West-MEC, Rio Salado College Launch Nationally Accredited Dental Assisting Program; Partnership First of Its Kind

SURPRISE - November 2, 2009 - Western Maricopa Education Center (West-MEC) and the Communiversity @ Surprise via Rio Salado College have collaborated to provide the first-ever concurrent high school/college hybrid Dental Assisting program.

The dental assisting program at Rio Salado College is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association. Participating students learn patient care, laboratory procedures and office duties required for an entry-level career in the dental health care field. Graduates of the program are eligible to earn Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) certification.

"This program is an advancing opportunity for our high school students," said West-MEC Superintendent Gregory Donovan. "They earn college and high school credits while gaining marketable skills and technical knowledge that will propel them into a successful career."

The one-year Dental Assisting program is open to senior students residing within West-MEC district boundaries. Coursework is administered entirely online with a classroom instructor present to serve as a mediator and assist with lab work. Students will receive practical experience in their program internships with dental offices in the Valley.

Students in the program will gain a foundation for continued learning opportunities in the dental industry. The entry-level dental assistant occupation provides basic experience and serves as a steppingstone to other positions in dentistry such as: dental hygienist, chair side assistant or licensed dental radiographer.

Upon completion of the program, students will have a total of 31 community college credits, 3.5 high school credits and will be qualified to take the Dental Assisting National Board Certification examinations.

"Completing this course will enable students to test for certification that will give them a competitive edge," said Rio Salado College dental assisting program director Nicole Albo. "Certification is an accomplishment that sets an individual among the elite in the dental assisting profession."

Nicchia Foltz, 17, a senior at Surprise's Valley Vista High School, said she signed up for the program immediately once she learned about it.

"This program will give me a head start in my career," Foltz said. "I'll have a chance to become a licensed CDA and then I can get a job in a dental office and build my experience as I train to be a dental hygienist."

West-MEC will begin accepting applications for fall 2010 in February. Students interested in the program should meet with their high school guidance counselor or call the West-MEC registration office at 623-873-1860.

West-MEC is a public school district providing Career and Technical Education to prepare high school students for their future. The Communiversity @ Surprise is a higher education center organized by Rio Salado College, in partnership with several other colleges, universities and West-MEC. It is the first and only communiversity concept in the United States to integrate high school students into the learning model.