For Semester 2, Coastside Leadership Academy is providing students with the opportunity to join the Concurrent Enrollment program at Skyline College. Through the Concurrent Enrollment program, students are able to earn transferable college credit while in high school. The Concurrent Enrollment program is free for high school students and they have access to all Skyline College facilities and programs, as if they were a college student.
Our goal is to continue to cocreate curriculum with the students to build their 21st Century Skills while also building out their transcripts in their areas of strength. With Concurrent Enrollment, CLA students will graduate with high school credit from their PSA homeschools and CSU and UC college credit, making them a competitive college applicant, or a potential college transfer student. We plan to do this by creating an environment that exposes students to college level courses with the support of CLA’s cohort. We have identified courses that we believe our students will be successful in while we pilot this program.
Logistically, CLA’s daily schedule will be very similar to Semester 1. We will meet in Moss Beach and do our first block of mindfulness and movement in nature. Two days per week, CLA will provide transportation to and from Skyline College for class. Students will attend their class, spend some time on campus or in the neighboring Milagra Ridge Hiking Trail, and then return to Moss Beach. On days where Skyline College classes do not meet we will continue to use the world as our classroom and build student portfolios.
CLA’s cocreated curriculum focuses on building skills. Joining the Concurrent Enrollment program will continue this through:
- Learning how to navigate the Community College System. With guardian permission, CLA will help students navigate the enrollment and course selection process. Students will have access to college and career counselors at Skyline College and CLA will assist students in meeting with their assigned counselor.
- Learning how to be successful in a college level course. CLA instructors will be enrolled in select courses and provide instruction on how to learn the material based on a student’s personal learning style. Some time will be given during the CLA day to study and work on assignments. While CLA does not assign homework we acknowledge college courses may require an extra time commitment.
- Learning how to balance college level courses. Students are encouraged to enroll in one of the suggested in-person courses with CLA’s cohort. If a student is interested in an additional course that is offered at Skyline College, they will be encouraged to take the course online. Balance is central to CLA’s Mission and we will meet with families to discuss the online option if a student is interested.
Personally, I am excited about the Concurrent Enrollment program for two reasons. We are expanding our offerings for our students, a sign that CLA is growing, and I get to take classes as well! I love school and learning and am really excited for our first day of class this week.
This semester I am enrolled in General Psychology with our cohort. I took this class in undergrad, but it will be fun to take a refresher course and also see the material through the eyes of my students taking the class for the first time. I have to admit that I was a little nervous about the work load and balancing running CLA, coaching, and my personal life. I was feeling alone with these thoughts, but then my students shared the same concerns of wanting to maintain balance during the semester. At that moment I felt the value of our CLA community. We designed Coastside Leadership Academy with the idea that teachers are students and students are teachers. My students reminded me of the foundation we built together and that our approach to supporting each other will be the same in a college lecture hall as it is in nature. Together we are ready for college!