News Release
All Campuses
June 12, 2003
Pacoima Online Academy and Cerro Coso Community College Online Announce Innovative Partnership to Bring Education to Communities In Need
Ridgecrest, CA – June 12, 2003
Pacoima Online Academy has formed a partnership with Cerro Coso On-line
to reach students at risk of not completing higher education. Pacoima is
tapping into Cerro Coso's expertise in the field of on-line education to
provide students with a supportive, innovative way to use technology to
complete their academic programs. Cerro Coso will provide the intellectual
foundation for students to pursue on-line majors in subjects like Criminal
Justice and the Social Sciences, while Pacoima Online Academy will partner
with community leaders to enhance the on-line program with presentations
from lawyers, parole officers, ex-gang members and others interested in
creating a positive impact in their communities. Pacoima will also provide
student support services. Heather Ostash, Counselor at Cerro Coso, was
instrumental in coordinating the partnership and student support services on
the Cerro Coso side.
Whitney Kasserman, Pacoima On-line Academy Coordinator, recently stated: " I
believe our partnership will be an exciting and innovative example of
bringing higher education to communities in need. The structure of our
program allows students to build a learning community. . Students that might
have a high drop-out rate remain committed to the program because of the
support of their peers. We feel this is especially important in the case of
ex-gang members because it allows them to form a positive team-relationship
in place of the ones they have left behind."
Matt Hightower, Director of CC On Line, views this collaboration as another
innovative way that on-line classes can reach students in a non-traditional
setting. "While the original focus of on-line education was the flexibility
of completing an education from home, the Pacoima project emphasizes that
the curriculum can be used in settings that allow communities to reach
individuals who might never have considered higher education as an option in
their lives.
Ostash adds, "Pacoima's Online Academy's approach of having students
complete the course work in teams demonstrates a realistic assessment of
what work's with at-risk students in this particular setting. We are please
to be able to provide the basic academics, while Pacoima provides the
structure to make it work for these students."
Cerro Coso President, Dr. Sharon Dyer is "very excited about this
partnership and the opportunity to cooperate with a new and upcoming
institution. I believe we have the most outstanding online program in the
state and these students will receive excellent service from our dedicated
staff. These are the kinds of partnerships that community colleges are
about."
For more information visit
www.cconline.cerrocoso.edu or phone
(760) 934-2796.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Joann Handeland, Director of Facilities Development and Services (760)
384-6230