For 17 years, College of the Redwoods has hosted the North Coast’s most successful Early College High School (ECHS) program, the Academy of the Redwoods (AR). Originally conceived through a partnership between the Humboldt County Office of Education, Humboldt State University, and CR to procure funding to start an ECHS with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Jobs For the Future grant, AR was one answer to a countywide goal to increase the number of high school graduates going on to pursue some form of post-secondary education. On the ground, the program was started by a team of educators from Fortuna High School and HSU, and the Fortuna Union High School District (FUHSD) has operated AR from its conception to the thriving program it is today. After the grant funding sunsetted, FUHSD and CR administered the AR program through a periodically reviewed Memorandum of Understanding that will be renewed this spring.

That’s just the surface of the story, however. In nearly two decades, the bond between the dedicated educators of CR and the passionate staff and students of AR has grown into something truly special. Over time, CR instructors have developed an appreciation for AR students and their demonstrated dedication, hard work, and sterling attendance. Instructors often check their rosters before the semester to make sure at least a few AR students have registered, and several instructors regularly contact AR administration and counselors to encourage AR students to sign up for their classes. I recently received a commendation regarding an AR student who received the highest grade in their class, and last year an AR student achieved salutatorian status at CR’s commencement!

I’ve had the privilege of serving as the principal at AR for two years, and during that time I have enjoyed forming friendly, productive, and meaningful working relationships with our colleagues at CR. CR sees AR students as their own. While the idea of high school students on a junior college campus might sound intimidating, we are confident that this is actually one of the safest settings for a high school possible, with so many additional professionals keeping an eye out for our students’ wellbeing and success. CR’s public safety team has been a particularly important partner to AR on that end. CR’s team in their Welcome Center has gone to great lengths to provide opportunities for AR students to engage with the CR community and pupil resources, and they have developed seamless transitions for the many AR graduates who continue at CR after high school.

After being rattled by the Dec. 20st earthquake, we learned that one of the buildings at CR that AR utilized the most was going to be temporarily unavailable. This presented an incredible challenge for AR. On the morning of the earthquake, CR’s leadership team immediately rallied around AR, providing space, solutions, and support for us so that we could finish our fall semester strong the next day and start our spring semester smoothly. With a myriad of other issues on their plates, CR’s IT team, maintenance department, cafeteria staff, building managers, and administration hustled through winter break to make sure that everything was ready to go for AR by Jan. 9. While AR and CR are separate entities on paper, that day truly illuminated that our programs share the same vision and values for the success and well-being of students and their educators.

This year, AR students will eclipse 10,000 college credits earned through concurrent enrollment at CR, and over 400 students have graduated from AR with a head start on their path to college and career. These programs, and the partnership that bonds them, is only growing stronger and more effective as we advance through the 2020s. Together, CR and FUHSD have fostered an Early College High School opportunity for Humboldt County students that typically only exists in urban centers. Very few ECHS programs are located directly on a junior college campus, AR is one of those few. AR is the longest-running and one of the most thriving rural ECHS programs in the state, and that is something that the whole county can be proud of.

Arnold J. King is the principal of Academy of the Redwoods and a Eureka resident.