YCSD and Choffin partners with YSU to offer students college credit

Youngstown City Schools is launching a new partnership to give high school students a head start on college.

For the first time, Choffin Career and Technical Center is teaming up with Youngstown State University, offering college credit for programs including firefighting, media production and more.

Choffin Director Dr. Mike Saville said it’s an overdue connection.

“They’re in our backyard," Saville said, "We're going to establish it and make up for lost time."

It’s called an "articulation agreement" and lets students turn their high school courses into college credit at YSU, saving time and providing a smooth transition at no cost.

Choffin’s firefighting program will now provide students with 34 college credit hours toward a YSU degree in fire science.

“I think that it’s pretty awesome. It’s beneficial for everyone, the fire service and our students and YSU,” said Courtney Kelly, Choffin’s firefighting program director and a Youngstown Fire Captain, “I think the message is it doesn’t just stop at the fire academy. You can definitely seek additional education that could help you further your career in the higher ranks.”

Choffin’s audio and video broadcasting classes will also earn students 26 credit hours toward YSU’s multimedia communications degree.

“Once they go to a college visit and they talk to the programs and see what’s ahead of them, and see how much we have offered toward that, I think that becomes more real to them at that time. So it’s that connection,” Saville said.

Saville said the EMT track is also underway.

The agreement runs through 2029, and Choffin leaders said they’re already working to expand the partnership to more programs.