Colonial highlights college, career and agricultural programs; Nemours and Del Tech partnerships expand hands‑on options

College and career readiness programs across the Colonial School District are expanding, district staff told the board during a March meeting, highlighting increased dual‑enrollment options, a Patient Care Technician (PCT) cohort with Delaware Technical Community College and a growing farm program that supplies school lunches.

The district’s high school and career staff described several initiatives that give students classroom credit and workplace skills. “We are partnering with all of the major universities in the state and we have collectively over 60 college courses that are available to students,” said Sarah QJ Wigton, who oversees dual enrollment and early college programs at William Penn High School.

Why it matters: District leaders said the changes aim to reduce barriers to college and careers by letting students earn transferable college credits in high school, gain industry certifications and enter the labor market with employable skills.

Staff said the district offers about 45 high‑school online elective courses and deploys dual‑enrollment courses taught locally by approved William Penn teachers. Staff reported nearly 1,400 college credits earned to date by students across the programs and said some students graduate having completed multiple college courses.

The Patient Care Technician pathway sends seniors to Del Tech for hands‑on labs and clinical experiences and includes certifications such as EKG, phlebotomy, patient care technician and CNA. Anna Morgan, the district’s work‑based learning coordinator, said the PCT cohort attends Del Tech every other day and will finish high school “employable” with multiple certifications.

Nemours, a regional health system, launched a Nemours Healthcare Academy for ninth‑ and tenth‑grade allied‑health students, staff said. The daylong academy included simulations and presentations by physicians and nurses; a student who attended said the live demonstrations broadened her view of clinical careers. “It gave me a broader mindset and kind of, like, being willing that my options aren't as limited than I thought they were,” a senior who participated told the board.

Staff also highlighted Penn Farm, a district agricultural program supporting plant and animal science pathways. Presenters said the farm produced about 20,000 pounds of produce in the calendar year and donated roughly 3,000 pounds to the community; the district estimates Penn Farm contributed about $4,000 worth of produce to school lunches. The farm operates community supported agriculture shares and student workers help run seasonal operations, presenters said.

JPMorgan Chase employees will again support mock‑interview and resume competitions and donate to the William Penn entrepreneurial competition, presenters said, noting a $1,000 employer donation for the May contest.

Student examples illustrated the programs. A senior described taking multiple online and dual‑enrollment classes — including American Sign Language and legal studies — and said the coursework improved her time management and made college feel more attainable. Students in the PCT cohort described hands‑on labs at Del Tech as the portion they found most valuable.

What the board did: No formal board action was required for the program updates. Several board members praised staff and students for the partnerships and recommended continuing to scale supports.

Ending: District staff said they will return with updates as programs expand, including more details about spring internships and upcoming public events such as the William Penn entrepreneurship competition.