Jocelyn VisnovEditor-in-Chief New Non-Credit Programs Transform The Bronx’s Educational Culture

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 non-credit courses in Spanish,” Zavala said.

SCPS is the only school in Manhattan College that has an associate’s degree program. This school houses Camino, an associate’s degree that targets Spanish speaking individuals, which allows for much of the Spanish speaking community to receive education that will open doors to more job opportunities in the future.

The NYC is Your Classroom program is set up similar to a summer camp. Students spend a week at MC, and travel all around NYC taking advantage of the local opportunities. Some examples of these pro- grams in action include business and finance, where past students have ventured to the New York Stock Exchange. This program also extends to the performing arts where students have the opportunity to see their mentors working in the field of entertainment.

The program is also set to expand opportunities for students studying psychology beginning in the fall 2023.

The last bracket is K-12, a program designed to establish after school programs and summer camps directed and taught by trained students interested in working with children. Some topics of these camps involve engineering, entrepreneurship, and more.

Zavala also emphasized the importance of these programs to the community. “You as an individual towards your education have to continue updating yourself, learning new things and seeing what’s out there, “ Zavala said. “In a short time period, you get a lot of knowledge and new skills that you can apply immediately, to grow and to strengthen your current career.”

Steven Goss, dean of SCPS, talked about becoming a well-rounded individual through these programs.

“Students that are studying in different fields that are adjacent to the certifications… or additional credentials,” Goss said. “They could utilize those on their resume or even in real time in their careers if they’re working already in the field.”

These courses are designed to help individuals grow personally, professionally and independently in a way that makes a person a desirable candidate to hire. Hence, these opportunities serve over 2,000 students currently. All programs range from $200-$1,000, making it more affordable than the average class because of the lack of credit towards a degree but rather a professional certification.