Students from Interboro and Penn Wood high schools were recently recognized for completing Delaware County Community College’s Dual Enrollment Early College Electro-Mechanical Technologies program, which enabled them to earn 29 college credits while still in high school.

At a recognition ceremony held at the college’s Marple Campus, each of the 10 students received a certificate in Electro-Mechanical Technologies. Many of the students plan to enroll at the college for their post-secondary education; one student plans to attend Penn State.

“It was awesome. It was a great experience,” said Interboro’s Austin Coigne, a musician who wants to pursue a career as a music technician, creating and fixing musical instruments, soundboards, and other equipment.

Diane Coigne, Austin’s mother, said one of things she liked most about the program was that it gave her son an introduction to college.

“To have such a community behind them,” she said of the college’s faculty, administrators, and staff. “I just think it is a privilege they were presented with this opportunity.”

Electro-mechanical technicians work to combine electronic controls with mechanical systems to complete a task or process. Some examples include automatic teller machines, robotic manufacturing to produce automobiles, or order fulfillment in a complex warehouse and distribution system.

The college’s Electro-Mechanical Technologies program leads to a 29-credit academic certificate that can serve as an entry point to an advanced manufacturing career, or the college’s Advanced Technology associate degree. Students receive instruction in electrical controls and programmable controllers, manufacturing, and operational testing, as well as system analysis and maintenance procedures.

Delaware County Community College’s High School Dual Enrollment program has more than quadrupled in size over the last few years. The Early College Electro-Mechanical Technologies program is a pilot initiative under the college’s overall High School Dual Enrollment program, which offers substantial savings to students.

Through dual enrollment, qualified high school students can earn college credits while still in high school at a discounted rate of up to 70 percent off the college’s normal tuition and fees.

“It is a wonderful way for students to receive an affordable head-start on college, and the credits are transferable to Delaware County Community College, as well as to four-year colleges and universities,” said college president Dr. Jerry Parker.