Higher Achievement (HA), a national program designed to bridge the gap between a wide array of educational opportunities and low-income middle-school students, has arrived in Greenbelt. This summer, Greenbelt Middle School will provide engaging educational resources in a variety of ways to approximately 60 students.
HA is a full-year program that begins in the summer and exposes middle school students to additional instruction in math, reading and language arts. It also provides opportunities to visit different colleges and go on field trips through the summer. During the school year, HA will place a liaison in Greenbelt Middle School who will interact with students and teachers throughout the day to provide the additional resources for students that need it.
The program seeks out students who are most likely to be the first generation college students in their families. Dr. Daria Valentine, principal at Greenbelt Middle School, said a huge component of the program is to introduce higher education to the students, “however, they have given us the autonomy to pick a certain population of students.” In his monthly newsletter, County Council Chair Todd Turner announced the February 8 launch of the Higher Achievement program at Greenbelt Middle School. Valentine said it was more of a soft launch and its purpose was to make community members aware that the program was coming to Prince George’s County. The February 8 event saw many in attendance, including Prince George’s County Councilmember Dannielle Glaros, school board members and other neighboring partners that serve Greenbelt Middle School students.
Offering the program was an easy decision for Valentine. “I look for as many opportunities for my students to be exposed to colleges and careers, as well as opportunities that I can identify outside of our school budget to provide some additional instruction and enrichment,” she said.
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