By MATT LINDSEY

POTSDAM – A new charter school in Potsdam has been working with area businesses and colleges to provide their students with an education and a diploma outside of the traditional classroom.

Northern Pathways in Technology Early College (P-TECH) High School Academy, which began operating out of leased space at Potsdam Central School in September, plans to move to the adult education building at BOCES in Norwood in the fall.

Northern Pathways, funded by a $2.8 million state grant spread over seven years, is now offering 12 area high school students the opportunity to possibly earn a free college degree through an untraditional curriculum.

Students at the school – which can enroll up to 30 -- work toward a Regents diploma while earning college course credits and even a diploma while working with local businesses and colleges, according to Principal Krista Chamberlin.

“We are looking for students who don't prefer a traditional classroom setting,” Chamberlin said.

Core subjects like math, English and science are taught, just in a different way. “Teachers are not up in front of the classroom talking…they are there more to facilitate, monitor and provide direction,” Chamberlin said.

This year, students from Potsdam, Parishville-Hopkinton, Colton-Pierrepont and Massena school districts are attending. Students from all high schools in St. Lawrence County are eligible.

P-TECH is a collaboration of St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES, school districts, North County Community College (NCCC), SUNY Canton, and local businesses.

“We started with an unknown entity and created a new school,” said Ron Burke, assistant superintendent for instruction at BOCES.

Project-based Learning

Instructors teach through project-based learning and a program offered at the Buck Institute for Education (BIE) for teachers.

A task or problem is given and students can work through it by their own means to come up with a solution. Once problems are solved, answers are often given to an authentic audience, Chambers said.

“We work with the business community and health care fields…often they will give us a project to work on, offer support or are an audience to listen to students,” she said.

Chamberlin said the program works with Massena Memorial Hospital, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center, United Helpers, St. Lawrence Health Systems, Kinney Drugs and Northern Area Health Education Center (NAHEC).

“Students are learning 21st century skills like time management and working in groups,” she said.

Chamberlin says the different way of training is aimed at helping students prepare for the challenges of the workforce, specifically the growing health care industry.

“That was one of the main reasons we chose what programs we did as it fulfills a need in the community,” she said.

Six-Year Commitment

Chambers said the program is a six-year commitment for students.

“The program is for students who see college in their future, but want something different,” she said. Students become dually enrolled their junior and senior years in Regents and college courses.

They can earn a degree for no cost from SUNY Canton or NCCC. Computer information systems is offered through SUNY Canton and NCCC offers health science, chemical dependency and human service degree programs.

“We expect the college degree options to grow,” Chamberlin said.

All college credit costs, labs and books are covered for P-TECH students. If a student chooses to live on campus, room and board are not covered.

“The kids applying could be economically or academically challenged, or at risk for failure,” she said. “Some kids are more hands-on and this way of learning is better for them.”

Initiated By N-N, BOCES

Norwood-Norfolk Central and St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES originally submitted the request for funding for all school districts in St. Lawrence County and were awarded the New York State Pathways in Technology Early College High School grant.

The first year was used to organize and get things up and running and in September 2015 the first students began classes, Chambers said.

The program is facilitated by BOCES and funded through a seven-year $2.8 million state grant and tuition paid for by the home-base school of the student, Burke said.

The aid for 2015-16 is $377,000 and it increases to $390,140 next year, he said.

“It’s roughly a 50-50 mix for funding,” he said.

Tuition costs paid by each student’s local school district is $15,000 per student. A percentage of each school district’s expense is reimbursed through New York State aid.

By comparison, BOCES charges $8,500 per student to schools for a half-day of schooling in trade programs. That means the fee for Northern P-TECH is slightly less than half and provides a full day of education, Burke said.

Getting Started

“We had to purchase furnishings, textbooks, computers and lab equipment and project costs while also allowing for enough cushion for the unexpected,” Burke said.

Burke says the grant allows the program to only have one location, which does eliminate some schools from participating based of how spread out schools are across St. Lawrence County.

“It makes it financially and logistically difficult for schools like Hammond or Clifton-Fine to send students,” he said. “Also, budgets are tight and schools have to make tough choices.”

To be eligible, students must be in eighth grade and be interested in science, technology, engineering and math. Students must have a recommendation from their school guidance counselor, have their parents complete a portion of the application, and write a paragraph about why they wish to be a part of the program.

“From there, a meet-and-greet is held with applicants to help decide if they are a good fit for the program,” Chamberlin said.

“All schools have the option to participate,” Chambers said.

Northern P-TECH holds presentations at schools and for the public describing what their program offers and how it may suit some students better than traditional schooling. The next public info session is slated for April.

Newly accepted students are required to attend a summer program. Northern P-TECH students are bussed from their home district to P-TECH in the morning, and back to their home school in time for sports and other after-school activities.

For more information visit www.northernptechacademy.com/.