Education
CTE programs energize, excite, and educate thousands of ASD students
Donna Barnes | Lehi Free Press
“I can’t be late for Mr. Geddes’ class, a 7th-grade student at Mountain Ridge Junior High told her mother. “He is my favorite teacher, and I love his class.” (Mr. Geddes teaches the Careers class). These are not unusual responses from students across the Alpine School District who participate in CTE (Career, Technical Education) programs. The mission is to prepare students for post-secondary training, successful careers, and enriched lives by ensuring all students acquire the essential knowledge, skills, and dispositions in each CTE course.
CTE classes are offered in every secondary school throughout the district. The intent is to help students learn which skills are needed for jobs in today’s economy. With so much emphasis on technical skills in today’s workplace, more students are choosing classes that offer hands-on training and experience. High schools in the area offer courses in agriculture, horticulture, auto mechanics, culinary arts, home construction, woodworking, welding, marketing, computer programming, electrical work, and more. Many of these pathways can be continued at MTEC (Mountainland Technical College), where certification can be earned. One student who continued his welding program at MTEC recently completed his certification and was offered a substantial annual salary. “I had other options for employment, too,” he said, grinning from ear to ear.
Megan Birchall Barnes, CTE agricultural instructor at American Fork High School, has taught horticulture and animal science for four years. She inspires students passionate about plants and animals to achieve personal success, and as the FFA advisor, she supports students in showing animals throughout the western United States.
As the horticulture teacher, she teaches her students to grow bedding plants for sale to customers in the spring and to grow poinsettias for Christmas. She explains, “We have a greenhouse and show the students how to plant the seeds, water, and nourish the plants, and then sell them during December and May. This year, we had 800 poinsettia plants, and by the third week of December, we had sold all but 100. We sell them for $10, and they sell quickly. The students learn to display them in foil containers and colorful bows. They enjoy the project and see success in the money that can be earned from their work.” She said, “I have seen the enrollment in my classes grow each year.”
Ryan Nield, Director of CTE for Alpine School District, said, “As Alpine School District moves toward the creation of three new districts, Career and Technical Education will continue to play an important role in preparing students for the future. In each district, we will keep looking for ways to support our students better, strengthen local industries, and build stronger communities by connecting learning in the classroom to real-world skills, careers, and college pathways.”
