RICHMOND, Va. -- Three students wearing rubber gloves are looking over a urine sample in a lab.
"Glucose negative. Protein negative. Everything else is negative," the students say.
It might look like any other science class at Reynolds Community College in Richmond, but these are not college students.
They are in high school.
The Reynolds Early College Academy (ECA) provides outstanding Richmond public high school students the opportunity to earn college credit while completing the requirements for their high school diploma. Students can apply in 10th grade.
Reynolds ECA Director Miles McCrimmon, Ph.D.
"There will be 19 seniors leaving this program with 60 college credits and an associate’s degree in social sciences and ready to move into university study from here," Reynolds ECA Director Miles McCrimmon said.
"That's a lot coming out of high school," student D'Jarne Clarke said. "And I just feel like I wanted to be the first to do this in my city."
D'Jarne Clarke (left)
The students attend classes at Reynolds every morning, then it's back to their high schools in the afternoon.
"What it does, it really gives them options," McCrimmon said. "When they leave high school with that kit bag of college credits and an actual associates degree credential, we think it gives them the gift of time, and many options about how they want to pursue the rest of their higher education."
Building Better Minds with Rob Cardwell airs Wednesdays on CBS 6 at 6.
