Dr. Robert Pratt and Melanie Steel will teach a six-week college preparation course at Cook County Higher Ed in Grand Marais.
The North Shore Health Care Foundation granted $2,700 to support Cook County Higher Education’s Ready, Set, College!
study skills project, a six-week college preparation course specifically geared toward students starting health-related degree programs. The course was designed and will be taught by Dr. Robert Pratt and Melanie Steel, two local individuals with significant experience and credentials in the college preparation and teaching field.
Thepast two health-related degree programs offered by Cook County Higher Education (CCHE) have seen higher than usual attrition, and while it is understandable when attrition occurs due to life issues, it is more difficult to swallow when it is because students are struggling with academic demands.
In the past CCHE has offered free, short workshops to cover study skill techniques, and while they have been well attended, the brief amount of time spent covering the material has evidently not provided a firm enough foundation to aid students when the going gets tough!
Ready, Set, College!
will begin Aug. 11, two weeks prior to the start of the regular semester, to give students a head start on building skill sets, including learning styles, attitude, time management, stress management, study skills, and critical thinking skills. The class will be offered to students taking classes this fall, and the majority of those students are in rigorous health care fields. Some of the students will be taking prerequisite courses such as anatomy and physiology, which is required for the LPN program that starts in fall 2011.
Prior to the start of the course the students will be surveyed to identify what they see as problem areas and fears and to also identify their current skills. Once the course is complete, the students will be surveyed again to assess the change. Additionally, the students will pay a reduced rate for the course (half price), with CCHE covering the other half in the agreement that the students will participate in a follow-up survey after the completion of their course of study to identify how Ready,
Set, College!
assisted their scholarly efforts. The results from the three surveys will help CCHE identify areas for improvement with Ready, Set,
College!
CCHE is honored to have the North Shore Health Care Foundation’s support for this exciting project that will contribute so significantly to our local students. If someone is interested in enrolling in the course, contact CCHE at the North Shore Campus, 300 West 3rd St., Grand Marais, call 218-387-3411, or email highered@ boreal.org.
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