Frisco Independent School District’s Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC) provides students with numerous opportunities to participate in specialized classes that aim to get them “future ready.”
The CTEC offers a wide range of specialized programs designed to give students an inside look at potential careers. These classes provide “real-world” experiences that prepare students for their futures.
“All the classes here at the CTEC are very important because they give students an idea of what it’s going to feel like and look like,” culinary teacher Sara Hosford said. “Typically, our students, when they go out into college or the real world, are a couple of steps ahead of everybody else.”
The diverse curriculum available to students serves as a great starting point in their career exploration. Students have the opportunity to try different paths and determine what fits them best.
“The honest, constructive feedback about how you come across in the workplace can often come later in life, after you’ve made some mistakes and successes,” advertising and marketing teacher Elizabeth Gray said. “I feel like they get an early sense of what type of career setting fits them best when they start here.”
Not only do teachers see the benefits of a CTEC that prepares students for their futures, but students also enjoy their time there.
“I’ve been to a lot of different schools, and this is the first one that has a CTE program,” forensic science student Sindhuja Panneuri said. “I’ve noticed that it allows students to explore their interests more. I think it’s important for all districts to have a CTE center because it helps students explore different career interests before making a choice. Without this, it would be really difficult to make a decision, especially at our age.”
To help students understand the work involved in potential careers, the CTEC offers various internship opportunities, including interning in primary schools for firsthand experience.
“All of the students who have gone through my program have been very well prepared because I make their experiences and internships as authentic as possible,” Education and Training teacher Nicky Fryman said. “These are kids who are basically co-teachers in the classroom. With the depth and rigor of the curriculum we have, they could each lead their own class, and many of them do later on in life.”
The ultimate goal of the curriculum is to prepare each student for their desired career field. Each teacher shapes their class to create “future-ready” students who will go on to do great things.
“My students will look back at their time spent in the workplace with honest, practical feedback about their personalities and work styles,” Gray said. “They will hopefully value that insight into how they operate and communicate with people, no matter what career direction they choose in the future.”
