NH Scholars: Making Students College Ready

A 2012 survey, conducted by Global Strategy Group, of 500 senior managers and executives revealed that problem solving and critical thinking are the most sought-after skills, yet 40 percent of those execs said young job seekers are not at all prepared for success in business.

Students in NH are required to take two years of science and three years of math (through algebra I) to graduate high school. But for many jobs-especially those in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields-that is not enough. Lab sciences and higher math are much better at teaching those critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

NH Scholars aims to change the status quo one student at a time. Started in 2007, the program requires participating students to take at least three years of lab sciences, including biology, chemistry and physics; and three years of math, including algebra I and II, and geometry. In return, students receive recognition, waived college application fees at certain schools and special scholarship opportunities. They also get the chance to speak with business leaders through job shadowing, career days and other special events.

What has really helped to encourage students to take the plunge is business partnerships, says Scott Power, director of the NH Scholars program, which is part of the NH College and University Council in Concord. They can see the relevance behind it by hearing from business leaders.

Recruiting for NH Scholars  starts in middle school, when business people visit schools to talk about the importance of higher-level math and science. Participating businesses have included Dyn in Manchester, the NH High Technology Council, Northeast Delta Dental in Concord, and Timkin in Keene and Lebanon. Power says recruiting needs to start early so students will have time to take the harder classes.

The program has 64 participating NH schools, up from six when it launched. High schools graduated 3,055 NH Scholars last spring, about 20 percent of all graduating seniors. Power says the program is still only touching the surface and is actively reaching out to students who might not otherwise choose a more rigorous academic path.