PMC Partners with
Providence, Rhode Island, Met Center

In 2001, PMC added a new dimension to its outreach: it entered into a partnership with the Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center (The Met) of Providence, Rhode Island, with the goal of better understanding and serving students who may not see college as an option. The Met is a public, four-year high school that integrates academic and applied learning and intensely engages families and the community in educating youth. It serves a diverse urban student population (the majority of whom are from poor families where English is a second language) and is committed to providing college access for all students. Since its first graduating class in 2000, 97% of Met seniors have applied to college, and 100% of those who have applied have been accepted.

The Met is nationally acclaimed for its innovative educational design and exceptionally high retention, graduation, and college acceptance rates. It was chosen as one of six public high schools in the United States to participate in the Pathways to College Study for its extraordinary ability to get traditionally underserved urban students through high school and into college.

From the beginning, the Pine Manor/Met Partnership has been a top-down and bottom-up endeavor, with faculty and staff spending time on each other’s campuses, developing a rich and thoughtful dialogue on how best to work together. Five Met alumnae are currently enrolled at Pine Manor (with 16 applications from the current Met senior class). In addition, the partnership has grown to include opportunities for Met students to participate in Pine Manor’s Leadership Weekends; a mentoring component for Met alumnae in their freshman year at Pine Manor; faculty discussions and collaborations on college readiness workshops for all Met seniors; Summer Infusion for incoming first-years; and a picnic at Pine Manor for incoming Met students’ families.

Looking ahead, PMC faculty and staff are strengthening ties with Met Center teachers and counselors and working on new initiatives to further aid students with academic readiness, college preparation, first-year transition, and family engagement.