The Wyoming State Scholars Initiative helps students understand the connection between high school coursework and their ability to qualify for college, scholarships, and good jobs. Those who complete the State Scholars Initiative Core Course of Study are better equipped to advance to higher education, succeed in workplace and military training programs, and/or resume their education in preparation for a career change at a later date.
In December 2006, Wyoming was chosen to participate in the State
Scholars Initiative (SSI), a national business/education partnership
effort working to increase the number of students who take a challenging curriculum in high school. The SSI program is overseen by
the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education and is funded by
the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) of the U.S.
Department of Education (ED). The Wyoming P-16 Education Council
administers the SSI in Wyoming.
SSI encourages students to take a secondary school curriculum that will prepare them for successful entry in higher education or the workforce. Wyoming – along with Missouri, New Hampshire, and South Dakota – joined 20 other states that have participated in the SSI network: Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.
Each state is funded at up to $300,000 over a two-year period to implement SSI programs in at least five school districts. In Wyoming, the five districts participating at present are Big Horn 3 (Greybull), Fremont 25 (Riverton), Laramie 2 (Pine Bluffs), Natrona 1 (Casper), and Niobrara 1 (Lusk). These five districts account for nearly 17 percent of the state’s student population.
Local business-education partnerships will work with students and school leaders in those districts, encouraging students to become Wyoming Scholars by completing a high school curriculum that includes the Wyoming Core Course of Study: four years of English, three years of mathematics (Algebra 1 and 2, Geometry), three years of science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics), three and a half years of social studies (chosen from U.S. History, World History, Geography, Economics, or Government), and two years of a language other than English. To motivate students to elect the Core, SSI brings business leaders into the classroom to talk about the real-world value of a challenging curriculum. Local businesses also provide students with incentives to persevere in the successful completion of that curriculum.
