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Some of the 15 rising seniors or recent high school graduates who participated in the MCLA/BCC Summer Academy pose with their completion certificates on Friday. The students earned up to six college credits.

Local Students Graduate From College-Sponsored Summer Academy

By Matt McGroryiBerkshires Intern
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — More than a dozen high school seniors and recent graduates earned college credits this summer through the MCLA/BCC Summer Academy program.
 
Friends and family gathered for the graduation luncheon this past Friday in the Conte Federal Building to celebrate the students’ achievement over the monthlong program. 
 
The Summer Academy program, first instituted in 2016, has been designed to give motivated young adults a headstart into college by providing them with two free college courses; Statistics 101 and English 101, both of which award three college credits upon completion.
 
These credits can be transferred to any state-accredited college inside or out of Massachusetts, which can end up saving students thousands of dollars in tuition.
 
It also gives participants an opportunity to work a paid internship in a field that interests them over the summer, a free laptop, and a free lunch for every day of the program.
 
The academy is staffed by faculty and advisers from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and Berkshire Community College, which jointly administer the program, and from the local high schools. The internships are available through Berkshire County Regional Employment Board. 
 
With college just around the corner, students were able to gain insight and experience into possible future career paths through their internships.
 
My internship was a position in journalism at iBerkshires.com, which gave me the opportunity to report on my experience with the program.
 
Kelby Lesage is a rising senior at Drury High School in North Adams, who is considering a future in social services. The academy allowed him to explore this field when he landed an internship at the Berkshire Community Action Council in Pittsfield.
 
"I could hardly have asked for a better experience out of my first-ever job," he said. "I've learned a great deal about how public assistance works … This internship experience and the knowledge I gained have encouraged me to strongly consider pursuing a career in the public sector."
 
As a student of the academy myself, I can safely state that it was a worthwhile experience. The chance to earn six college credits for free, plus get a paid internship, is one that I would recommend to anyone who plans on advancing their education after high school.
 
Matt McGrory worked at iBerkshires.com during the program, writing articles and learning about the news business. 

Tags: BCC,   internships,   MCLA,   summer programs,   

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Dalton Committee Seeks Funding for Invasive Species

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The Open Space and Recreation Committee discussed addressing the invasive species at the Pines trailhead during its meeting last week. 
 
There will possibly be a money article on the annual town warrant requesting voters allocate $20,000  from free cash so that the committee can apply for a Community Forest Stewardship program grant. The Select Board placed it on the annual town meeting warrant on Monday. 
 
During a walkthrough of the Pines, Jess Toro, co-owner of Native Habitat Restoration, urged the committee to apply for the program.
 
According to Town Manager Thomas Hutcheson, although the grant would be reimbursed, the town needs to allocate the amount the committee is requesting in order to apply. 
 
If approved, the first phase would be to hire a consultant and focus on cutting and painting large invasives and vines in the 17 acres, staying out of any wetlands and wetland buffers. 
 
The committee has been thinking about how to address invasive species at the Pines since the start of the project and this year will be taking its first step into the long process of invasive species management. 
 
However, finding a professional to help with invasive species has been difficult due to the limited number of experts in the field, said the committee.
 
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