Green Hill School celebrates graduation of its first bachelor’s degree recipients

Eleven Green Hill School residents graduated from Centralia College on Tuesday, including the first cohort of graduates receiving bachelor’s degrees.

College classes at Green Hill School, a juvenile detention facility in Chehalis run by the state Department of Youth and Family (DCYF), began as early as summer of 2019 after state legislative work groups identified college as one of the main programs juvenile offenders were interested in, according to a DCYF spokesperson.

The program started with student success courses and limited math and English courses, but has expanded nearly every quarter as enrollment in college classes continued to grow.

Centralia College began a formal partnership with Green Hill in the spring of 2020. By January 2022, the courses available to Green Hill residents included everything needed to complete an associate degree, according to previous Chronicle reporting.

Green Hill School had its first Centralia College cohort graduate with associate degrees in December 2022.

Now, Green Hill residents have access to all classes needed to obtain a bachelor’s of business administration and management.

The group that graduated this week included five students receiving bachelor’s of business and administration degrees and six students receiving associate of arts degrees, according to information provided by Green Hill School.