Monday, July 22, 2013

Young scholars flock to Holyoke Community College to take part in the Quest Program

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In the Quest Program (formerly Step Forward/Quest), students take classes in dance, drumming, photography, culinary arts, drama, martial arts, voice, art, leadership, math, chess, nutrition, robotics, social studies, science, physical education and English language arts. Quest scholars arrive on campus each day at 8 a.m. and stay until 4 p.m.

HOLYOKE ? More than 170 middle schoolers from Holyoke, Chicopee and Springfield are taking classes at Holyoke Community College for two weeks as part of a program that prepares underserved and low-income students for college.

The program is called Quest (formerly Step Forward-Quest), and the students are taking classes in dance, drumming, photography, culinary arts, drama, martial arts, voice, art, leadership, math, chess, nutrition, robotics, social studies, science, physical education and English language arts. Quest scholars arrive on campus each day at 8 a.m. and stay until 4 p.m.

?This is the largest number of middle school students the Quest program has ever seen in its 20 year history ? more than 70 kids than last summer,? said Denise Ward, Quest director. ?We are very excited.?

Quest is a grant-funded program that targets underserved and low-income students from Hampden County. Students enter the program as sixth-graders, taking classes at HCC during the summer and on Saturdays throughout the academic year. They continue through middle school and high school and earn college credits.

The program has nearly a 90 percent retention rate and those who finish the program as high school seniors have a 100 percent acceptance rate to college.

While the middle school program is just getting underway the Quest High School Program is in full swing. High students are at HCC taking college level courses. Another group of Quest high school students is living in dormitories at Elms College in Chicopee to experience ?dorm life? on a residential campus.

A Quest arts festival is set for July 26 at 7 p.m. at Holyoke High School. It will mark the conclusion of the Quest program with a festival of performances and displays. The event is free and open to the public.

There will be performances of theater, dance, and world beat drumming as well as a fine arts gallery featuring displays of art, photography and academics.

Source: http://www.masslive.com/living/index.ssf/2013/07/young_scholars_flock_to_holyoke_community_college_to_take_part_in_the_quest_program.html

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