By Christian Coffman

NATCHEZ — Students from Natchez Early College Academy will get an early taste of college this summer during a short program at Copiah-Lincoln Community College.

The one-week program will take place from July 24 through 28.

The entire NECA student body will visit the campus for the first day in order to introduce them to the campus. The 44 incoming ninth-graders will stay for the rest of the week for college instruction and collaborative projects.

Counselor Angela Reynolds said the program’s focus is acclimating the incoming ninth graders to being on a college campus, since the ninth- and 10th-graders are moving onto the Alcorn State University campus for the 2017-18 school year.

“This past summer was the first year the summer abridged was put in place,” Reynolds said. “The summer abridged program was put in place to help students make a smoother transition.”

Principal Kesha Broady-Campbell said despite the program being for the incoming ninth-grade students, the first day is beneficial for anyone involved in the school.

“The first day is used to familiarize the faculty, staff and upper classmen,” Broady-Campbell said. “We invite the parents to come, and Co-Lin faculty and staff as well.”

The program will provide incoming ninth-graders with basic instruction that will cover reading, writing and critical thinking, which will collaborate with math, science, social studies and English subjects.

Broady-Campbell said at the end of each day, students will have worked collaboratively on some project with their instructors.

“They won’t be collaborating with the college students yet,” Broady-Campbell said. “They will be learning Cornell note taking and college etiquette, and will have learned core concepts of the classes and basic team work skills to create projects that demonstrate their understanding or mastery of that skill.”

Broady-Campbell said incoming ninth-graders adapt to the college experience easier after being on a college campus because the experience helps solidify unknown concepts.

“The whole early college concept … really makes something that seems like a dream or a possibility more tangible for the students,” Broady-Campbell said. “Exposure is everything. It broadens their dreams and heightens their expectations.”