College Course Added to Saturday School

The Birmingham complex of schools, including Birmingham High School, today adds a college course to its Saturday School curriculum.

The course is targeted at parents of students who never completed their high school education or find themselves just wanting to sit in a classroom again and soak up a little knowledge, officials said.

“We believe education is a lifelong process,” said Constance Gibson, a coordinator of the Saturday School. “We’re putting that belief to work.”

Each Saturday during the spring semester, the campuses of the 13 schools in the complex will be teeming with students, from offerings from pre-kindergarten classes to college-level courses.

Program officials are hoping the addition of the college courses will stimulate older generations to return to school and younger generations to get a head start on college. The college class, offered in conjunction with Valley College, is called the Personal Development Class. It is intended to teach students about new career opportunities, new job skills, college life and what qualifications are needed to get the jobs they want.

A tuition fee of $13 is required for the class, Gibson said.

Space is limited and allotted on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Gibson said more than 300 students attended the Saturday School program last semester and that she expects even more in the future.

“People seem to be really excited about it,” she said. “Parents can take classes in the same school as their children.”

Gibson said enrollment is highest in the English as a Second Language and computer classes, and that she hopes the college course will be as popular.

For more information, call (818) 345-5446.