FAIRMONT — Fairmont State University officials celebrated the launch of an ambitious, first of its kind program designed to help foster children excel in a college environment on Friday.

“This may be the first one in the state of West Virginia,” Senate President Craig Blair said. “But mark my words, in 10 years, this will be replicated all over the country.”

After some two years of planning, the university now hosts Middle College, a program dedicated to giving foster students across the state age 16 and 17 the opportunity to earn not only a high school diploma, but also work toward an associate’s degree. Fairmont State in partnership with KVC West Virginia, Marion County Schools and the West Virginia Department of Educations’ Schools of Diversion and Transition created the program. KVC is a national behavioral health organization that provides foster care and case management therapy services.

The state has the highest rate of children entering foster care nationwide.

Middle College Executive Vice President Brent Lemon said foster children often lack the support they need to succeed in school. Middle College’s goal, therefore, will be to connect those youth to the support structure they need to build success. Lemon said it’s important for foster students to have access to professional, services that can help them work through trauma.

Pritchard Hall, where students at Middle College will live, is organized with this in mind. Sarah Marshall-Roy, eastern regional KVC director, said their goal is to integrate KVC and college staff with the students, rather than supervise them from a top-heavy position. Supervisors will promote students’ personal goals while ensuring students understand what expectations and accountability. The front desk staff at Pritchard conducts daily check-ins with students. There’s a refurbished kitchen students can use to make meals and build adult skills, while having access to the dining halls 24/7 year round. There’s also a sensory room for decompression and communal activities.

The male and female dormitories are separated and inaccessible to each other by having them on different floors, the only way they can intermingle is in a shared common space on the first floor. Marshall-Roy said they monitor to ensure male and female students are completely separated.

Building community among the students is important to their success, Marshall-Roy said.

“We know students operate best when they have a sense of connection and a sense of belonging,” Marshall-Roy said. “What we know is that bringing these students together, who have shared experience in foster care, builds their sense of independence, their autonomy and their feelings of knowing that they’re loved and they’re cared for. If we can help build those relationships, amongst them as well it only enhances their chances at being successful on a college campus.”

Currently 18 students are enrolled at Middle College. Marshall-Roy said their initial goal had been 50. However, they started recruiting in March, which allowed less time than originally planned to fill out the available spots. Marshall-Roy said students may have learned Middle College wasn’t a good fit for them during the admission process. There’s an evaluation process that comes with academic requirements.

However, Marshall-Roy isn’t concerned with enrollment numbers. The state has a pool of 1,000 to 1,500 students who are in the 16-17 age range for Middle College and the program is currently recruiting for spring semester. Marshall-Roy said the opportunity is a specific one for students that are highly motivated and want to achieve academically. As for increasing enrollment, Marshall-Roy argued it’s simply a matter of needing more time to identify and recruit.

Jacob Green, superintendent for the West Virginia Schools of Diversion and Transition, said the program isn’t a dual credit program but an option pathway. Students can work toward their high school diploma, with options for credit recovery if they’re credit deficient. Additionally, there are nine college courses students have to pass and complete. If students complete both, they automatically get a diploma from Marion County Schools. If students elect to take the rest of the credits, they’ll earn an associate’s degree. Green said the state has created alternative ways for students who are behind in credits to find their way to graduation.

“We’ve created an alternative pathway because children in foster care have moved around a lot,” Green said. “Their transcripts are very broken in a lot of cases. We spent a lot of time trying to figure that out and where to put them and that kind of thing.”

Marshall-Roy said the program is looking for additional funding. Blair called on the federal government to create waivers or make rule changes so public money follows the child and funds Middle College properly. Fairmont Chief of Staff Brad Gilbert indicated it’s early going yet for the program, about five weeks in, but so far so good.

The program is of such first-of-its-kind significance even Gov. Jim Justice attended the celebration. He lauded the program for giving a leg up to children who had been dealt a tough card in life.

“If we can all step up and help them — they can get a high school diploma and 60 hours of college credit,” Justice said. “I mean, it is unbelievable how proud every single person here ought to be. I thank everybody for pulling the rope with me and all of us to get this across the finish line. Great, unbelievable day for West Virginia.”

Reach Esteban at efernandez@timeswv.com

RACHEL — In a much-anticipated rematch of last year’s State Championship game – perhaps the most thrilling in the state’s history – the No. 2 ranked Fairmont Senior Polar Bears (4-0) handled their emotions and their opponents en route to a 55-12 win over the No. 5 ranked North Marion Huskies (3-1) at Roy Michael Field in Rachel Friday night.

Following a week that saw two ejections – one ultimately overturned by the WVSSAC – and entering a week in which two of his star players – seniors Brock Martin and Jeff Cowger – would face off against their former school, head coach Nick Bartic stressed poise and composure in the lead-up to the county rivalry game, a matchup Bartic has dominated 9-0 in his tenure at the helm and one the Polar Bears have now won 22 straight times.

On the opening play from scrimmage, Bartic dialed up a wide receiver pass from Martin to Cowger that ultimately fell incomplete but set the tone for the two in their return to Woodcutter Stadium.

With pleasantries out of the way, senior quarterback Brody Whitehair took the next snap 69 yards to the endzone for the first score of the game. A failed two-point conversion pass attempt put Fairmont Senior out in front 6-0 in the first minute of the game.

On their opening drive, the Huskies ran into the wall of senior defensive linemen Trevor Bigelow and Kaleb Arbogast along with the aforementioned Cowger and were forced to punt after a quick three-and-out.

The Polar Bears’ second possession saw Whitehair get the rest of his offense involved, as he connected with senior wideout Cannon Dinger on a first down pitch and catch, while senior running back Chris Wilson gashed the Huskies’ defense for gains of 16 and 23.

Whitehair had what looked to be his second rushing touchdown of the half, but a holding call negated the would-be score. North Marion would force a Wilson fumble shortly after to regain possession and put a stop to Fairmont Senior’s promising drive.

Any momentum the Huskies regained, however, was short-lived as the Polar Bears’ stout defense forced their second consecutive three-and-out, after consecutive plays of negative yardage from North Marion.

Fairmont Senior added a trio of touchdowns, one each from senior halfback Damani Johnson, Martin and senior wideout Logan Canfield, to jump out to an early 27-0 lead. Senior kicker Cam Peschl converted each PAT thereafter.

Shortly into the second quarter, the Huskies would finally settle in and carve into the Polar Bear lead. At the 9:25 mark, junior quarterback Cole Morris took advantage of his opportunity to find junior Karter Parson on a 63-yard pass to get North Marion on the board. A missed PAT cut the lead to 27-6.

Morris and junior Toby Michael again split the workload at quarterback for coach Daran Hays and the Huskies’ offense. The tandem spelled each other on seemingly every other play.

On Fairmont Senior’s next possession, Whitehair and Cowger hooked up on a 31-yard pass to which a Huskies’ penalty would tack on 15 additional yards to advance the Polar Bears’ offense near the redzone.

Three plays later, Wilson would atone for his earlier fumble to find the endzone from 11 yards out. A Peschl PAT extended Fairmont Senior’s lead to 34-6 with 7:01 left in the half.

North Marion’s offense began to find their rhythm more and more during the second quarter.

Senior wideout Brady Anderson used his 6-foot-4 frame to bring down an acrobatic catch for 29 yards over Dinger, while Morris and Michael took turns on designed quarterback runs to advance the ball deep within Polar Bear territory.

A big 10-yard run on third down by Michael got the Huskies to the goal line, allowing Morris to finish the job and punch it in from 1 yard out on the next play to trim the lead to 34-12 with 1:20 left in the half after their second missed PAT.

Not content simply to get the game to halftime, Whitehair and the Polar Bears offense kept their foot on the gas. An 18-yard hook-up from Whitehair to Dinger quickly put Fairmont Senior in Huskies’ territory, giving the offense options as the clock wound down.

After a Cowger holding penalty negated a potential 22-yard pass to Martin, Whitehair again turned to Dinger who scored from 30 yards out after initially fumbling the ball only to strip the ball back from a North Marion defender, fighting his way to the endzone to increase the lead to 41-12 with just 22 seconds remaining in the first half.

After stopping the Huskies’ initial drive of the second half, Whitehair and Martin connected on a 50-yard touchdown pass, initially thought to be called back on another penalty; this one, however, was assessed after the score and onto the ensuing kickoff.

Fairmont Senior added one additional score to finish off the Huskies 55-12.

The Polar Bears will be back in action at East-West Stadium next week to take on their first AAAA opponent of the season in University (1-2).

North Marion will stay home for another Big Ten matchup to face off against Lincoln (1-3).