The Pathways program will hold its last semester and will not continue after 30 years of education. Photo by Lake Land College.
The Pathways program is short for Pathways Alternative Education for High School students, whose purpose of this program is to provide an alternative education setting for high school students who for whatever reason are not able to succeed academically and socially in a high school setting.
Pathways has been on-going for the past 30 years. Overseeing Pathways on campus is Christine Strohl. Strohl has worked in various capacities in academics as well as for student services for over 24 years here on campus and is the current dean of workforce solutions and community education.
She mentioned that the program “is for students who have not been successful in their home high school setting for a lot of different reasons. The high school guidance counselor or an administrator, if it is a smaller high school, makes a referral to me. Students are then able to come to the Pathways program to finish high school credits which are then able to be transferred back to their home high school, so that they would be able to continue their education at their home high school or graduate with a high school diploma.”
She explained, “The form is on-line for the high school guidance counselor or an administrator to fill out on behalf of the student who is struggling for various reasons. They forwarded or e-mailed the information to either me or Shannon McGregor, who was the director of the Pathways program. Now, I will receive the paperwork.”
She cited, “The reasons why students may not be successful in the high school setting can range from academic, anxiety, behavioral, medical, mental health, social, etc. Some students do not feel comfortable in the high school setting for one reason or another. It is an alternative place for them to finish up their high school credits or diploma. We have also accepted students who have been expelled from high schools.”
She informed, “There is another alternative high school called Regional Office of Education #11 (ROE) out of Coles County and ROE #3 out of Effingham County. There are other options in case the student is not successful in their home high school.
For the classroom here on campus, we serviced Mattoon High School. Regarding Charleston residents, the classroom is held at the Old State Road Christian church. After 30 years, this will be our final semester and we will not be continuing the program this upcoming fall semester. The students who still need help will go to the aforementioned ROE places to ensure they will transition to graduation, back to their home high school or another alternative setting.”
She revealed, “The reason why the Pathways program will be discontinued is due to financial reasons. In addition, it’s not part of the mission of the college (Lake Land College) to provide high school students an alternative setting.”
Let’s hope that the students who need assistance will get the help they need from either ROE in case they cannot cut it in their home high school.
