Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Youth Programs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cascadia College launches 3-week, 5-credit 'Cascadia Academy' for Kenmore-area high school students
Summary
Cascadia College staff describe an accelerated summer 'Cascadia Academy' (Aug. 3–20) that awards five college credits, targets AVID students from Inglemore High School, emphasizes mentoring and active in-person learning, and gives Kenmore residents enrollment priority.
Cascadia College officials on a Kenmore city podcast outlined a summer program designed to help high school students recover pandemic-era learning losses and preview college life. The three-week Cascadia Academy runs Aug. 3–20 and awards five college credits for successful completion.
Shannon, the college's executive director of student learning administration and the program lead, said the effort began as a 2023 grant-funded "catch up" proposal to address gaps in math and hands-on science after remote instruction. "We shifted the focus more to providing tutoring support on campus, on their campus at the high school," she said, describing a partnership with Inglemore High School and targeted recruitment of AVID students.
Ananina, director of inclusion, advocacy and community programs, said the Cascadia Scholars program—started around 2021 and separate from the Academy—adds mentoring and belonging supports. "We have wonderful mentors who are Cascadia faculty and staff, and Shannon is one of our great mentors in the program," she said, describing faculty and staff mentoring as a core piece of students' growth.
Kelly Leahy, assistant director of student learning and design and an instructional designer, described the academic content: "It's actually our entire 5 credit class, which we usually offer over 12 weeks condensed into 3 weeks." The college-success curriculum covers study strategies, time management, information literacy, career exploration and a module on responsible AI use. "You're walking away with 5 free college credits," Kelly added, noting the course is a regular, credit-bearing Cascadia class offered in an accelerated format.
Program delivery is hybrid: Mondays feature online activities, and Tuesday through Thursday are in-person from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with an hour for lunch. Instructors emphasize active participation and daily attendance; Kelly named Soraya Cardenas as the lead instructor and said the intensive requires consistent presence to succeed. The college previously offered a condensed 3-credit College 101 in summer 2024, and officials said a grant extension enabled expanded field trips, lab demonstrations and campus engagement this year.
Eligibility is limited to students who will be juniors or seniors in the coming fall term and recent graduates (class of 2026), with Kenmore residents given first priority for registration, followed by other students attending the North Shore School District. Seats remain available as of the recording; interested families were directed to a short program application and the standard Cascadia College application. For information the presenters provided an email, CascadiaAcademy@Cascadia.edu, and a phone number, (425) 352-8120.
The presenters framed the Academy as both academic remediation and a low-stakes way to envision college life: shorter time in-class but expanded opportunities to connect with faculty, practice lab skills and receive mentoring. The episode closed with contact details and a link promised in the show notes for listeners seeking to register or learn more.
