January 2021 • Volume 1• Issue 5
Dr. Sharon L. Contreras, Superintendent
THE CTE "WHY"?
Career and Technical Education (CTE) prepares all students for high-skill, high-wage or in-demand careers. The experience begins with career inspiration in Pre-K, awareness in elementary school, exploration in middle school, and preparation in high school. CTE equips students for post-secondary education and immediate employment opportunities to compete worldwide successfully.
Did you know that CTE juniors and seniors can access college courses while still enrolled in high school? Between 2018 and 2021, GCS CTE students from 25 separate high schools have accessed 265 distinct college course titles on six different college campuses, with 1,624 enrollments. The tuition-free classes have saved our students and their families over $370,000! Encourage the juniors and seniors you know to take advantage of this tremendous opportunity. Click here for more information.
•Feature Articles•
Five GCS CTE Programs are Awarded a Truliant Financial Education Grant!
Congratulations to the following CTE programs in Guilford County that received over $22,000 from the Truliant Financial Education Grant. The schools, CTE teachers and focus projects areas are:
• Ben L. Smith High School, Jacqueline Mingo, $4,700 - The Elegant Eaglettes: Building a Financial Bridge for the 21st Century
• Eastern Guilford High School, Lynne Temple, $2,450 – Digital Design and Animation
• High Point Central High School, Dale Watkins, $4,940 – A New Pathway for the Future
• Northwest Guilford Middle School, Lohanna Sanchez, $5,000 – Classroom Economy
• Weaver Academy, Anthony Kulpa, $5,000 – Expanding the HVAC Program
Industry Connection: Transportation, Distribution and Global Logistics
Mr. Art Close, a CTE teacher at Western Guilford High School's Signature Career Academy, was recently featured in an issue of MHI Solutions publication for his work in preparing CTE students in Guilford County Schools for a career in transportation, distribution, and global logistics. Mr. Close has worked tirelessly to ensure that students can create industry connections and opportunities. He has secured relationships with companies like Fastenal, the largest fastener distributor in North America, to establish a consistent talent pipeline of students from Western Guilford High School. You can read more about how the supply chain and global logistics industry continues to grow (to read more, click here)!
CTE Creates a Construction, Carpentry & Automotive Instructional Video Series!
Supporting students to earn industry-recognized credentials is one crucial way GCS CTE prepares students for high-wage, high-skill, or in-demand careers. Credentials validate a student’s technical skills and provide a standard of mastery for potential employers. The pandemic has made credential attainment challenging for many courses that require in-person practice and skills demonstration. However, three CTE teachers collaborated with a video production agency to create a series of demonstration videos to be used during remote and in-person instruction. The videos will expose students to many of the technical skills needed to earn credentials in the areas of Core Construction, Carpentry I, Automotive Service Fundamental, and Automotive Services II. CTE Pathway Innovator, Mr. Mark Adkins, a Carpentry teacher at The Weaver Education Center, created 57 videos to enhance classes in his program area as teachers prepare students for the National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER) credentials. Additionally, Automotive Services teachers Mr. Ray Dove at The Weaver Education Center and Mr. Marcus Mitchell at T. W. Andrews High School created 28 videos to prepare students for the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and Safety & Pollution Prevention (S/P2) credentials. Our videos will be used across the district to support credential attainment for the 903 students enrolled in courses with the potential to earn over 5,000 credentials to demonstrate their technical attainment.
Click below to check out some examples of our construction and automotive videos!
100% of the Pathway Students in the Veterinary Assisting Course Obtain Certification at Southern Guilford High School!
Isley Fryar, Keenan Haith, Aiden Hudson, Holly McBride, Jazzmin Odom, Desiree Ross, Valeria Septiem, and Melissa Vargas-Chavez, all of which are seniors in the Animal Science pathway from Southern Guilford High School, attained certification by passing the Elanco Veterinary Medical Applications Certification exam. The Elanco Veterinary Medical Applications Certification exam is to certify skilled and brilliant animal science students in the Veterinary Medicine Field. This certification exam tested students in animal welfare and behavior, anatomy and physiology, veterinary medical practices, and veterinary terminology. “Students also will have the opportunity to test for their Certified Veterinary Assistant license in the spring, which would give them a higher paying salary in a job or career straight out of high school, jump-starting their ambitions,” said Mrs. Hailey Peeler, Animal Science pathway teacher.
• CTSO Spotlight: Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) •
Congratulations to Nathan King for placing 1st in the Spreadsheet Applications competition and Cayden Neal for placing 2nd in Introduction to Information Technology at the FBLA Regional Conference! Nathan and Cayden both qualify to compete at the state level. Nathan is a sophomore and Cayden is a freshman at Kearns Academy.
• CTE's Virtual Open House at Weaver Education Center •
Weaver Academy hosted a Virtual Open House/Information Session to raise awareness about the Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses at Weaver which include: Architecture & Construction, Apparel, Automotive, Diesel, Collision Repair, Carpentry, Culinary Arts, Electronics, Nursing and Metals Manufacturing. Successful completion of these courses leads to employment with high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand careers , even in a pandemic! These courses also prepare students with credentials to compete in the labor markets nationwide!
To learn more about all GCS Magnet/Choice options, please visit the GCS Magnet/Choice page. The GCS Virtual Magnet/Choice Showcase will be open from February 1-5, 2021. We hope to see you there!
School Board Appreciation Month!
We Appreciate Our Board of Education!
• CTE Inspiration & Gratitude•
Coming in February...
•GCS CTE Staff •
Dr. Eboni Camille Chillis • Interim Chief Innovation Officer & CTE Executive Director
Nancy Cross • GCS CTE Director
Article Submissions
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