Pre-College Initiative

Columbus State will host the Cyber Institute, which will be a one- or two-day summer event for high school students entering grades 9-12. The institute will serve as a recruitment component for the program.

College Credit Plus

College Credit Plus is the statewide dual enrollment program in Ohio, allowing high school students the opportunity to earn college credits while still in secondary school. Columbus State hosts close to 5,000 high school students through the program each semester. These students are fully enrolled in higher education and receive all the services and benefits other Columbus State students enjoy.

As part of the IT flexible apprenticeship project, Columbus State will incorporate foundational associate degree courses into the College Credit Plus program. This will allow students to get a head start on their academic pathway and begin to prepare for an apprenticeship program experience. Currently, these foundation courses include Intro to Programming Logic, Database Fundamentals, HTML, and Networking Concepts.

The University of Cincinnati will also collaborate with the project to offer graduate-level, competency-based online modules for high school teachers. These modules will credential the participants to teach College Credit Plus courses in information technology areas. Upskilling current technology teachers in high schools will be an effective, efficient approach to professional development. Teachers will also receive professional development training on how to integrate career exploration activities into the classroom and engage students in IT career pathways.

Technical content in IT-related College Credit Plus courses will be enhanced with career-readiness activities. These include pre-advising, employer speakers, engagement with guidance counselors, and other career advising and exploration opportunities.