John Glenn’s CTE programs prepare students for life after graduation

Students in John Glenn High School’s ACE Academy work on story writing with Moffit Elementary school third graders. (Courtesy photo)

NORWALK - John Glenn High School is working not only to preparing its students for graduation, but for life beyond campus as well. It does that with its Career Technical Education (CTE) pathways.

More than just graduation requirements, CTE programs provide students with academic and technical skills which they could potentially use in a future career.

John Glenn currently offers several pathways, including the Transportation Careers Academy Program, (TCAP), Arts, Media, Production Pathway (AMP), Academy for Careers in Education (ACE), robotics, and AVID.

Each pathway sees students move through associated courses as they advance through each grade.

Adrienne De Lama, lead coordinator for Ace, said ACE has been around since the late 90’s.

“[ACE] is an academy for kids who want to go into education,” said De Lama. “…We kind of expanded it, and so it’s no longer just for kids that want to go into becoming a teacher, but we have counselor’s, we have kids who want to be social workers, psychologists; I have even a couple of students who want to be lawyers, but lawyers for kids that are in the system.”

ACE is a part of the California Partnerships Academy, and is funded through a grant from the California State Board of Education.

ACE affords students the opportunity for field trips and hands-on education work, including working with younger students from Moffit Elementary School.

“They do internships at Moffit,” said De Lama. “So twice a week, they go over to Moffit Elementary and they’re helping students from grades K through really fifth, but more so really to fourth for kids who got behind due to Covid with language arts, reading / writing, or math.”

De Lama added that AMP also volunteers throughout the community.

Lisa Harrington oversees AMP.

“What we teach kids is digital media skills,” said Harrington. “For example, our introductory course for the pathway is called multimedia communications. That class samples digital photography, video production, graphic design. Then, once they finish that class, they can decide what section of the pathway they want to pursue.”

According to Harrington, AMP students eventually work their way up to be a part of a working production crew.

“Once they complete one of those classes, they move on to what is the capstone class, which is called digital production, and this is where they apply all the skills that they have learned to kind of be the crew for the school and for the district,” said Harrington. “So, for example, if we have ‘College Career Night,’ my students will be out there with the video cameras, with the digital photography equipment, out there covering the event, doing interviews on the spot. They also produce the yearbook, produce videos for different departments.

“The ultimate goal is to give these kids skills, so when they leave the pathway, when they’re considered a completer, they actually have portfolio quality work to help them either further their education – getting into art school or going to university – or getting right into the workforce and working either independently or for a small design firm, or something along those lines.”

Harrington says that all CTE teachers come from a background in their subject matter, bringing with it first-hand knowledge, as well as connections.

“Here I’m coming from industry, I’m able to come with my industry contacts; instead of coming from a classroom, I’m coming from a point of a working professional,” said Harrington. “And that’s with all CTE teachers; we are, our credential, is based on our industry experience.”

Last year, Harrington and AMP received a grant from the state of $125,000, affording the class the ability to purchase some “state of the art equipment.”

“My goal is to get the most current technology in these kids’ hands to make them marketable, and to get them some skills and experience that they can’t get anywhere else,” said Harrington.

Principal Dr. Jennifer Padilla said that there is “no doubt that having CTE offerings at our sites is important.”

“Not every kid is going to come to school loving math, and English and social science, but if it’s not that, it’s those vocational, hands-on real-life classes that really grab them and motivate them to do well,” said Padilla.

Padilla added “its not what [students] say, its what they show us.” She hopes CTE will “continue improving and building” at John Glenn.

“When they leave here, and they are prepared, whether they do or do not pursue a career in that field, when they come back years later and they’re like, ‘That program really prepared me for college, or for getting the certification in this,’ as a principal, when it helps them really and truly, that is when I know it’s a good contribution to their high school experience,” said Padilla.