Community Colleges Honor High School Partners

CONCORD, NH – Governor Chris Sununu joined New Hampshire’s Community Colleges recently to honor seven individuals from high schools across the state who have been local champions for the Community College System of NH’s Running Start program.  Running Start enables high school students to take courses at their schools for high school and college credit, offering cost savings and a head start on college coursework.    
Now entering its 20th year, the Running Start program is a highlighted program in many high schools and helps thousands of students each year earn college credit.   The Community College System of NH (CCSNH) created the Running Start program in 1999, with an initial group of seven high schools. Since then, the program has expanded to 100 high schools.  In the past year, enrollment climbed by more than thirty percent, thanks to scholarships available for dual-enrollment STEM courses.  Course offerings range from technical studies in information technology, automotive, software applications, and engineering technology, to chemistry, physics, anatomy and physiology, marketing, college composition and social science courses. 
“Running Start is an essential resource to ensuring that New Hampshire high school students are able to get a jump start on their college educations at an affordable cost,” said Governor Chris Sununu. “On behalf of all Granite Staters, I thank and commend those educators who go above and beyond to provide our students with the opportunity to access such a valuable resource.”
“Running Start is an important way for NH families to save money on college, and for high school students to get a strong early start to college success,” said Ross Gittell, Chancellor of the Community College System of NH.  “It is a highly accessible and affordable way for students to reduce student loan debt and accelerate their coursework at the college level. We are very pleased to honor the high school faculty and staff who help thousands of students access these benefits.”
CCSNH recognizes individuals in NH high schools who have gone above and beyond to promote the opportunities available to student through concurrent credit courses.  At this recognition event NHTI―Concord’s Community College honored:
Marc Payeur, Hillsboro-Deering High School, who has been teaching business courses as part of the Running Start Program since 2002. Marc has been teaching sports marketing, hospitality, and accounting, and promoting Running Start to all Hillsboro-Deering students.
NHTI is a dynamic public institution of higher learning providing accessible, rigorous education, serving students, businesses and the community by creating pathways for lifelong learning, career advancement and civic engagement NHTI―Concord’s Community College offers more than 90 academic programs to more than 4,600 students annually. Graduates can transfer to 4-year colleges and universities, or enter directly into the workforce. NHTI is a member of the Community College System of New Hampshire, and has been accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, a nongovernmental, nationally recognized accrediting agency, since 1969. www.nhti.edu