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CTE Blog

CTE - January 2025

Scottsdale Unified School District prepares students for bright futures in a variety of ways.  Our Career and Technical Education program plays a major role in that, offering coursework in 17 different career pathways, as well as internships with local business community partners, in the following areas:

  • Biotechnology
  • Business Operations
  • Coding & Software Development
  • Criminal Justice
  • Culinary
  • Digital Publishing
  • Engineering & Design
  • Film & TV Production
  • Finance
  • Graphic Design
  • Hospitality & Tourism
  • Marketing
  • Music & Audio Production
  • Networking & Cybersecurity
  • Nursing
  • Sports Medicine
  • Technical Theatre

Mason Renfer teaches the Finance track at Chaparral High School and was recently highlighted in Personal Finance Lab’s Teacher Highlight.  Think the world of finance is not relevant to high school students?  It most definitely is!  Read why here!


Top Chaparral CTE Student Nominated for National Recognition

AZED and DOE Seals

Right before winter break, we learned that Chaparral High School’s Iulia Musat is one of five students nominated by the Office of the Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction for a 2024-2025 U.S. Presidential Scholarship in Career and Technical Education!  Candidates who selected based on evidence of academic rigor, technical competence, professional employability skills, and ingenuity and creativity.

As a semifinalist nominee, Iulia will be invited to apply for the National Review by the Commission on Presidential Scholars. Twenty outstanding U.S. Presidential Scholars in Career and Technical Education students from around the United States will be announced in May. 

Learn More at the Source

CTE - December 2024
Meet Marty the Robot: A real, programmable robot … with character!
Marty the Robot

Recently, students in our “Design My Future” class at Mohave Middle School, under the direction of teacher James Cochran, had the opportunity to try their hands at programming with Marty the Robot! This fun little humanoid robot makes STEM learning fun and engaging for all students. Marty can walk, dance, and kick a ball as far as any kicker in the NFL. Okay, well maybe not that far, but you get the point. Marty supports block-based coding (Scratch), as well as text-based coding (Python). We cannot wait to make Marty a permanent fixture in SUSD! 

Enhancing CTE Programs with Innovative Robotics
Robot Dog CPR Dummy Demo

We are also excited to introduce the Go1 robotic dog. Recently, students of Chaparral High School's Coding, Engineering and Criminal Justice classes (and the school SRO’s real pup, Rocket) had the unique opportunity to demo the Go1.

This hands-on experience not only showcased the robot's impressive features, such as human recognition, intelligent side-follow, and advanced AI processing, but also demonstrated its potential to foster collaborative education across curricular pathways (Coding, Engineering and Law & Public Safety). By integrating this robotic technology into our Career and Technical Education programs, we aim to enhance learning, encourage innovation, and prepare our students for future careers.

Planning for the Future

Many thanks to Scottsdale-based Bison Ventures, a coordinated originator of mortgages, and owners Stuart Crawford, Jeremy West and Ryan Madrid who recently hosted students from Mason Renfer’s first- and second-year CTE Finance classes at Chaparral High School.

The trio spoke of how much they enjoyed their high school DECA experiences and the struggles and joys of owning their own business and being entrepreneurs in a highly competitive business.  They explained the mortgage industry to students and how their varied career paths came together to create Bison.  The owners also impressed upon the Firebirds students the importance of networking, regardless of career paths.  Thank you, Bison Ventures!

Learn More at the Source

CTE - November 2024

CTE has so many awesome Programs of Study for SUSD students!  Did you know that each of our programs are tied to the U.S. National Career Clusters?  Here is the current list of 2024-2025 courses being offered to our high school students. In the dark blue header, the U.S. Current Career Cluster is indicated.  This chart can help with course selections for the 2025-26 school year that are coming up this month and next.

BUSINESS OPERATIONS

Tech Fundamentals for Business
4628-4629

My Digital Brand
4618-4619

Business Internship
10050-10051

COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA TECHNOLOGY

Digital Photography I CTE
8846-8847

Digital Photography II CTE
8848-8849

Digital Photography Internship
10082-10083

Digital Publishing I
3602-3603

Digital Publishing II 
3604-3605

Digital Publishing Internship 
10084-10085

CMAS: Essential Musicianship 
10030-10031

CMAS: Advanced Musicianship 
10038-10039

CMAS Audio Production Internship 
10078-10079

Film and TV I 
9360-9361

Film and TV II – Live News 
9362-9363 OR

Film and TV II – Film Production 
9364-9365

Film & TV Internship 
10058-10059

Graphic Design/Advertising Art I 
9240-9421

Graphic Design/Advertising Art II 
9250-9251

Graphic Design Internship 
10076-10077

Technical Theatre I 
6908-6909

Technical Theatre II
6910-6911

Technical Theatre Internship
10074-10075

FINANCE

Principles of Personal Finance
8722-8723

Principles of Business
8724-8725

Finance Internship
10052-10053

HEALTH SCIENCE

Health Care Assistant I*
9174-9175 (NURSING Block Class)

Health Care Assistant II*
9176-9177 (NURSING Block Class)

Nursing Internship 
10060-10061

Intro to Sports Medicine
7484-7485

Advanced Sports Medicine
7486-7487

Sports Medicine Internship
10062-10063

HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM

Culinary I*
7822-7823 (Block Class)

Culinary II
7824-7825 (Block Class)

Culinary Internship
10068-10069

Hospitality and Tourism Management I
9490-9491

Hospitality and Tourism Management II
9228-9229

Hospitality Internship
10070-10071

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Networking & Cyber Security I
4614-4615

Networking & Cyber Security II
4616-4617

IT Internship
10056-10057

Coding in Python
8726-8727

Coding for Apple iOS
8728-8729

Software Dev & Coding Internship
10054-10055

LAW & PUBLIC SAFETY

Introduction to Criminal Justice
5254-5255

Advanced Criminal Justice
5256-5257

Criminal Justice Internship
10066-10067

MARKETING

Marketing I
8620-8621

Marketing II
8712-8713

Marketing Internship
10080-10081

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS (STEM)

Honors Biotechnology I*
10048H-10049H (Block Class)

Honors Biotechnology II*
10010H-10011H (Block Class)

Biotechnology Internship
10064-10065

Engineering Design I
9274-9275
Please note Engineering is the only three-year completion program. 

Engineering Design II 
9266-9267

3rd Course: Engineering Design III
9310-9311
Optional Concurrent Course: Engineering Internship 10072-10073

This year, the national organization Advance CTE will be rolling out the newly revised National Career Clusters Framework. This is exciting news as we see a shift in focus to match more current occupational needs and titles.  The new purpose statement regarding the Career Clusters Framework from Advance CTE is this:

“The National Career Clusters Framework provides structural alignment and a common language to bridge education and work, empowering each learner to explore, decide and prepare for dynamic and evolving careers.”

One of the updates is to include Entrepreneurship with the Management cluster. This is a great thing for the U.S. economy, as innovation occurs and jobs are created through new companies and ideas. Students are interested in being their own boss, so offering business courses to support these activities is crucial. CTE has several innovation and business programs including plans to introduce a new Business Management pathway at the Coronado Entrepreneurship Hub in 2025-2026.

Here is a sneak peek at the new framework.  New clusters are the last three marked NEW.  Click each Career Cluster for definitions and Sub-Clusters:

For students needing further assistance understanding these career pathways and the U.S. Career Clusters, please reach out to our team at the College and Career Readiness department.

Amy Downs – Director – adowns@susd.org
Anthony Vogel – CTE Teacher on Assignment – avogel@susd.org
Krista Demetrulias – Programs of Study Coordinatorkdemetrulias@susd.org

Maricopa County Attorney's Office
Chaparral CTE Students

Recently, Criminal Justice students at Chaparral High School participated in a Career Day at the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. This hands-on experience included reviewing a case, analyzing evidence, and deciding whether to charge it as first-degree murder, manslaughter or self-defense. Students opted for manslaughter and provided strong reasoning behind their decision. They were so engaged, curious, and inspired to learn that the case review turned into a miniature productive debate. The students critically analyzed the Arizona Revised Statutes for each crime, all concepts covered in Tarnisha Tilson’s class. It was incredible to see them apply what they learned in a professional setting … and get it right!

Aspire Academy

During fall break, Chaparral senior Paige Heymann graduated from Chandler's Aspire Academy, a hands-on camp led by the Chandler Police and Fire Departments. The camp offers young women the chance to develop leadership skills and experience firefighting, law enforcement and emergency operations alongside professionals in these fields. Paige had an incredible experience learning various skills, including crime scene investigation and traffic stops.

CTE - October 2024

SUSD’s 2024 College & Career Fair
Two SUSD Students with College Swag

The third edition of SUSD’s College & Career Fair was the best one yet!  

More than 1,500 SUSD high school students and families descended on Scottsdale Stadium’s Field House Sept. 14 with the opportunity to meet representatives from more than 100 colleges and universities from all corners of the country and everywhere in between.  Local community colleges, technical schools and the U.S. Armed Forces were there, as well.

Career and Technical Education (CTE) staff and our high school College and Career Center specialists were there to answer questions about the college application process and how and when to complete the critically important FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) application.  Parents were especially pleased to learn about the district’s Major Clarity platform, a one-stop shop for college budget and financial aid information, career exploration and career-matching tools, academic planning for grades 6-12 and work-based learning tracking.  At a bay of computers, students logged in through Google Apps to the robust SUSD college and career planning platform and discovered how helpful it will be to them in planning their futures.

In the Work-Based Learning partnership row, CTE teachers and students combined with local employers to represent the district’s nine, in-demand fields in which the district offers high school students two-year programs of study: Business Operations, Communications Media Technology, Finance, Health Science, Hospitality and Tourism, Information Technology, Law and Public Safety, Marketing, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.  On-site community partners included Hyatt, MedSurge, NOAH, City of Scottsdale, AZ Youthforce, Scottsdale Rotary Club and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department.

We’re already looking forward to and planning next year’s fair!

SUSD College Fair with Tables and Colleges

Teen Court
SUSD Teen Court students working

Scottsdale Unified School District’s Criminal Justice program has officially launched its Teen Court program, a valuable work-based learning opportunity in partnership with the Maricopa County Superior Court Juvenile Division.

Teen Court is a Prevention/Diversion program aimed at addressing juvenile delinquency while educating students about the law and responsible citizenship. This program offers students a hands-on, courtroom experience where they take on roles such as attorneys, jurors, and court staff to determine appropriate consequences for peers involved in minor legal offenses.

Teen Court provides an excellent opportunity for students to apply their classroom knowledge of the legal system in a real-world context, while also honing critical thinking, public speaking, and decision-making skills.

Learn More at the Source

CTE - September 2024

September 14 College & Career Fair
College and Career Fair Logo

We are looking forward to hosting SUSD’s third annual College and Career Fair on Saturday, September 14 at the Field House at Scottsdale Stadium, 7408 E. Osborn Rd., Scottsdale!  From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. that day, SUSD students and their families are invited to meet representatives from more than 60 U.S. colleges and universities, as well as our own local community colleges and technical schools.  If your student is interested in serving the nation, representatives from the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines will be there, too, as well as some of the U.S. military service academies.

Just as important as choosing the right school is being aware of the actual college application process. That’s why the College and Career Fair will also have resources available that day about scholarship resources and financial aid, how to complete the critical FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) application and resume-building skills.

We hope to see you and your students there, engaging with people who can answer college and career questions and get your students navigating their paths toward successful careers and possible post-secondary options!

CTE’s Criminal Justice Students at Summer FBI Academy
FBI Logo

It’s exciting to report that Chaparral High School was represented by three of our outstanding students at the local Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Field Office’s Teen Academy this past summer. Chaparral Criminal Justice instructor Tarnisha Tilson connected the trio to this wonderful opportunity. As this program is highly competitive, student selection is based on a well-crafted application and written assignment.

Chaparral Students - Criminal Justice Students with FBI Certificates

Seniors Angelina Rosacci, Marin Pittinsky, and Amy Fleming were among those chosen to take part in this summer’s Academy. This prestigious program offers high school students a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the agency. Participants gain insights into the FBI’s efforts to combat drugs, engage in hands-on training with the office’s evidence response team, interact with the FBI SWAT team, and meet agents and personnel dedicated to the FBI mission. 

Our students shared how much they learned and how much they enjoyed the experience. They even worked a mock crime scene and felt well-prepared, thanks to what they learned in their Chaparral Criminal Justice CTE class. Even more impressive, our students won the Crime Scene Challenge!

The officials involved in the Phoenix FBI Teen Academy had nothing but praise for our students. It is clear that our students and CTE faculty continue to live up to SUSD’s Elevate Excellence expectation!

Learn More at the SUSD Source

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