Early College Day at the State House 2024

More than 200 Early College supporters visit Beacon Hill for “Early College Day at the State House”
A large and diverse crowd of students, education leaders, and community leaders visit the State House to demonstrate the impact of Early College, and to push for continued growth across the state.

On March 21, 2024, more than 200 Early College students, leaders, and partners from around the state joined us on Beacon Hill for Early College Day at the State House. Many thanks to the Joint Committees on Education and Higher Education and the co-sponsors of An Act Relative to College in High School for co-hosting, to our organizational co-sponsors, and especially to our program partners, without whom the event would not have been possible. We’ve shared some highlights and photos above from the day that capture the incredible show of support for Early College that you all put on.

Early College Legislative Briefing
The morning started with a legislative briefing on the impact of Early College statewide, and previewing priorities for building on the early successes of the Initiative. Alliance Executive Director Erika Giampietro kicked off the speaking program with a welcome, and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll offered remarks on the Healey Administration’s commitment to Early College.

Three of our legislative hosts, Representative Dave Rogers (Chair, Joint Higher Education Committee), Representative Jeff Roy (Chair, Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy) and Senator Brendan Crighton (Chair, Senate Committee on Juvenile and Emerging Adult Justice and Joint Committee on Transportation), offered remarks on why they have been leading the push in the legislature to continue growing the investment in the Initiative.

The program also included two panels, both moderated by Marcela Garcia of the Boston Globe. The first panel included:

  • Destiny Egbuta, Early College alum from Lynn Classical High School
  • Bill Heineman, President of North Shore Community College
  • John Keenan, President of Salem State University
  • Jared Nicholson, Mayor of the City of Lynn

The second panel included:

  • Rahn Dorsey, Board Chair of Franklin Cummings Tech and Chief Impact Officer for Eastern Bank
  • Steve Zrike, Superintendent of Salem Public Schools
  • Cambre Santos, Early College Alum and now a teacher at Lawrence High School
  • Jay Ash, President and CEO of Massachusetts Competitive Partnership

Alliance Deputy Director Chessye Moseley provided an update on the Early College Initiative, demonstrating the impact of Early College, and priorities for the next chapter.

State House Tour for Students and Program Leaders
While the legislative briefing was taking place on the fourth floor, more than 100 students and program partners enjoyed a tour of the State House led by Representative Rob Consalvo (14th Suffolk), Representative Sean Garballey (23rd Middlesex), and Representative David Biele (4th Suffolk). The walking tour provided opportunities for students to visit and learn the history behind the State House, and the work that happens in the building. Students even had the opportunity to join the audience for an informal session of the House of Representatives!

Legislative Visits & Door-Knocking
Programming was followed by an afternoon of legislative visits, where students and partners from more than 20 Early College programs visited all 200 legislative offices in the building to share their Early College experiences. Thank you to our students and partners from the following communities who spent the day with us: Boston, Chelsea, Fall River, Fitchburg, Gardner, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Milford, Salem, Springfield, Waltham, Westfield, and Worcester.

In reflecting on the day, we are incredibly grateful to be able to organize this event in partnership with our coalition and the hundreds of students and practitioners who made the trip to Boston to demonstrate the widespread impact of Early College. In just six years, the Early College Initiative has grown from a small set of pilot programs to a well-supported, statewide initiative that touches students and families in every corner of the Commonwealth. This work requires the innovative efforts of so many school leaders, program staff, and classroom educators who work hard every day to fundamentally shift the way we think about secondary and postsecondary education, and to break down longstanding silos between high school and college to promote student success. It’s a pleasure to work with you all, and we look forward to continuing to support your work – and an even larger showing on Beacon Hill in 2025!