Momentum - Business to Business Online Magazine MOMENTUM August 2017 | Page 35

By: Tammy Dowdy Director of Communications Dickinson ISD [email protected] By the time a Dickinson High School student reaches graduation, he or she has had limitless opportunities to leave high school with a portfolio of experiences designed to enhance college or career choices. Many graduates will go on to attend college and further explore and gain additional education for career choices, while others will have already earned valuable certifications which allow them to directly enter the workforce. Career and Technical Education Dickinson ISD has a strong focus on Career and Technical Education with an endless list of hands-on opportunities and classes students can pursue. Approximately 80 percent of DHS students were enrolled in at least one Career and Technical Education course during the 2016-2017 school year. This past year alone, 33 students graduated from DHS with certifications in areas such as Welding, Pharmacy Technician, Cosmetology, Certified Nurse’s Assistant, Engineering and more, while another 21 were scheduled to take certification exams this summer. These certifications enable the students to obtain well-paying jobs immediately after graduation at little to no cost to the student and his or her family for the training. In other areas, students pursue career areas through the Ready, Set, Teach program for future teachers or the automotive department where they work on actual vehicles with industry equipment to diagnose and repair problems. Other students pursue video production, video gaming, advanced accounting, agriculture, forensics and anatomy and physiology. Robotics programs are available throughout the district to allow students to create, build and understand engineering concepts. STEM Academy An increased emphasis has been put on STEM education this past year with the development of the STEM Academy at Barber Middle School. The STEM Academy opened in August 2016 with 110 fifth grade students from throughout the district. The program was such a success that it is expanding this year to 110 sixth grade students and will continue to junior high when the school district opens the new Kranz Junior High in August 2018. In the STEM program, all of the core subjects have STEM-related activities integrated into their academics on a daily basis. Students explore hands-on activities using technology, robotics and more. AVID Program AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a college readiness program available as an elective course at the junior high and high school level in Dickinson ISD. Students chosen for the class are generally in the middle of their class academically and in many cases will be the first in their family to attend college. The students learn specific instructional strategies such as Cornell note- taking, organizational skills and working with study groups. Another integral part of the class is learning about college entrance requirements and taking college tours. Dickinson ISD is fortunate to have approximately 1,600 employees and a passionate community working hard each day to provide limitless opportunities and experiences to the 11,000 students attending school in Gator Nation! MOMENTUM / August 2017 34