Denver Public Schools students now have the unique opportunity to earn an associate’s degree just a year after high school at CEC Middle College of Denver.

The Fred N. Thomas Career Education Center officially will unveil its new name—CEC Middle College of Denver—to students, parents and the community at an Open House from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7 on the CEC campus, 2650 Eliot St.

The name change reflects an expansion in CEC’s offerings and educational opportunities available to DPS students. CEC Middle College of Denver students will take their regular high school classes with DPS teachers while taking college-level classes with faculty from Community College of Denver (CCD).

The middle college concept removes a barrier for students making the leap from high school to college. When students can get a jump start on their college education by taking college-level classes in high school, the leap after graduation is really just another step up an educational or career ladder.

Now a partner in higher education with CCD, CEC Middle College of Denver is the only such educational facility in the region. CCD is partnered with Emily Griffith Opportunity School (EGOS), which offers vocational programs, and CEC is affiliated with EGOS. Most credits from EGOS programs are transferable to CCD, where students can then earn their associate’s degrees. Faculty and deans of all three institutions will participate in the Open House.

“This celebration is a way for us to share our excitement about becoming a Middle College with students and prospective students, parents and the community,” said CEC Principal Peter Hergenreter. “We want them to understand how CEC Middle College of Denver can jump-start students’ plans for a college education or career certification.”

All CEC Middle College of Denver students can earn academic credits toward an associate’s degree or industry certification while completing their high school requirements. Graduates who successfully complete the program can earn a college associate’s degree in one additional year after high school rather than two.

Visitors to the Open House will meet CEC’s Hergenreter, CCD Director of High School/Early College Partnerships Dianne Cyr, and EGOS Executive Director Sharon Robinson as well as CCD and EGOS deans and faculty and instructors from each of CEC’s 21 career-oriented courses.

The event will highlight student skills and talent as well. CEC’s award-winning Jazz Combo will provide live entertainment, while CEC’s Eliot Café and EGOS culinary arts students supply buffet treats. CEC MedPrep students will check visitors’ blood pressure and Fitness Trainer students will exhibit the latest in exercise techniques. Other students will demonstrate course skills acquired in CEC’s “real-world” learning environment.

For more information about the CEC Middle College of Denver Open House, contact Prescilla Otero-DiPaola at 303-964-3042.

Background:
Located in Northeast Denver, Denver Public Schools Fred N. Thomas Career Education Center (CEC) was founded in 1976 as a comprehensive career and technical magnet school for DPS students. CEC Middle College of Denver is tuition-free and open to Metro Denver high school students. For more information about CEC Middle College of Denver, call (303) 964-3000 or visit the Web site www.dosomethingreal.com.

Community College of Denver (CCD), the city’s only community college, shares its main downtown Auraria Campus with Metropolitan State College of Denver and the University of Colorado at Denver. CCD serves nearly 13,000 students on the Auraria Campus and four branch campuses, including the Health Sciences Center at Lowry, each year. CCD also offers programs in a variety of disciplines through its Corporate Training Center at the Parkway Campus at 13th Avenue and Speer Boulevard. For more information about CCD, visit the Web site www.ccd.edu.

Emily Griffith Opportunity School, part of the Colorado Community College System, is one of the most diverse adult educational institutions in the state. EGOS has 57 certificated programs and more than 350 courses of study. Students can register online and earn credits that align with the course credit and numbering used by the Colorado Community College System. EGOS’ mission is to provide knowledge, skills and values that enable students to compete successfully in the workforce and to be self-sufficient citizens and lifelong learners. The Downtown Denver school operates day and night, including Saturdays. Many courses are offered in an open-entry format so students can begin class whenever they are read and work at their own speed. For more information about EGOS, visit the web site www.egos-school.com.