Muskogee Raises the Bar When It Comes to Education
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In Muskogee‚ learning is a lifelong goal. And thanks to a unique educational partnership‚ the road to that goal is getting smoother.
An outstanding public school system serves more than 6‚100 students citywide with programs that begin in prekindergarten and run all the way through high school.
The system’s commitment to being on the leading edge of education is evidenced in a recent $8 million bond issue that will improve technology in the city’s public schools.
Coupled with that‚ Muskogee boasts excellent private education and post-secondary options that offer students technical training and associate’s‚ bachelor’s and master’s degrees without leaving their hometown.
“Muskogee is not that big a city‚ so it’s really something to have all these choices‚” says Dr. Tim McElroy‚ dean of Northeastern State University‚ Muskogee Campus. “There’s no excuse for someone not to get an education here because we have all the resources. That’s a plus when we are trying to attract business and industry because they can see the educational opportunities we have here.”
Northeastern State is a member of an educational partnership‚ the Muskogee Area Educational Consortium‚ which also includes representatives of Muskogee‚ Fort Gibson‚ Hilldale‚ Warner and Haskell public schools‚ the Oklahoma School for the Blind‚ St. Joseph Catholic School‚ the Indian Capital Technology Center‚ Bacone College‚ Connors State College‚ Muskogee Development and the Greater Muskogee Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism.
Representatives of each entity meet monthly to discuss issues of common interest‚ partnering opportunities and trade information. The group’s goal is to make a student’s transition from one educational level to another as seamless as possible.
“We’re trying to build a ladder so students can just keep going as they grow up‚” says Sue Godwin‚ instructor services coordinator at Indian Capital Technology Center and a key player in launching the consortium 11 years ago. “We’re hoping we can take out all the roadblocks.”
Working together‚ educators have been able to coordinate services‚ stream line programs and partner to provide unique opportunities for students.
A high school student taking tech courses at Indian Capital Technology Center‚ for example‚ can also be enrolled simultaneously at Connors State College‚ where he or she can receive up to 30 hours of college credit.
With 32 more hours from Connors after high school‚ students can then receive an associate’s degree‚ which they can transfer to Northeastern State toward a bachelor’s degree in technology.
The consortium’s goal in the next year is to educate the community about the Oklahoma Career Information Sys tem‚ a valuable statewide resource for parents and students in planning an educational path.
The online system provides all sorts of college resources‚ an interest inventory‚ lists of courses and programs of study at different colleges. It allows students to do a plan of study online‚ build a resume‚ look at career and job requirements and see job availability – all in one place.
“If we want our kids to use it and if it’s to be a living document‚ then we have to teach all our parents to use it as well – even people who don’t have kids currently in school‚” Godwin says.
The end result‚ the consortium hopes‚ will be to train and retain Muskogee’s youth‚ building a strong and capable workforce.
“We want to make sure our kids are ready not just for a job but for a career‚” Godwin adds. “We want an educated workforce‚ and we want the educational level of that workforce to continue to increase. We understand that our kids will be continually learning throughout their lifetimes.”
Story by Laura Hill
Photo by Michael W. Bunch
