Earlier today (Friday, Mar. 26), Ranken Technical College announced an exciting new partnership with Shearwater Education Foundation and the opening of Shearwater High School on its campus. The new charter high school, which is sponsored by Saint Louis University, will serve at-risk youth, striving to prepare them for college, work and life. The school will open with 75 students in August of 2010.
“This will be a great fit for Ranken, and a chance for us to provide needed support to students from our local high schools who may be struggling. We want to take any opportunity to help prepare students for work in high-growth industries and for careers in the vital technical fields that are the backbone of our economy.” said Ranken President, Stan Shoun.
Addressing the dropout crisis is a high priority for leaders at all levels of government. According to America’s Promise, a national alliance founded by General Colin Powell, “more than one in three students fail to graduate from high school and young people who drop out are twice as likely to be unemployed.” Finding solutions to reengage students and increase the number prepared to succeed in today’s global economy is at the top of the agenda for President Barack Obama and Missouri’s political leaders.
“As President Obama has stressed, students who have dropped out or are at risk of dropping out need schools that make sure they don’t just graduate, but truly get them ready for college, careers, and success in life,” Greg Darnieder, Special Assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Education, said. “Shearwater is taking a smart approach in building on successful alternative education programs around the country that work, and as a former St. Louisan, I know St. Louis has a real need for the kind of hands-on training Shearwater seeks to provide.”
“Today is a new, exciting chapter in the history of Shearwater High School, Ranken Technical College and the City of St. Louis,” Missouri Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder said. “Shearwater and Ranken both have stellar reputations as innovative leaders in education. This new partnership will help better prepare Missouri students for the high-tech jobs of tomorrow.”
Missouri State Senator Joseph Keaveny recognizes St. Louis’s needs as well, and sees Shearwater as a model that will successfully redress aspects of the city’s educational issues. “Shearwater’s dropout recovery program will improve the current graduation rate of only 45 percent in the St. Louis Public School District, so that more young adults will be prepared to work,” he said. “This program targets young adults who have been misplaced and may have otherwise dropped out of school. I am excited to be a part of this unique charter school model.”
The partnership between Ranken Technical College and Shearwater High School provides an innovative program that will both reengage at-risk students and give them the support they need to successfully enter the workforce. Shearwater has received funding from both federal and private sources interested in bringing programs focused on helping students to the city of St. Louis.
“At Shearwater, we believe that every youth should receive a high quality education and achieve success in life,” Stephanie Krauss, President and CEO of Shearwater Education Foundation, said. “Our model will not only reengage and graduate those youth who were unable to succeed in a traditional high school, but we will get them ready for college, work, and life. Ranken has been doing this at the college level for over 100 years. By co-locating our high school campus on Ranken, our students will be exposed to a rigorous general and technical education environment, and our staff will be privy to the best practices in the field. This type of relationship will increase our chances for success, and our opportunity to truly meet the needs of the students that we will serve.”
The boards of both Shearwater Education Foundation and Ranken Technical College approved the partnership at the beginning of March. The agreement is for the term of the charter. Both schools have a focus on preparing youth to succeed in today’s workforce. The new high school will be housed in Ranken’s Alumni Hall, and will employ 8-10 staff and faculty. Students interested in attending the school should contact Shearwater Education Foundation at (314) 539-4180 or online at www.shearwatereducation.org.
About Shearwater
Shearwater High School is a Missouri-approved, sponsored public charter school. The school will provide a high quality education option to St. Louis youth, ages 17-21, who have dropped out or whose level of disconnection from high school makes an on-time graduation improbable.
Shearwater’s RISE Model for Success provides students with an accelerated high school education that combines paid internships with instruction on a college campus. Students will also receive needed social and economic support services from local non-profits to ensure continuous engagement and success in both school and life.
School will be held year-round from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., to reflect the hours of regular employment. The first half of the day will be spent in the classroom with personalized instruction. The second half of the day will be at a paid internship, where the students will be able to generate an income and receive academic credit.