The Homestead School and SUNY Sullivan host ceremonial opening of new collaborative hub campus

he Homestead School and SUNY Sullivan proudly announced the opening of the Collaborative College High School (CCHS) during a ceremonial ribbon cutting event. The new high school program – which will open this fall -build upon the advanced studies and hands-on learning of the Homesteads Montessori K-8 school, and in collaboration with SUNY Sullivan, will offer college courses for their inaugural class of 9th grade students.

With their THINC Lab expanding to Rock Hill, NY, The Center for Discovery® has generously offered the building located at 202 Main Street, Hurleyville, New York for this new partnership.

True to the Montessori approach, The Collaborative College High School will continue to provide individualized academic guidance, offering appropriate academic challenge and direction to the needs of a wide range of individuals. CCHS will maintain the low student to teacher ratio that has helped make the Homestead School a caring and attentive academic environment. In tandem, the staff of the Homestead, SUNY Sullivan, and The Center for Discovery® will provide opportunities for mentorship and counseling that support student growth beyond academics.

“Early Colleges, much like the Montessori movement, operate from the principle that we need to provide quality educational opportunities that help students become the best versions of themselves, and that doesn’t always mean fitting into traditional educational models,” said SUNY Sullivan President Jay Quaintance. “CCHS students will have hands-on opportunities to use SUNY Sullivan’s state of the art labs and onsite organic farm to explore topics including the natural and health sciences, visual arts, and farm to table culinary adventures. Education, now more than ever, needs to develop individuals who understand that a sustainable future requires practiced stewardship, meaningful partnerships and collective wisdom. CCHS seeks to model these ideals in our work and service.”

This type of collaborative educational model between a private high school and public college is unique in the SUNY network.

State University of New York Chancellor Jim Malatras said, “The new Collaborative College High School, a partnership between SUNY Sullivan and the Homestead School, will serve as a model for breaking down barriers between K-12 and college, and they are leading the way to not only provide access to students, but excellence in programming as well. We know that the type of learning children receive is as important as access to education, and the Montessori method is one of the premier methods of educating children. I want to thank SUNY Sullivan President Jay Quaintance for helping to develop this model, and bringing together a grassroots coalition of leaders to make this vision of the collaborative high school a reality.”

Starting in the fall of 2021, ninth grade students will begin the process of selecting a study track that will allow them to dive deeper into areas that interest them, while their academic pursuits are supported by the specialized facilities and experts available to them.

College level courses will be taught at the Collaborative Hub in the Junior High and as students enter the Senior High program they will have the opportunity to attend classes at SUNY Sullivan.

“An authentic education at the high school level must be a partnership of students, teachers, community members, and organizations,” said Jack Comstock, President of the CCHS. “For our students to gain confidence, practical skill, and knowledge they must be actively engaged outside the walls of the classroom. An outstanding community college like SUNY Sullivan is already doing this at the college level and therefore is a perfect partner for bringing this collaborative ethos to the high school level. With six years of Collaborative College High School, and with all of the possibilities for deep learning and deep engagement that lie ahead, Homestead and SUNY Sullivan are together creating a model of education that is rooted in place and global in scope.

The SUNY Sullivan campus offers specialized learning classrooms in areas including laboratory science, nursing, media arts, and theater. Curricular options include a wide range of elective studies. Many of these college courses will count toward the credits required for a NY State high school diploma, and also as college credits.

SUNY Sullivans 405-acre campus provides a living sustainability lab with an organic farm, geothermal heating and cooling, solar farm, wind turbine, and apiary. The college provides dually enrolled students with access to sports facilities, including a field house with indoor track and basketball courts.

To learn more about the Collaborative College High School, call 845-856-6359, or send an email to info@homesteadeducation.org,

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