Forest Service Job Corps Centers Renews James Madison High School Contract

June 21, 2012 - PRLog -- PEACHTREE CORNERS, Georgia –  Ashworth College (http://www.ashworthcollege.edu) announced that the Forestry Service Job Corps Centers, an agency of the U.S Department of Agriculture, has again renewed its contract with Ashworth’s James Madison High School division for the 2012-2013 school year.

Ashworth and James Madison are leaders in accredited distance education and online education, offering a wide range of flexible career-focused diploma and degree programs.

Job Corps Forestry Service provides educational assistance to local youth so that they can improve their quality of life through academic and hands-on vocational training at no cost to the student or family. The contract covers 12 Civilian Conservation Centers which helps participating students complete core classes to fulfill graduation requirements and by offering a range of skilled trade courses including health care, carpentry, electrician training, auto mechanics, landscaping and forestry.

“That the Forestry Service values our contributions to date is a testament to the quality of our programs and our dedication toward servicing our students,” said Dr. Leslie Gargiulo, Chief Academic Officer for Ashworth College and James Madison High School. James Madison recently became one of the first schools to implement The Common Core State Standards Initiative, a state-led initiative to standardize the learning expectations of students, grades K-12 and delivers a curriculum that transcends state boundaries and fully aligns with today’s college entrance requirements and work expectations.

Dr. Gargiulo went on to explain that the James Madison curricula has been developed to specifically address the needs of working adults and non-traditional high school students, making Ashworth a natural fit.

“Both James Madison High School and the Forestry Service Job Corps are committed to teaching young people the skills needed to become employable and this definitely includes completing their high school education,” Dr. Gargiulo added. “By helping these students earn a high school diploma, together we will be giving them significant career advantages, compared to not having a diploma or a GED.”

About the U.S. Forestry Service

Established in 1905, the Forestry Service is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and manages public lands in national forests and grasslands encompassing 193 million acres of land -- an area equivalent to the size of Texas. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Forest Service is part of the Department of Agriculture and operates through nine geographical regions around the country.

About Job Corps

Job Corps is a no-cost education and career technical training program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor that helps young people ages 16 through 24 improve the quality of their lives through career technical and academic training. For eligible youth at least 16 years of age, Job Corps provides all-around skills needed to succeed in a career and in life.

About Ashworth College and James Madison High School

Celebrating 25 years of Educating Minds and Changing Lives, leading online school Ashworth College has built a tradition of excellence by offering students worldwide an extensive range of online college degrees, online certificate programs, career training and online high school diploma options that are affordable and fit the busy schedules of working adults. Ashworth offers military education as well as specialized programs for corporate partners and homeschoolers.

Headquartered in Peachtree Corners, GA, Ashworth is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). The Accrediting Commission of the DETC is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency. Ashworth is parent to James Madison High School which is accredited regionally by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI), an accreditation division of AdvancED and further provides career training and vocational programs in the fields of health, business, technology, education, and skilled trades through sister schools PCDI Canada, New York Institute of Photography and Sheffield School.