N.C. Central University and Durham Public Schools are joining together to form an early college high school on the NCCU campus.

The Southeastern Consortium for Minorities in Engineering has awarded $400,000 for this program. SECME received a total of $4.8 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to establish eight early college programs in the Southeast.

“These new small schools will help bridge the gap between high school and college, where we lose too many students,” said Tom Vander Ark, executive director of education for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The partnership between SECME and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was announced on March 19. According to the SECME Web site, the early college program will serve to “dramatically increase high school graduation and college attendance rates for the most disadvantaged youth.”

Each new early college high school will be designed around a subject theme that prepares students for careers that are in high demand.

The NCCU college program is expected to focus on science and technology, introducing students to careers in computer and information science, biomedical sciences/biotechnology, international security and affairs, and criminal justice and forensics.

Students in this early college program will participate in cutting-edge research in the Biomedical/Biotechnology Research Institute where research is conducted on cardiovascular disease, the neurosciences, and cancer.

NCCU is one of only three state universities in North Carolina with graduate and undergraduate programs in criminal justice. It is also one of the only two state-supported universities with a forensic lab and computer lab for teaching.

Dean of the School of Education Cecelia Steppe-Jones said she is looking forward to reaching out to high school students in the Durham community.

“We are excited about the opportunity to provide a significant group of students in our area with the skills that will help them to succeed,” she said.

The NCCU School of Education and Durham Public Schools will work together with the College of Arts & Sciences to develop the high school, which will ultimately enroll no more than 400 students.

“Since NCCU is located in the heart of the Triangle, the university is in a prime position to train a competitive workforce in biotechnology, biomedical science and other fields that are in high demand,” said Steppe-Jones.

University officials hope to open the school in fall 2003. Students will earn both a high school diploma and an associate’s degree or two years of college credit. According to NCCU Chancellor James H. Ammons, this program is a good match for NCCU.