MCC Office of School Relations Expands High School Scholars Programs

Friday Dec. 12, in Cafeteria C of College Center, Middlesex County College’s Office of School Relations hosted its annual Creative Classroom workshop. This year’s workshop, Integrating Math and Technology, was for math professionals from the New Jersey Public School system. The Office of School Relations is the college’s link to the K-12 sector, said Darlene S. Yoseloff, director of school relations.
“This is our 5th annual Creative Classroom workshop. We work with the school districts to provide workshops for teachers, administrators and counselors. We also plan many activities for students such as Teen Arts and Math, Science and Technology Day,” said Yoseloff.
The Office of School Relations was started in 1992 with a grant program called Tech Prep, said Yoseloff. It has grown since then and now includes programs such as AP Summer Institutes that is an intensive summer program for high school teachers who teach advanced placement courses.
Through MCC School Relations the High School Scholars program has expanded. Students can take college credit courses while they are still in high school said Laura Norek, project assistant in the Office of School Relations.
“In addition, School Relations partners with school districts so the districts and teachers get to know what a great place MCC is. We also help students get to know the quality of education that MCC offers and to experience hands-on workshops with faculty,” said Norek. “The High School Scholars program gives students a jump start in earning college credits.”
The Creative Classroom workshop is another of the newer additions to the programs School Relations has to offer, said Yoseloff. In attendance of this year’s workshop was: Dr. Joann La Perla-Morales, President of Middlesex County College; Dr. Reginald Luke, Dean of Division of Science, Mathematics and Health Technologies; Mr. Joe Steiner, Interim President of the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce, and Keynote speaker Dr. Gail Burrill, an Academic Specialist of the Division of Science and Mathematics Education at Michigan State University, said Yoseloff.
The main workshop broke down into eight sub-workshops and ran from 9:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a break for lunch in between, said Norek. This year’s workshop was sponsored by MCC, the Middlesex Regional Chamber of Commerce Business and Education Committee and Texas Instruments, said Yoseloff.
The event was arranged and coordinated by the Office of School Relations, the Math Department at MCC, Texas Instruments and the MRCC. All presenters and speakers for the Creative Classroom were there on a volunteer basis, said Norek. The prices for the workshops varied. Some were free of charge, for some there were co-sponsorships and others were funded through grants, said Yoseloff.
“The event was definitely a success. We had 153 people register for the workshop. We even had one person here from Australia,” said Yoseloff.
The Office of School Relations hosts many events throughout the year. In the spring they have Teen Arts and Math, Science, and Technology Day for Middle School Students, DECA during winter break and NJ Science Olympiad during spring break, said Norek. “Something is always in the planning stages! DECA (marketing education students) will hold their Central Regional Conferences here on Jan. 9 and 12 with snow dates of Jan. 13 and 15. It’s a good experience that students should take advantage of, ” said Yoseloff.