Schools

OCC Orchard Ridge in Farmington Hills Welcomes State Board of Ed President

John Austin tours a program that allows students to earn a high school degree and college credits.

Michigan State Board of Education President John C. Austin last week toured Oakland Early College (OEC) based at in Farmington Hills.

Established in 2008, OEC enables students to earn a high school diploma, 60 college credits and an associate degree, at no expense.

Speaking to the 150 OEC students gathered in Orchard Ridge’s Smith Theatre on Feb. 8, Austin noted that “the states that are most successful are those with good education systems... Michigan needs institutions like OEC that create an environment that helps you do what you want to do and so make the state better.”

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A small group discussion among Austin and nine OEC students followed, during which students spoke of the diversity of OEC, the commitment of the faculty and staff and their importance in making OEC an outstanding educational experience.

A tour of OEC’s high school chemistry and Spanish classes provided Austin the opportunity to observe the students engaged in the classroom.

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The group then moved on to the campus’ King Library, where the 23rd Annual National African-American Read-In was in progress, featuring excerpts from the works of such authors as James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Richard Wright and Maya Angelou. Austin read a passage from actor Danny Glover’s autobiography, A Fundamental Thing, in which he reflected on how the encouragement of one of his elementary school teachers influenced his subsequent success.

The tour finished with a lunch at the campus’ Ridgewood Café, prepared and served by students in OCC’s prize-winning Culinary Studies Institute.


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