for all districts, including urban students who may lack financial resources to enter a college far from home.
     

     For more information about this exciting option, contact John Weigel by email at [email protected]. Trent Blankenship can be reached at [email protected].