The Impact Career Center is committed to offering students career and technical education. The building will primarily be used for the college program CTE (Career and Technical Education) courses, student leadership programs, and hands-on experiences. If you are unsure or just want to experience a career path, taking a course at the center would be a valuable opportunity for you.
The Career Center is a two-story building designed to be modern yet sustainable. Kristi Lewis, the CTE coordinator for Durango Schools states, “The concept around the building was to ensure it didn’t look outdated in 20 years. Hence, all the flexible moving walls and the type of furniture in there. It’s modern but can move as time moves.” On the first floor, you’ll find collaboration spaces, a cafe, and a common area with a capacity of 300 people. The second floor consists of a maker space, collaboration room, a pitch room where ideas will be presented, and two small technology rooms that can be combined. The center will provide 30 Macbooks, live streaming with global connectivity, printers, and design machinery.
The center provides experiential learning due to being centered around problem-solving rather than test-taking. Hands-on education can cater to personal learning styles and promote engagement. Lewis claims, “It’s designed around a process, not a classroom. Am I solving a problem from a design perspective? Do I need to define the problem? Do I need to reiterate what we’ve created?” Students will step outside a classroom setting and enter a more creative space, which allows them to brainstorm, prototype, and test their designs. Not only will this spark engagement, but it will also prepare students to work professionally in their careers. Students can also participate in career and technical organizations, which will provide a platform where students operate their businesses and open their services to the community. Along with the student-run organization, collaboration with business owners will foster entrepreneurship. Morgan Kraska, a CTE teacher shares, “The Impact Center will provide students with new and innovative opportunities to work on real-world projects with industry leaders. Doing so will provide a space for students to use design cycle thinking to solve creative problems collaboratively.” Joining a CTE class will allow you to connect with others with the same interests, develop leadership skills, and learn how to work in a professional atmosphere. Along with learning skills, it aids students in securing specific employment opportunities. Marilyn Long, a CTE teacher reported, “The purpose of CTE is to give you skills so you can get a job right out of high school. For example, in intermediate vet science if they can pass an exam they will receive a certificate to start working as a vet tech right out of high school.” Taking the opportunity to explore and experience different career paths will benefit students as it helps them adjust and prepare for the workplace or college environment. “It will give you insights and connections to the community to not only explore your career but actually test it out.”
Students at DHS have the opportunity to have a unique learning experience that will connect them to the community and workplace. Don’t miss out on this valuable hands-on learning opportunity and take a CTE course.
