This school year, La Center High School has doubled its Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes and tripled its advanced placement (AP) classes for students.
From baking and other culinary classes taking place in a kitchen similar to one in an industrial restaurant to building sheds in construction trade classes, the La Center School District has focused on providing learning opportunities that will guide students to careers right after graduation.
Along with career-building classes, students at La Center High School now have more AP classes available if they wish to go to college to continue their education, La Center School District Superintendent Peter Rosenkranz said.
Rosenkranz added that the expansion of CTE and AP opportunities for La Center students is a part of the district’s goal to prepare them for “grade 13,” whether that is a career opportunity, apprenticeship, college or even the military.
“I think one of the big things with the expansion we are doing is really to try to expose kids to opportunities that will then help guide them moving forward in their lives with directions for their careers, job opportunities,” La Center High School Principal Matt Johnson said. “It helps them learn what they’re interested in and what they’re not interested in, and then … they’re hopefully going to be better prepared then for entering the workforce or job market or college, depending on what level they’re trying to get to.”
Johnson believes the CTE classes provide an in-depth understanding of individual careers compared to general education courses that may touch on potential careers.
In the past, La Center High School offered classes in business marketing classes, automotive and small engines, general shop and natural resources.
“What we’ve done this year is expanded, and it started last year in the skilled trades with our construction program … There was a big emphasis on bringing in a more-focused construction component, and so we’re seeing that come to fruition this year,” Johnson said. “It’s a three-year program, and so we now have those three classes in place.”
He said the bakery and culinary program are new this year and have been popular among students.
“We basically refurbished an old traditional home-ec classroom into more of a really focused culinary classroom,” Johnson said.
Other classes include computer sciences with 3D printing and design, AP computer science principles, American sign language and more, as other offerings falling under the CTE umbrella.
“So we’ve really started to expand what we’re doing in those areas, and that’s helping expand work-site learning opportunities for kids,” Johnson said. “We have more kids that are starting to go out into the workforce as part of their school day learning that way. So, we just kind of added a whole bunch of opportunities outside of what we traditionally have had here at La Center.”
