News Release

IWV Campus

Local fifth-graders go experience college

Ridgecrest, CA – May 12, 2004

Cerro Coso Biology teacher Claudia Sellers displays the side view of a piglet's interior to Samantha Cosner, a fifth-grader at Richmond Elementary School. Cosner, along with 150 students from various Sierra Sands primary schools, visited the local college recently as part of a program to pique the interest of young students to pursue a higher education. (Daily Independent Photo by Jessica Tamturk)
Although they are not expected to reach college for another seven years, over 150 of the area's fifth-graders on May 3 spent half the day soaking the ambiance, visiting classes and analyzing courses and majors offered at Cerro Coso Community College.

As part of a local effort to promote interest in higher education, several fifth-grade classrooms from Richmond and Las Flores Elementary Schools, as well as one form Immanuel Christian School, were invited by the college to tour the campus, listen to CCCC counselors speak about the benefit of going to college and attend art and science classes for 20-minute periods.

Once done with the tour, students dug into sack lunches provided by the Rotary Club of China Lake.

In a child's life, fifth-grade is considered the pivotal time at which college is considered as an option, according to Heather Ostash, counselor at Cerro Coso.

"As they enter middle school, students set goals that may or may not include college. "We want to expose them to the college experience and what a community college offers early on," said Ostash.

She added that the program, which was the brainchild of CCCC President Sharon Dyer in 2003, would hopefully continue to grow to include more of the area's fifth-grade classes.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Joann Handeland, Director of Facilities Development and Services (760) 384-6230