Dual enrollment gives high school students an early pathway to college

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — For a group of Allentown School District students, summer break this year included something they might normally have expected to experience much later: taking college courses on a Penn State campus and earning credits toward a future degree.

Through the Pre-College Academy, a partnership between Penn State Lehigh Valley and the Allentown School District, high school students have an opportunity to experience college-level academics before graduating from high school while removing some of the traditional barriers to higher education.

This summer, participating students came to the Penn State Lehigh Valley campus for an AI Summer Institute, completing two three-credit courses focused not only on artificial intelligence, but also on the human skills that will become increasingly important as AI brings changes to how people learn and work.

The Allentown School District covered tuition and fees and provided transportation between its high schools and the Penn State Lehigh Valley campus, giving students the opportunity to earn six Penn State credits at no cost to their families.

For Maria, an Allentown School District student who participated in the institute, the experience went beyond learning how artificial intelligence works.

“I liked being able to socialize with others while learning not only how AI models work, but also how to be more presentable when it comes to communication and leadership skills,” Maria said.

The experience also pushed her outside her comfort, she said. Classroom discussions helped her become more comfortable communicating and sharing her views with her peers. “As much as it has put me on the spot certain times, especially due to my social anxiety, it has helped me push past my fears and communicate better with my peers,” she said.

Learning to understand AI, not just use it

During the AI Summer Institute, students completed AI 100, Artificial Intelligence: Automated Thinking to Augment Human, taught by Rifat Sabbir Mansur, assistant professor of information sciences and technology, and LA 135N, Human Intelligence in the Age of AI, taught by Stephanie Gresh, assistant teaching professor of business.

Together, the courses encouraged students to understand both the technology behind artificial intelligence and the human capabilities needed to use it effectively.

In AI 100, students explored how artificial intelligence systems work while examining concepts including algorithms, machine learning, bias and the limitations of AI. Rifat Mansur said developing AI literacy requires students to do more than learn how to use the latest tools.

“AI literacy is becoming an essential skill, but understanding AI also makes critical thinking more important, not less important,” Rifat Mansur said. “We want students to understand what these systems can do, where they can fall short and why human judgment still matters.”

That message resonated with students. Justin, another Allentown School District student who participated in the institute, said one of his biggest takeaways was recognizing the limits of relying on technology.

“I learned that we can't depend only on AI, or we will end up losing some of our own skills,” Justin said.

Maria said she came away with a greater understanding of how human decisions can affect the output produced by artificial intelligence, particularly when it comes to bias and inaccurate information.

“I learned that nearly everything relies on the programmer/developer when it comes to training the AI models to prevent biases and hallucinations,” she said.

Developing the human skills that matter

Gresh's course approached the changing relationship between humans and artificial intelligence from another direction, asking students to consider what distinctly human abilities will continue to matter as AI becomes more capable.

Students worked with AI tools while developing critical thinking, empathy, adaptability, communication and social influence. They practiced those skills through classroom activities and projects and completed the course with a digital portfolio demonstrating what they had learned.

“The course gives Allentown high school students something rare: real college credit paired with practical skills they can use right away,” Gresh said. “Students learn how to work with AI tools while strengthening the human skills that still matter most — critical thinking, empathy, adaptability and social influence.”

For Gresh, those skills are not separate from career preparation. They are increasingly central to it.

“Soft skills are not ‘nice to have’; they are the skills that help people stay valuable as technology changes,” Gresh said.

Students also explored ethical questions surrounding artificial intelligence and learned to analyze real-world dilemmas and support their positions with evidence.

“AI is a powerful tool, but it still needs human direction, judgment and oversight,” Gresh said. “Ethical thinking matters.”

Odette, another student in the institute, said she enjoyed the different approaches of the two courses and came away with a greater understanding of AI. Her advice for students considering the program was straightforward: Turn in their work on time and “be open minded.”

Building college confidence early

The experience was also designed to accomplish something beyond teaching students about artificial intelligence: To give them an authentic experience with college while they are still in high school.

“For many students, this is their first real experience of college-level work,” Gresh said. “It builds confidence, reduces the intimidation of higher education, and gives them tangible evidence of their readiness both for future classes and for the workplace.”

That early exposure is one of the broader goals of Penn State Lehigh Valley's growing dual enrollment efforts.

Through Penn State's high school dual credit enrollment program, eligible students can take college courses on campus while still enrolled in high school. Students who have completed their junior year or are currently seniors are generally eligible, with exceptions for younger students considered on a case-by-case basis. Typical applicants have a cumulative high school GPA of 3.0.

Penn State Lehigh Valley's growing portfolio of dual enrollment opportunities currently includes partnerships with the Allentown School District, Upper Perkiomen High School and Lehigh Career and Technical Institute.

For Aracelys Lopez, Penn State Lehigh Valley student success and dual enrollment coordinator, the value of those programs goes beyond accumulating credits.

“Dual enrollment gives students an opportunity to see themselves as college students before they ever graduate from high school,” Lopez said. “They learn what college-level expectations look like, meet faculty and other students, and begin building confidence that they belong in this environment.”

Local access to a Penn State education

According to Gresh, programs like the Pre-College Academy also demonstrate the critical role Penn State's Commonwealth Campuses can play as access points to higher education for students and families across Pennsylvania.

Located in communities across the commonwealth, the campuses connect students with the academic resources and opportunities of a globally recognized university while allowing them to begin their Penn State experience closer to home.

For high school students, dual enrollment can make that connection even earlier. Students can learn from Penn State faculty, experience college-level academics and begin earning University credits before receiving their high school diplomas.

That combination provides something distinctive: local access to college-level opportunities backed by the academic resources and global recognition of Penn State. Students can begin building a college transcript close to home while gaining experience that can prepare them to continue toward a Penn State degree or pursue other higher education opportunities.

The approach also reflects Penn State's land-grant mission by bringing University resources directly into the communities it serves and creating pathways to higher education for students who may not otherwise envision themselves attending college.

Gresh said the Allentown partnership is a direct example of that mission in action.

“Instead of waiting for students to find their way to campus, the University brings a full three-credit course to Allentown high school students while they are still in high school. The program helps remove “common barriers — geography, cost, and the sense that college is ‘for someone else’ — and replaces them with a real academic experience. Overall, the program creates an early, visible pathway into higher education and shows local students that Penn State is already part of their community,” Gresh said.

Some students who participated in the summer institute are expected to continue taking AI courses at Penn State Lehigh Valley during the fall semester, allowing them to build on the credits and experience they gained over the summer.

“Our Commonwealth Campuses are uniquely positioned to make Penn State accessible to students in the communities where they already live and learn,” Lopez said. “For a high school student, coming here and successfully completing a Penn State course can change the way they think about college and about what they are capable of achieving.”

For Allentown School District student Maria, the experience reinforced a lesson that extends well beyond artificial intelligence.

“I advise newer students to not let fear get the better of them when it comes to finding new opportunities,” she said. “This program welcomes many with open arms and it will teach you valuable skills that are not only limited to AI technology, but in presentation and communication.”