Dual Enrollment High School Students Visit SUNY Canton

More than 570 students from a dozen St. Lawrence County high schools are taking courses through SUNY Canton’s Dual Enrollment program. This month, they’re visiting campus and participating in some of the college’s signature classes.

“Students visit campus as part of SUNY Canton’s no-cost student initiative, allowing them to earn college credits while still in high school,” said Elizabeth A. Brown, executive director of the Center for Workforce Community & Industry Partnerships. “They participate in a classroom experience with a hands-on presentation, directly linked to one of the college’s degree programs and closely aligned to their high school dual enrolled course.”

Last spring, SUNY Canton introduced the new program that certifies college-level classes offered at the high school level. As part of the no-cost arrangement, school districts agreed to bring the dual enrollment students to campus once a year.

According to St. Lawrence Central High School Principal Kristen Zender, students were very excited to attend and participate in the dual enrollment day at SUNY Canton. The principal noted that students had the opportunity to hear from a St. Lawrence Central graduate, who shared insights about their academic journey and career path from high school to SUNY Canton.

“This visit inspired students to consider the benefits of dual enrollment and reinforced the value of higher education in shaping their future goals,” Zender said. “The students have appreciated the rigorous coursework throughout the year that has provided a great pipeline into college, with many expressing their interest in attending SUNY Canton after the visit. The program has been an invaluable resource to our community where many of our students are below the poverty line.”

As a St. Lawrence Central guidance counselor, Michaela Bethel has witnessed first-hand how Dual Enrollment and college visits have a tremendous impact on students.

“SUNY Canton allowed our students to immerse themselves in college life, experiencing the atmosphere and interacting with college students, which helps ease the transition to higher education, Bethel said. “Additionally, the opportunity to earn college credits—free of charge—gives students a head start on their college journeys while allowing them to get a real feel for what college-level courses are like. It’s an invaluable experience that boosts both their academic confidence and preparedness.”

Some students learned to program drones in the Canino School of Engineering Technology while their classmates discovered how much force it takes to crush concrete. Others began designing video games or broadcasting sports content.

Among the participating schools was Madrid-Waddington, which recently created an arrangement allowing junior and senior students to complete more than 30 credits applicable to their education as part of the program.