HOLLAND, Mich. — A new program between Holland Public Schools and Hope College will give high school students an early start at becoming future educators. The new Hope to Teach program will be available to students starting this fall.
The new program will allow students to earn college credit for a degree in education while they are also taking classes for their high school diploma. They will be able to earn up to 61 college credits. Students who are in 11th grade will take general education courses at the college. While in 12th grade, they will take their first education course in the fall. “And so they will, in a sense, be a year ahead of their contemporaries,” said Scott Vanderstoep, Dean for Social Sciences at Hope College.
Students will also have a 13th grade in which they are full-time college students, but affiliated through the high school program. One they complete the program, they will have earned the equivalent of two years of college credit towards their bachelor's degree, at no cost. “Because those students are technically still high school students in that 13th year, we’re able to collect that state funding, and that’s what pays back the college tuition that we have upfront. And along the way, that allows early colleges to be sustainable and cost efficient,” said Andrea Mehall, principal of Holland High School and director of Holland Early College
Hope To Teach has been in development since 2020. The program is planning to start small and be available for up to 3 incoming high school juniors. It is the first time that that Hope College has partnered in an early college program. “We always have a significant number of our graduating seniors who are very interested or do in fact, end up attending Hope College,” said Mehall. “It’s right in our backyard.” The goal of the program is to help address the ongoing teacher shortage, and also diversify the teacher candidate pool. “We’re really excited to grow our own future educators here in Holland,” said Mehall.
Holland Public School students interested in the Hope to Teach program can contact the school office or guidance counselor for more information. To be considered, they must do so before the start of the school year this fall.
