Established 2006 Enrollment 250 Mascot Seawolf Founded 2006 | Dean Edith Skipper Phone +1 910-259-7178 Number of students 250 | |
Type Public High School - Selective Admissions Website Pender Early College High School Address 100 Industrial Dr, Burgaw, NC 28425, USA Motto Contribution. Purpose. Power. Challenge. Similar Pender High School, Heide Trask High School, Cape Fear Middle School, Penderlea Middle School, Wilmington Early College | ||
Pender Early College High School, also known as PEC or PECHS, is a school created by the Early College High School Initiative, sponsored by the New Schools Project. Pender County Schools and Cape Fear Community College maintain the school, which is situated on the Burgaw Campus of Cape Fear Community College. It had its first graduating class in May 2010.
Contents
Dual enrollment
Students who enroll in Pender Early College High School are also enrolled in Cape Fear Community College. The curriculum lasts four to five years, where students gradually take college classes in place of their high school classes, until their junior year, when students should be taking all college classes. Upon completion of the program, students will graduate with both a high school diploma and an Associate's Degree from Cape Fear Community College. Students are also required to complete 150 hours of civic engagement, 4 leadership development camps, a graduation project, an internship, and a cumulative portfolio before graduation.
Classes
All classes offered at PECHS are either Honors or College level.
High school classes include English I, II, III, and IV; Journalism; Integrated Math I, II, III, and IV; Earth/Environmental Science; Biology; Chemistry; Civics & Economics; United States History; and World History. All classes offered at Cape Fear Community College are open to PECHS students which range from Boat Building to Multi-Variable Calculus. PECHS also hosts special classes and seminars that vary by semester. These include yoga, documentary film, project citizenship, and etiquette classes.
A unique characteristic of PECHS is the inclusion of academic advising into the class schedule. Academic advising is meant to prepare and help transition students from a high school environment to a college one. During this time students will also prepare their schedules for next semester and receive assistance with fulfilling their graduations requirements.
While students are encouraged to volunteer in the community at any time, Wednesdays were once used as official half days for PECHS students to engage in community activities to fulfill a required 150 hours of civic engagement. This was removed, however, due to the dean feeling that it contributed to lowering grades. Wednesdays are now normal days, and students must volunteer on their own time. Volunteer projects have ranged from tutoring elementary school students, volunteering at local hospitals, to painting community murals.
Clubs at PECHS are student run. Any student can form a school club with the approval of the dean and meet either during school club time during the week or after school. Former examples of PECHS clubs include Student Government Association, Guitar Club, Chorus, Theater, Young Democrats, and Young Republicans. Most of these were removed, though, due to lack of interest, poor implementation, and an extremely lacking budget. PECHS students are also allowed to participate in Cape Fear Community College sponsored clubs.