Siler City, NC – Chatham County Schools opened its first early college program in 2016 on the campus of the Chatham Center for Innovation. The Chatham School of Science & Engineering currently has 8 students who are the first class that will graduate from Chatham County Schools with the equivalent of an Associate’s Degree from Central Carolina Community College. Students spend their first two years of High School on the campus of the Chatham Center for Innovation and then begin attending classes full time at the campuses of Central Carolina Community College.
Though the school is new, its students have already found success at the county science fair taking home the top prize in the High School Biological Sciences B category. Students at the School of Science & Engineering are engaged in hands-on project based learning that includes labs both inside their classrooms and around the school campus.
“This program provides opportunities for students to engage in college courses early on in their high school career. By doing so, they earn college credit as well as high school credit. It has been exciting for our teachers and students to build an early relationship with CCCC,” said Bobby Dixon, Principal of the School of Science & Engineering. “We are excited to be able to provide such a beneficial program to our Chatham County students and look forward to reviewing the next pool of applicants.” added Dixon.
The application window is now open, but the Chatham School of Science & Engineering has a number of ways to give interested parents and students a closer look at the school and program. An open house will be held on February 21, 2017 from 6:30pm – 8:00pm at the school. For those unable to attend, tours are given on the first and third Monday of each month beginning at 9:15am.
Check out the Chatham School of Science and Engineering website at chatham.k12.nc.us/csse for more information.
Application Time Line
January 9, 2017: Middle School informational presentations begin
January 9, 2017: Applications available to students from School Counselors and online
January 30, 2017: Parent and student information sessions begin at each high school
February 21, 2017: Parent and student Open House at School of Science and Engineering
February 24, 2017: Completed applications due to School Counselors
March 6, 2017: Student interviews begin
April 3, 2017: Tentative notification for students accepted to the Chatham School of Science and Engineering