Teacher Heather Dodds stands in the classroom with three of her Brooklyn Center High School students

Heather Dodds' Brooklyn Center High School (BCHS) classroom is one of the best places in Minnesota to learn about psychology. Through the College in the Schools (CIS) program, Brooklyn Center students take the same Introduction to Psychology course as the students on the University of Minnesota (UMN) Twin Cities campus—the same lectures, textbooks, and exams. 

All BCHS students in the course are first-generation, college-bound students from families challenged by poverty and racism, and they are determined to succeed…Part of their success in the course thus far can be attributed to the guidance of Ms. Dodds, the determination and camaraderie of their like-minded peers, and the friendly, cozy BCHS classroom. But their success is primarily self-driven by their desire to push themselves beyond a regular high school experience. 

Read more of Building Pathways from High School to College to learn how Dodds’ students have embraced the many benefits of CIS, including the opportunity to earn college credit while working simultaneously toward their high school diploma.

Story and photo courtesy UMN Department of Psychology.