Clark State Community College has formed a partnership with the Warren County Educational Service Center (ESC) to offer college-level online courses for students enrolled in the Greater Ohio Virtual School (GOVS).
"Our partnership with Clark State Community College encourages high school students to pursue higher education upon graduating," said John Lazares, Warren County ESC superintendent. "We are committed to helping our school districts in Warren County increase the number of high school graduates entering our local colleges or universities."
Providing online college courses is one of the initiatives led by Dr. George Sehi, executive director for university relations for Warren County ESC. "What we are trying to do is to connect high school students to higher education early on, and our partnership with Clark State will help us achieve our goal," said George Sehi.
"Clark State is committed to increasing access to higher education in Ohio and ensuring student success," said David Devier, vice president of academic and student affairs, Clark State Community College. "We are working with close to 1,000 high school students, providing them a jump start on their college career. The credits earned can be used towards an associate’s degree or transferred to a four-year university to complete a bachelor's degree."
The Greater Ohio Virtual School (GOVS) is a comprehensive education program for students in grades 7-12. This public school is established under Ohio Charter School Law and provides a virtual educational program at no cost to the student. The school employs highly-qualified educators who have been prepared to teach online. GOVS strives to take students at their current academic level, build upon that foundation, and increase achievement at developmentally appropriate rates and levels. It is the belief of the Greater Ohio Virtual School that all students can be successful, and their ultimate goal is to provide applicable skills that will allow students to be lifelong learners and intelligent decision makers.
Clark State Community College serves the educational and workforce development needs of Clark, Champaign, Greene and Logan Counties in Ohio. More than 5,400 students are attending the College's three campus locations in Springfield, Beavercreek and Bellefontaine. The College has always been a state leader in online learning and half of Clark State's students are completing courses and degree programs online. Clark State was named one of the fastest growing community colleges by Community College Week and has experienced tremendous growth over the last five years. The College also operates a Performing Arts Center which houses two theatres and is the home to all of Clark County's arts presenters as well as a state-of-the-art conference center in downtown Springfield.