RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – High school students throughout Wake County are getting a taste of the real world through Career Academies.
Teenagers who enroll in specialized programs build career skills through focused curriculum and projects including internships. These classes are taken along with the regular curriculum.
At Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School, Eric Eckenrod teaches robotics to engineering students. He says the hands-on work engages students more than a traditional lecture setting.
“I want to work in civil engineering,” says Mariah Lassiter, a junior in the program. She says,”You gain a lot of intellect and knowledge about what’s going on and how to get there.”
At Southeast, students can take classes in engineering, biomedical technology, and information technology.
The program began in 2010, and has grown a lot over the last five years, says Academy Coordinator Monnie Sutton. “Students that are in the academies are also what we call new tech, which is project based learning courses,” she said.
It is a competitive program. Students must maintain a 2.5 GPA and complete an internship. Organizers are looking to grow the number of outside organizations that provide internships for the students.
There are Career Academies in schools throughout Wake County. Classes range from Culinary Arts to Fire Safety and Sports Marketing.
Here are links to the current Career Academy programs:
School
Program
Apex High School
Academy of Information Technology
Athens Drive High School
Health Science Academy
Broughton High School
Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Marketing
Cary High School
Culinary Arts
Enloe High School
Medical Bioscience
Enloe High School
Design and Merchandising Technology Career Academy
Garner High School
Fire and Safety 2014 -2015
Heritage High School
Game Art Design
Knightdale High School
Academy of Environmental Studies
Middle Creek High School
Academy of Sustainable Energy Engineering
Middle Creek High School
Digital Media
Sanderson High School
Academy of Finance
Southeast Raleigh High School
Engineering Academy
Southeast Raleigh High School
Biotechnology Research
Wake Forest High School
Construction Technology Career Academy