In the back-to-school season, spotlights tend to land on high school juniors and seniors preparing for football games, prom season and all the other things traditional high school brings. With all the “glitz” of high school society in media, from dramatic Netflix shows to vampire novels, sometimes we forget about those who struggle with the traditional model and leave them out when it comes to talking about high school education.
Non-traditional education points to any school that offers educational opportunities outside of the typical 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. model, something that doesn’t work for all students. In the past year, some students struggled through online learning, while others thrived. The same goes for the standard 8-hour school day with classrooms of more than 20 students and a single instructor.
The Habersham Mountain Education Charter High School offers a no-cost opportunity for students to earn their high school diplomas outside of a traditional high school setting.
“We help all kinds of students, but for the most part, we try to help those kids that have not been successful in [traditional] high school,” says Habersham Campus Site Administrator Sherrie Whiten. “We are a great option because of the [one-on-one] support and smaller class sizes. We’re just a great option for kids that otherwise wouldn’t be able to get a diploma that live in this community.”
The school is open to all students under 21 that want to finish their high school diploma in a non-traditional way, and it’s not just an option for Habersham residents, students from Banks, Hall and White counties have all worked on their high school diplomas at the Habersham MECHS location.
Students can receive one-on-one instruction from certified educators at their own pace and at times that work for their schedules at MECHS. The school offers virtual and in-person options, and many students work with a hybrid of both.
There is a stigma often attached to non-traditional schools like MECHS, specifically those surrounding the students who attend. Some people expect the school to be full of “troubled kids,” but Whiten says those stereotypes just aren’t true.
“It’s not that at all,” Whiten says. “We’ve got quite a few kids that just don’t want to be at the high school. They’re not a cheerleader, or they’re not a football player, and what they want to do is finish and move on.”
Whiten says that several years ago, two high school juniors from Hall county came to MECHS simply because they wanted to finish high school and go to college. By Christmas of that year, both girls had completed high school, received their diplomas, and been accepted to the University of North Georgia.
An extraordinary family
While students still attend MECHS and other non-traditional schools due to more pressing issues, such as having to care for family members, being parents, working, health issues or any other number of reasons, these students are still working just as hard to invest in their educations and futures as students in traditional high school.
The staff at MECHS see the challenges many of their students face while earning their diplomas, and the school works hard to alleviate some of the stress from their students. The school shares a weekly dinner menu on a bulletin board, where they provide free meals to students from fast-food favorites and local restaurants.
The school provides learning opportunities outside of state curriculum, too. MECHS’s “adulting” classes teach students how to change their car’s oil, sew on a button, check tire pressure and other life skills. They take trips to local businesses and schools for students to learn about job opportunities and further education.
The education students receive at MECHS is top-notch, too. The school had the highest testing scores in US History out of any other school in the district, and within the first two weeks of school, MECHS students had collectively completed ten required courses.
The campus is open from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. every weekday and serves not only as a place for students to learn and meet their goals, but as a safe place for students to escape the hecticness of everyday life and get the mentorship they need.
For members of the community who are interested in helping MECHS reach their goal of helping students succeed, Whiten says that bringing students information on career opportunities, especially in the Northeast Georgia area, can open new doors for them.
“Let the kids see what kind of job opportunities there are out there because they don’t always know what’s in the community,” Whiten says. “If anybody’s ever interested in coming in and talking about opportunities where they work, that would be great.”
