Vashon High School has embarked on a joint venture with St. Louis Community College – Forest Park to offer students an opportunity to earn college credit while completing their senior year.
Twenty-one students from Vashon High School are concurrently enrolled at the William J. Harrison Education Center while completing the requirements for their high school diplomas. These students were selected based on their achievements in academics and attendance.
Thanks to the continued efforts of Derrick Mitchell, principal of Vashon, and Kynedra Ogunnaike and Rasheda Harris, counselors at Vashon, these students have a head start on college careers.
The Harrison Center is located at 3140 Cass and opened in August 2010. It is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Harrison, an educator, historian, and community and civil rights activist. The 21 students are “Honoring the Tradition of Excellence” by being the first students to participate in Dual Enrollment at the Harrison Center.
UMSL offers new nursing option
The College of Nursing at the University of Missouri–St. Louis will offer a part-time option in its pre-licensure Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing degree program beginning this spring.
This option involves the same coursework as the college’s other two pre-licensure options within the BSN program – full-time traditional and full-time accelerated. The minimum admission criteria are the same as the traditional program, but the part-time option will allow students to complete their classes, labs and clinicals in the evenings and weekends.
“This will provide an important scheduling option for students,” said Juliann Sebastian, dean of the College of Nursing at UMSL.
“Many individuals interested in a career in nursing tell us that full-time study is difficult or impossible for them due to the many obligations people are managing today. As nurses, we honor and support healthy life balance, so adding a part time option that maintains our high standards of rigor and excellence is very appropriate.”
UMSL is the only public university in the St. Louis area to offer a part-time evening/weekend BSN degree option.
Visit http://www.umsl.edu/nursing/parttimebsn.html or call 314-516-6066.
County offers economic development course
St. Louis County and the Economic Council, Saint Louis University, Urban Land Institute-St. Louis District Council (ULI), and St. Louis Development Corporation are offering an eight-week Certificate Program in Economic Development beginning October 14.
The course, developed in 2009, was recently recognized by the International Economic Development Council with an “Excellence in Economic Development Award” for its efforts in creating positive change in communities.
The program provides intensive instruction on the fundamentals of economic development practice and is designed for economic development and public service professionals either new to the field or who desire a better understanding of economic development. It integrates innovative and practical perspectives, organizing, planning, and operating economic development activities and programs.
“This course helps mayors, city council members, city staff, and chambers better understand the complex world of development and provides strategies to promote new directions in economic development,” said St. Louis County Executive Charlie A. Dooley.
The instructors, which are composed of distinguished practitioners in a variety of public and private economic development professions, will provide progressive curriculum in the fields of planning and zoning, sustainable development, deal structuring, marketing, and real estate development.
“As we recover from this recession, it is increasingly important for cities and counties to understand the best process for growth,” said Bob Cropf, Saint Louis University’s chairman of public policy studies. “This education program combines both the academic and practical aspects of effective economic development techniques.”
To learn more and register, visit: www.slcec.com/certificate-program.html
