Written by: Bobbie Johnson - DHS Community Outreach Coordinator
Picture yourself as a senior in high school. Take a minute, remember your favorite class and who was in it. Think about who your friends were and the music you listened to along with your lunchtime routine. Now that you are back in time, how or who helped you figure out what career to pursue after high school?
Dickinson High School (DHS) wants to play a significant role in that exploratory and guiding energy to help students determine which career pathway to select. That common saying,“It takes a village to raise a child,” holds true. We want to engage students, parents, businesses, and community members in our Academies which outline a pathway of study that includes specific classes, activities, and possible work experiences.
Dickinson High School has transitioned to an Academy model. How is that different from what you experienced? Before, students would decide on their electives and discuss which classes to take with parents and counselors. Yes, that still happens with the Career Academies but in a different manner. Now, all freshman students will be involved in a Freshman Academy that explains the ins and outs of high school plus exposes them to the various Academies offered at DHS. Students have an assortment of experiences in regards to the three academies. These experiences are provided through guest speakers, field trips, projects, and assignments.
During registration, freshman students choose which Academy to enter starting sophomore year, based on their Freshman Seminar experiences and education. The three Academies are: (a) Business, Management, and Administrative Systems, (b) Engineering and Technical Sciences, and (c) Health and Human Services.
DHS is excited to host its first Academy Expo on Tuesday, December 21. The event is open to the public from 9 am-3 pm. DHS has invited local businesses, and colleges to set up booths for students and community members to explore the multitude of career opportunities available to students in our area and connect them to Academies’s programs of studies. It will also allow DHS to highlight each of it’s Academies to help community members and incoming freshmen students better understand the Academies experiences and end goals. The Academy Expo’s main objectives are to increase community involvement that elevates our students' experiences and develop more connections between students, parents, staff, Academies, businesses, and the community.
Please email Bobbie Johnson, DHS Community Outreach Coordinator at bjohnson@dpsnd.org with any questions or in regards to ways you would like to be involved in the Expo.