Parkland College has been offering high school students the opportunity to take dual credit classes since 1997, and dual credit enrollment rates have been on the rise ever since. Dual credit classes offer students the opportunity to earn both high school and college credit for a course. After graduating high school, the credits are then able to be transferred upon entering a college or university.
Students may choose to enroll in dual credit classes for many reasons: getting a head start on college courses, being an affordable alternative to taking classes at a college or university after high school, to challenge themselves in a college class environment, and gaining skills and knowledge in specific programs.
Parkland’s Early College and Career Academy is a year-long program in which students can earn 10-14 college credit hours per school year. It is open to any high school junior or senior in any of the participating school districts.
Parkland’s ECCA offers 10 different programs:
● Automotive Technology
● Computer Programming
● Construction Trades
● Criminal Justice
● Certified Nursing Assistant
● Education Pathway
● Emergency Medical Services
● Emergency Medical Services/Fire Service
● Industrial Technology
● Precision Agriculture
Lance Weber, a senior at Centennial High School, is in his second semester of dual credit classes at Parkland and is currently in the Certified Nursing Assistants program. Weber knows he wants to pursue nursing after high school, and having real life experience before college was the driving factor for him enrolling.
For Weber, his time in the CNA program includes meeting three days a week for lecture and spends two days a week at Piatt County Nursing Home for lab to gain workplace experience. Students are able to play an active role in caring for residents and working with staff at Piatt County by feeding residents, taking vitals, charting intake and outputs, and more.
Weber says classwork is one thing, but being able to work directly with patients “has done a monumental amount towards grounding the fundamentals of being a CNA.” Having real life experience integrated into the course gives students the opportunity to not only apply what they’re learning in the class, but also to see the positive effects their work can have on a patient’s life.
Weber speaks highly of the CNA program and other dual credit classes at Parkland. Getting experience before college gives students a leg up and helps them know what to expect in postsecondary education. He took Advanced Placement courses in high school, which prepared him for the workload of college-level courses. However, he says the classes at Parkland are easier for him to manage than AP classes.
He finds himself retaining more content as a dual credit student. He’s not sure how much of that he credits to the Parkland instructors and their ability to make classes engaging, or that he’s choosing his own courses and learning something that he’s passionate about. Students who find themselves struggling in college-level courses have many options for extra help outside of class. However, Weber says because of how well his instructor prepared and assisted him through challenges that he does not feel the need.
After high school, Weber plans to continue his education at the University of Illinois-Chicago’s Nursing Program. Even if you don’t intend on pursuing a career in the ECCA program you choose or continuing your education after high school, he still recommends you consider taking dual credit. “There is no loss to you even if you don’t end up pursuing a career, and the experience you gain will last a lifetime,” Weber said. He added that the CNA program is an opportunity to learn more about caring for others and “would be a great chance to improve your humanity”.
Logan Haake is a junior in high school in his first semester of dual credit at Parkland. He takes a cultural anthropology course in-person at Parkland. He attributes his confidence in enrolling in dual credit courses to taking AP credits while in high school. However, since switching from public school to homeschool, Haake hasn’t been able to take AP classes as a homeschool student. Instead, he has been able to continue challenging himself in advanced classes through dual credit courses.
Besides earning college credits that will transfer to whichever college he attends after high school, he indicated he also enjoys coming to Parkland’s campus for classes as a change of pace from his daily schedule. Having the option to take classes in person was one of the main reasons Haake decided to take dual credit. He describes the environment at Parkland as very different from his public high school, contributing to his positive overall experience.
While it’s been a slight adjustment, he says, the course work has been manageable and he is considering enrolling in more dual credit courses in the future. His advice for anyone on the fence about taking a dual credit class in high school: “If you’re interested in something, just take it!”
For more information, head to www.parkland.edu or visit from U233 on Parkland’s campus. Classes are offered on campus, online, or through the high school. Students who are interested can ask their high school counselor for information on how to sign up, or they can reach out to any of Parkland’s dual credit coordinators.
