December 2, 2002

BOISE STATE PROGRAM GIVES STUDENTS A JUMP START ON COLLEGE

Alan Melby’s students are eager to learn all they can in their college statistics class. Like most advanced mathematics students, they’re bright and motivated. Unlike most college students, they haven’t yet graduated from high school. Melby teaches mathematics at Centennial High School in the Meridian School District and has his students enrolled in the Jump Start program through Boise State University.

"These students are the best in the high school," he said. "They’re all college-bound and are very gifted in math — they’re a special group of kids."

Jump Start is a dual enrollment program that allows students to take college-level courses while still in high school. Students can earn both university and high school credit, accelerating their degree completion and resulting in cost savings. Boise State has two options: students can take a high school course authorized for university credit at their local high school, or they may take a regular university course at either their local high school, the Boise or Canyon County Boise State campuses or at a Boise State outreach site.

There are currently about 425 students from 16 Treasure Valley high schools enrolled in the program.

Teacher Eric Taylor is involved with the Jump Start program at Centennial High through his Sports Medicine program. The class is a natural outlet for many students who are otherwise shy and unlikely to get involved outside the classroom, he said, because students are required to spend a minimum of 30 hours per semester of outside class time working practices and games.

"It gives me great satisfaction to see kids take hold of something like this and run with it," he said.

Kristin Mooney, a student at Centennial High School, was enrolled in Taylor’s class last year. "In the beginning of the year, I thought that there would be no way for me to complete 30 hours," she said, "but within the first two months I had them done. There are many opportunities to receive hands-on experience. Students are able to work at many different sporting events such as football, basketball, baseball and soccer. Now that I am a second year student in the sports medicine program, I can use all the knowledge I gained last year to help in the training room this year. The class has been a great experience and I am glad I had the chance to begin my learning while still in high school."

High school juniors and seniors who are 16 or older and who have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better are eligible for Jump Start. Courses must be approved by Boise State as equivalent to their collegiate counterpart and teachers must meet the professional qualifications of an adjunct instructor at Boise State University.

Enrollment counselor Rob Dennis is in charge of the on-campus option. He can be reached at 426-1429. The College of Allied Technology also offers courses; contact Nancy Ness at 426-4029 for more information on those options.

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Ellie McKinnon

Extended Studies

426-2047

Kathleen Craven

communications and marketing

426-3275