Big Bend, Moses Lake to start 'Open Doors' program

MOSES LAKE — Big Bend Community College and the Moses Lake School District will be working together on an initiative to help young people who are facing challenges in getting a high school diploma. Students in the “Open Doors” program will also have access to BBCC courses.

Open Doors will begin Sept. 1 in Moses Lake.

The statewide program is open to youth 16 to 21 years of age “that have faced challenges in traditional school environments,” wrote Matt Killebrew, BBCC's director of communications. Open Doors is for students who aren't on track to graduate by the time they're 21, or who are at least 16 and “significantly credit deficient,” Killebrew wrote.

“Students can enroll in online and teacher-led (courses) and meet with counselors on a weekly basis.” The program makes all education opportunities at the college available to participating students, said Bryce Humpherys, BBCC's vice-president for learning and student success.

Qualifying students will be able to pick from a number of options, including GED courses, English as a Second Language classes, a high school diploma, work preparation and training, as well as access to college classes and the option of pursuing an associate degree.

Students qualify if their class is more than two years away from graduation and they have earned less than 65 percent of the credits needed to graduate. It's also for students whose class is between a year and two years from graduation, where the student has earned fewer than 70 percent of the necessary credits for graduation.

Students who are a year away from graduation, or whose class has graduated within the last year, are eligible if they have earned fewer than 75 of the credits needed to graduate. Students also qualify if their class graduated more than a year earlier and they have never finished graduation requirements. Students who never attended freshman year of high school and have no high school credits also qualify.

A variant of the Open Doors program is already available through the Skill Source program, said Dave Balcom, MLSD director of student services. Skill Source is offered to qualifying students at the Washington Department of Employment Security, 309 E. Fifth Ave.

Moses Lake superintendent Josh Meek said district officials always are looking for ways to reach students, and the partnership with BBCC “literally opens new doors and education opportunities for our students.”

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.