Mercer County Community College Program Aims to Help Students

Mercer County Community College’s Program Very Important People, otherwise known as VIP, is starting up again and looking for students to participate.

“We go into ninth-grade academy, and we go to trans Central High School, and we provide after-school enrichment,” explained Alyssa Brown, a coordinator with VIP. The program is designed to help Trenton high school students succeed in high school and college. “The program aims to assist students in attaining the skills necessary to meet New Jersey’s Core Curriculum Content Standards,” as noted on MCCC’s website. “Therefore, VIP provides participating students with after-school enrichment opportunities that complement the regular school day.”

The program adapts to each student’s needs and interests to ensure the best outcome for them. “We have different things tailored to what the kids take for the school year,” Brown explained. “like this year, we’re doing a survey based on what we had.”

This program isn’t solely focused on getting students into college. It also concentrates on internships and trade schools. “If they don’t choose to go to college, they have these trades, from professional people that come in and help them. We also provide college and career preparation. We teach how to get into college and how to get into a trade.”

Brown explains that the program brought in a licensed cosmetologist for the group to learn from professionals. “…one student (she) asked for internships, so we found her an internship at a salon.”

The program is available to students from ninth grade to twelfth grade. To learn more visit: https://www.mccc.edu/community_youth_jkc_vip.shtml.

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