The Smart Horizons Career Online Education (SHCOE) Bridge to Start high school program has enjoyed great success since it was launched as a partnership with Florida Career College (FCC) in May of this year. Through this program, hundreds of students have earned their high school diplomas and credentialed career certificates in learning labs set up on the 11 FCC campuses. Bridge to Start is powered by SHCOE’s AdvancED/SACS-accredited online school district.
Now Bridge to Start has gone coast to coast as Education Training Corporation, which owns FCC and recently purchased Anthem College (www.anthem.edu, has expanded the Bridge to Start offering to its 20 campuses in 12 states across the United States. With Anthem High School (www.anthemhighschool.com) in place and learning labs being established on the Anthem campuses, the Bridge to Start program will now be reaching a new and broader population of students.
“When speaking firsthand with students who have graduated from Anthem High School, it’s rewarding to hear their stories. The first thing they share is how they never thought they would be able to earn their high school diplomas, and how excited they are to be ready to pursue their post-secondary educational studies. The program is a win-win for both Anthem College and students in the local communities we serve on a daily basis,” said Mr. Martin Najarro, Senior Vice-President of the Anthem Education Group.
The Bridge to Start online high school program benefits students by providing them with the educational foundation they need to transition into post-secondary studies. Approximately 75 percent of the Bridge to Start graduates, in turn, enroll in the colleges at which they took their Bridge to Start courses.
“The Bridge to Start online high school program enables students to take advantage of SHCOE’s innovative online education model while also immersing themselves in an on-campus learning experience,” said Dr. Howard Liebman, CEO and Superintendent for SHCOE. “The labs provide students with access to computers and on-site classroom facilitators and represent a unique hybrid learning environment that gives them a feeling of being part of campus life.”