Piner Early College Magnet Program

Santa Rosa City Schools and Santa Rosa Junior College share a unique partnership known as the Piner High School Early College Magnet (EMC) Program. This partnership provides qualified high school students dual enrollment opportunities, allowing them to earn college credits while earning their high school diploma. This exceptional educational opportunity establishes a four-year cohort providing EMC students with accelerated learning in the company of other college students.

Piner EMC students receive special counseling services from both the high school and SRJC. Each student is provided with a personalized four-year education plan. Students also complete SRJC counseling courses to prepare them for college success.

ECM students begin their journey as freshmen at Piner High School by taking a course called Early College Foundations which prepares them for future college course work.  As sophomores, the EMC students take a Counseling course at SRJC that is restricted only for Piner EMC sophomores.  

As high school juniors and seniors, students attend four periods at Piner High School and enroll in as many as two college courses per semester at the SRJC Santa Rosa Campus. Their courses of study are guided by their personal education plans and lead to the completion of a certificate, associate degree, or university transfer.

SRJC enrollment fees are exempted for high school dual enrollment students and all required SRJC textbooks are provided at no cost to students enrolled in the Piner EMC program. A designated SRJC counselor provides support and instruction for the students, while an SRJC staff member coordinates the Program for the college. The high school supports the program by providing bus transportation to SRJC’s Santa Rosa Campus, staff for high school counseling and coordination of the program for the high school, as well as marketing and outreach for student recruitment.

For further information, contact: Colleen Olmstead, Student Outreach Coordinator, Santa Rosa Junior College at colmstead@santarosa.edu.