Pioneer Academics and Oberlin College Announce Partnership Offering New Approach to Online Education

Monroe Township, N.J. -- Pioneer Academics, the leading online academic research program for high school students, and Oberlin College, a premier American liberal arts college, today announce a partnership in offering a new approach to online education. Starting in 2016, Ohio-based Oberlin will grant course credit and provide an Oberlin transcript to Pioneer students upon their completion of the Pioneer Research Program. Additionally, Pioneer students will be granted access to Oberlin’s library resources and scholastic databases, including the music library of Oberlin’s world-renowned conservatory and the art library associated with the Art Department and the College’s Allen Memorial Art Museum, one of the top collegiate art museums in the U.S.

This bold initiative is a key step in furthering Pioneer’s commitment to providing high school students with unparalleled academic research opportunities otherwise unavailable to them. Pioneer students will now have the backing of a premier American liberal arts college behind their Pioneer research pursuits, and will be able to use their work with Pioneer to further their education in ways which were not previously possible. The Oberlin College credit and formal Oberlin transcript, which Pioneer students will receive, can be transferred to colleges, universities, or other academic institutions—pending approval—in which they enroll later in their careers. Access to Oberlin’s library resources will place a world-class, comprehensive collection of texts, videos, music, art, and other academic materials at students’ fingertips, a privilege rarely enjoyed at the high school level.

Pioneer and Oberlin share a deeply rooted commitment to providing high-level educational opportunities to talented, intellectually motivated students of all backgrounds. Oberlin was the first college in the U.S. to adopt a policy to admit students of color, as well as the first to create a coeducational undergraduate program. Pioneer’s fully online platform allows the Pioneer Research Program to draw students from all parts of the world. Additionally, through Pioneer’s generous need-based scholarship program, students of all backgrounds are able to benefit from all the program has to offer.

“As an academic institution which has always prided itself on pushing the boundaries of higher education and ensuring that educational opportunities are equally available to all, we are looking forward to working with Pioneer to offer first-rate research opportunities to high school students around the world,” says Tim Elgren, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Oberlin. “Pioneer’s unique online model which allows students to participate in the program regardless of where they live, as well as the extraordinary quality of the research opportunities which Pioneer is able to offer its students, were powerful factors in our decision to partner with Pioneer.”

“We are honored to have Oberlin’s support and backing, and are excited to be able to enhance the value of the Pioneer Research Program with Oberlin’s course credit and comprehensive library resources,” says Matthew Jaskol, Pioneer’s academic director. “Oberlin is unique in that it is home to an internationally-acclaimed music conservatory and a world-class art museum in addition to its outstanding College of Arts and Sciences. This diverse blend of educational opportunity at a single liberal arts institution embodies the all-encompassing view of education we take at Pioneer. Additionally, our mission to attract all outstanding students, regardless of background, exactly aligns with Oberlin’s longstanding dedication to access, inclusiveness and diversity in selecting its student body. I am looking forward to joining Oberlin in furthering this mission, and working together to provide the best academic experience for our students.”

About Pioneer Academics

Pioneer Academics offers undergraduate-level research opportunities to talented, intellectually motivated high school students from around the world. In the Pioneer Research Program, students work one-on-one with leading U.S. university professors in advanced study and research of a topic of their interest, culminating in a full-length research paper. The program is conducted entirely online, allowing high school students from all over the world to participate. More than 270 students from 18 countries and regions have participated in the program in the past three years.

About Oberlin College

Ranked consistently among the nation’s top liberal arts schools, Oberlin College is committed to rigorous academics, artistic and musical excellence, and social justice. Founded in 1833, Oberlin was the first institution of higher education in America to adopt a policy to admit students of color (1835) and the first college to award bachelor’s degrees to women (1841) in a coeducational program. Oberlin’s distinct history of challenging intellectual and social conventions shapes the student experience today, which fosters strong bonds among a diverse community of bright and talented students from around the world.

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Contacts:

Robert Wittenburg, Pioneer Academics, LLC

www.pioneeracademics.com / robert.wittenburg@pioneeracademics.com

Scott Wargo, Oberlin College Scott.Wargo@oberlin.edu