Imagine it's 1984 and The Terminator has arrived from the year 2029 to save the world from a post-apocalyptic future. While this fictional, robotic world may only exist in movies, your student may still use technology to save the world.
The explosion of technology across almost every industry has changed career pathways and opportunities available to today's teens. Typically, career exploration is an afterthought for high schoolers, but for students aiming for technology superhero status, learning IT in high school can provide that valuable head start. Through K12's career readiness education program, Destinations Career Academy, students gain real-world IT experience through project-based and work-based learning.
Who knows? Maybe your student will invent the next great technological advancement of our time.
LEARNING IT AT K12-POWERED SCHOOLS
Let's face it, even the concept of "career" in high school is formidable. Students likely get overwhelmed with IT choices. However, through mentorships, apprenticeships, and real-world experience, students gain exposure preparing them for their world after high school.
Career Readiness Education (CRE) ingrains exploration into your teen's high school experience. Through career-focused electives and real-world learning experiences, students become well-prepared to find the right fit and advance in an IT career after high school.
Destinations students have the opportunity to:
Earn college credit
Gain work experience and industry exposure
Develop real-world skills
Prepare for industry-recognized certification exams
IT PATHWAYS
Does this sound like your student? Constantly tinkering with electronics, or obsessed with high tech science-fiction movies or video games? A career in IT may be a great fit. Destinations offers IT pathways through which students learn real-world skills that prepare them to succeed in the IT field. These pathways act as a guide for students to choose electives or extracurricular activities.
Destinations students interested in IT have the opportunity to explore*:
Cybersecurity
Digital Design
Game Design and Programming
Networking
Programming
Web and Digital Communication
Students get a taste of each of these pathways through the IT Explorations course, an elective that uses project-based learning to expose your student to everything from development to IT security before making a definitive choice. Even in an introductory course, your student begins to develop mission- critical skills for the IT career field—collaboration, critical thinking, and time management.
LEARNING IT ONLINE
Our world needs IT superheroes, ready to take on any challenge. As we become increasingly reliant on digital experiences and conveniences, IT students who learn online can find themselves at the leading edge of a valuable industry. Start your student on the path to cyber superstardom as early as possible. The nature of virtual learning in primary and secondary education helps hone time-management and communication skills with their peers.
Students prepare for the IT career opportunities of today and tomorrow by gaining tangible knowledge such as:
Identifying complex problems and finding solutions
Communicating effectively through digital platforms
Collaborating on projects within a virtual team
Think of our online, project-based curriculum as training the next generation of IT savants.
LEARNING FROM THE PROS
Luke Skywalker had Obi Wan Kenobi. Frodo had Gandolf. Destinations students have Nepris.
With Destinations, your student gains access to important platforms that provide real-world exposure and connect them with industry experts. Does their current high school do that? The Nepris* platform virtually connects students with industry experts to:
- Facilitate live, interactive sessions
- Gain personal connections with people who work in their desired career field
Provide opportunities to see and get a feel for real-world work environments
When industry professionals take the time to talk to our students, we see students' eyes light up as they get a glimpse of what a future in that career looks like. Students begin to understand the requirements of an IT role and how these professionals arrived at their current position. Who knows? These connections with professionals can lead to mentorships and opportunities in a galaxy far, far away.
NETWORKING WITH EMPLOYERS AND COLLEGES
For students ready to try their skills with real-world employers or colleges, Tallo* connects them with current opportunities in the IT field. Our students create profiles with their unique skills, experience, and interests, and Tallo profiles allow them to demonstrate their potential beyond their grades and academic achievements. IT students upload their coding or showcase websites to Tallo to give employers and schools a clear picture of their real-world achievement and areas of expertise.
The employers using Tallo, like Boeing and Walmart, now find students at the cutting edge of technology. This opens the door to internship and mentorship opportunities for students. Meanwhile, college admissions staff can see the passion behind Destinations IT students and reach out with scholarship opportunities. Tallo also matches students with mentors in the field to encourage both personal and professional growth.
Your child will wrap up his or her time at Destinations with a high school diploma, real-world skills, connections to industry experts, and a professional networking profile to best prepare for a post-high school career. We can't promise your student will be building AI that actually thinks or that they will be producing the next great app by graduation, but with an education from Destinations, they will be well on their way.
*Opportunities vary by school; please visit your school page or check with your school counselor.
