Harcum Partners with Middle School in Philadelphia to Make College More Accessible

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Images via Harcum College.

To help increase completion rates for first-generation college students and low-income students, Harcum College has partnered with St. James School to help its graduates earn college degrees. 

Officials from Harcum and the St. James School, a middle school in the Allegheny West neighborhood of Philadelphia, recently participated via Zoom in a joint signing of a Memo of Understanding that outlined the terms of the partnership.

Harcum President Jon Jay DeTemple and other college administrators joined David Kasievich, Head of School, and Kevin Dodd, Director of Graduate Support, both representing St. James School, in a brief ceremony that concluded with rousing applause and cheers. 

Kasievich said that the partnership was about equity and that both schools were committing to address all the things that get in the way of access to higher education. He expressed his gratitude for the work Harcum is doing to create access. 

In his remarks, DeTemple said that he saw a natural fit for this partnership, having learned about the work of the St. James School through his Episcopal church. 

“Education raises up the community,” he said. “Our society will be better as more of our citizens are better-educated.”

Officials from Harcum College and the St. James School outline the terms of their partnership via Zoom.

While St. James has cultivated partnerships with other four-year schools, DeTemple believes that Harcum offers special value in this arrangement.

“In a lot of ways, obtaining an associate’s degree is not a mountain like getting a bachelor’s degree,” he said. “With a degree from Harcum in hand and having achieved academic success with us, students become hungry and want to keep going.” 

As a partner of St. James School, Harcum will offer regular visits to the school’s students and pledges to remove barriers to the application and enrollment process. Harcum has also agreed to spots in programs with favorable retention rates and ones that provide help with the first-year transition. 

Additionally, St. James School students who choose to attend Harcum will receive regular meetings regarding their academic progress, social development, and financial security – issues commonly faced by first-generation college students.

For its part, St. James Graduate Support Staff will be in regular communication with Academic Affairs and Admissions regarding the status of all its graduates.

Harcum has also committed to creating affordable financial aid packages for St. James students who meet academic qualifications.

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