Academy of Engineering and Green Technology Gives Youth Real Skills for the Real World
Photos by Dayl Walker
Almost four centuries after the first student walked through its doors, Hartford Public High—the second oldest secondary school in the country—held its last ever graduation ceremony.
The good news? The end of HPHS as a comprehensive high school marks the beginning of a completely redesigned institution (actually, four of them) aimed at preparing young people for the rewards and challenges of a 21st-century workplace.
It’s academic
Starting this fall, HPHS—labeled one year ago as a “dropout factory”—evolves into a cluster of separate career academies, each with its own staff, curriculum, and budget. The Academy of Engineering and Green Technology, which CBIA helped design with a startup grant of $89,900 from United Technologies Corporation (UTC), will offer integrated academic and career training in engineering, environmental science, and advanced manufacturing for 400 students. UTC has also agreed to be the Academy’s lead business sponsor.
“In our home city of Hartford, we're pleased to sponsor an academy that focuses on engineering and the environment for the next generation of engineers and scientists," said Andrea Doane, UTC director of corporate citizenship and community investment."These are vitally important principles to UTC."
“The Academy will simultaneously prepare Hartford’s youth for college, the workforce, and the real world,” says Dayl Walker, program director for CBIA’s Education Foundation. “It combines a rigorous college prep curriculum with courses targeted to engineering, sustainable development, and manufacturing careers. It also focuses on developing students’ interpersonal and job readiness skills.”
Walker was co-chair of the new school’s design team, which included business leaders, parents, and administrators and faculty at the high school and college levels. Major partners include the Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing, Connecticut Community Colleges’ College of Technology, and Central Connecticut State University’s School of Engineering—which has been instrumental in developing curriculum for the new school. Their goal is for the Academy to support the state’s economic growth and give students the professional and technical capabilities they need to succeed.
Getting down to business
“Today’s workplace demands a sophisticated, highly trained workforce: mathematically literate, comfortable with technology, and able to communicate effectively,” says Lauren Kaufman, executive director of CBIA’s Education Foundation. Unfortunately, recent employer surveys reveal that too many young workers are ill-equipped to meet those demands.
With that in mind, Kaufman says, the Academy explicitly links classroom learning to business imperatives, relying heavily on partnerships with Connecticut employers. “Internships and other experiential learning opportunities will be woven into the life of the Academy. Our business partners will serve as mentors, helping students connect coursework to the real world.”
AAA students
Jacqueline Ryan, the Academy’s principal, knows firsthand the value of mentoring. Ryan, who spent 24 years in business before becoming a school administrator, credits mentors in business and academia with her success and plans to give her students the same personalized, one-on-one attention.
“We have high hopes and expectations for all our students,” she adds. “We take a ‘triple A’ approach, emphasizing academics, attendance, and attitude.” In fact, while career academies were once an option mostly for low-achieving, non-college-bound students, today they attract students of all skill levels and aspirations. Studies have linked these types of schools to reduced dropout rates as well as improved grades, attendance, and often labor market outcomes for students.
The Academy of Engineering and Green Technology has been recognized by the National Academy Foundation (NAF) and designated as a NAF “Year of Planning” site. The school is expected to be officially accepted as a NAF Academy for the 2009-2010 school year.
If your company is interested in becoming an educational partner in the Academy of Engineering and Green Technology, contact dayl.walker@cbia.com.
