New River Community and Technical College (New River CTC) and the Nicholas County Board of Education are partnering to offer nursing classes to high school students in Nicholas County Schools starting in the fall of 2023. The partnership is the first of its kind in West Virginia.
The new partnership will allow high school students to complete nursing courses while in high school and to earn a Certificate of Applied Science in Practical Nursing as they complete their high school degree requirements.
Ninth and tenth grade students will have the opportunity to work toward Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certification and to progress into practical nursing classes offered at New River CTC in eleventh and twelfth grade.
“Our new partnership will allow students to earn their high school diploma and practical nursing certificate simultaneously,” explained New River CTC President Dr. Bonny Copenhaver. “We will be preparing students for careers earlier and meeting the needs in our communities by providing qualified nurses to address the shortage in our region.”
“This new LPN program is the tip of the iceberg. It demonstrates some of the possibilities with the new academy approach we are undertaking in Nicholas County. Students will graduate high school college and career ready, meaning they can earn competitive wages as soon as they graduate high school in addition to having the foundation they need to be successful should they chose to continue their education in a college or university,” said Dr. Donna Burge-Tetrick, Nicholas County Schools Superintendent.
New River CTC offers the Certificate of Applied Science in Practical Nursing at the Greenbrier Valley Campus in Lewisburg, Nicholas County Campus in Summersville, Raleigh County Campus in Beaver and Summers County ARH Hospital in Hinton.
For more information about programs offered at New River CTC, visit www.newriver.edu, email admissions@newriver.edu or call 866-349-3739.
