Naugatuck Valley Community College President Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D. joined administrators, local legislators, students, faculty and community members at Danbury High School on Monday, September 21 to cut the ribbon on the Early College Opportunity (ECO) program launched this academic year.

The program begins the year with 100 incoming freshmen selected through a lottery as the first cohort. Students have an opportunity to earn an Associate Degree in Information Technology from NVCC, in either Computer Programming or Business Analysis, simultaneously with their high school diploma.

“Today’s celebration of the beginning of a journey to bring early college opportunities represents a milestone in collaborative efforts, bringing public and higher education and industry together,” said President De Filippis. “We are delighted to be a part of it and to join hands and make this big dream into a meaningful reality.”

In addition to NVCC and Danbury Public Schools, the ECO program is sponsored by NewOak Capital LLC and Pitney Bowes. Additional funding is provided by the state Board of Regents for Higher Education, which operates the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system. Savings Bank of Danbury has also offered funding for the program.

“We know this program works—and that’s what’s so exciting about today. Because while it may be new to Danbury and new to Connecticut, these programs work,” said U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty (CT-5). “They’re a great way for you to not only to learn all kinds of skills that are going to be helpful for New Oak and Pitney Bowes and all the other companies in Connecticut that are really eager to hire young talent, but you are also showing that you can show up on time, know how to work well with others and teams; you are creative, you are problem solvers and you know how to work hard,” she told students.

The degree program is offered by the College at the high school as part of the program’s curriculum. Students will begin accelerating their high school requirements so that by sophomore or junior year, they can begin incorporating college-level courses. They can expect to complete the associate degree in four, five or six years.

“Having spent the last year preparing to launch Danbury ECO, this day is surreal,” said Dan Donovan, principal of the DHS Freshman Academy and organizer of Danbury ECO. “It is great to see these 100 students excited about the program and its success.”

This program is part of a growing nationwide trend modeled after the first program in Brooklyn, N.Y., at IBM’s acclaimed P-TECH (Pathways in Technology Early College High School). The first program in Connecticut, Norwalk Early College Academy (NECA), began in fall 2014 as a partnership between IBM, Norwalk Public Schools and Norwalk Community College. Danbury is one of three partnerships in the state slated to begin this fall; schools in Windham and New London are also beginning programs.