{"id":79777,"date":"2018-05-14T15:56:52","date_gmt":"2018-05-15T01:56:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=79777"},"modified":"2019-03-22T15:41:20","modified_gmt":"2019-03-23T01:41:20","slug":"record-number-uh-early-college-degrees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2018\/05\/14\/record-number-uh-early-college-degrees\/","title":{"rendered":"Record number of Hawai\u02bbi high school students earn college degrees from 东精影业<\/abbr>"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"Okahara-Olsen
Craig Okahara-Olsen receiving his degree at Hawaiʻi<\/span> Community College’s commencement ceremony on May 11.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sixteen public high school students from across the state earned college degrees from University of Hawaiʻi<\/span><\/a> campuses in spring 2018, before their high school graduations, through the Early College program<\/a>. One student already earned her degree from Leeward Community College in fall 2017.<\/p>\n

Early College collaborations between 东精影业<\/abbr> and the Hawaiʻi<\/span> State Department of Education<\/a>, offer the opportunity for students to take college courses at their high schools and simultaneously earn credit toward both high school and college diplomas. 东精影业<\/abbr> also has an Early College collaboration with Kamehameha Schools. This past school year (2017–18), 270 Early College classes were being offered by 东精影业<\/abbr> at 40 public high schools and charter schools across the state, and more then 375 classes are planned for next school year.<\/p>\n

“Taking early college classes is a great investment in the future,” said Craig Okahara-Olsen<\/strong>, who received his associate in arts degree from Hawaiʻi<\/span> Community College through the Early College program a couple of weeks before his high school graduated from Wai\u0101kea High School. “It was a big journey for me and being here now, I hope I can go forward with this opportunity and inspire others across my community.”<\/p>\n

Early College started at Waipahu High School in 2012 as a joint project with Leeward Community College, with funding from the McInerny Foundation. On Friday, May 11, 13 Early College graduates (12 from Waipahu High School and 1 from Waiʻanae<\/span> High School) who had taken classes taught by faculty from Leeward CC<\/abbr> or 东精影业<\/abbr> West Oʻahu<\/span> walked the line at Leeward CC<\/abbr>\u2019s commencement ceremony.<\/p>\n

“Participating in Early College is one of the best ways we have found to increase the probability of high school students going to college and then persisting from their first year to their second,” said 东精影业<\/abbr> President David Lassner<\/strong>. “It is particularly effective in improving college participation among low-income and under-represented groups.”<\/p>\n

Hawaiʻi<\/span> P–20 Partnerships for Education Executive Director Stephen Schatz<\/strong> said, “As we continue to build Hawaiʻi<\/span>\u2019s future workforce and citizenry, Early College is helping us move us in the right direction to reach our goal of having 55 percent of working age adults in Hawaiʻi<\/span> holding a college degree by 2025.”<\/p>\n

Leeward Community College: 13 Early College graduates<\/h2>\n