James Sexton of Middletown, Kentucky's Eastern High School believes we need to really prepare our children for the future. Kentucky has an Open Enrollment Program, which allows students to attend the school of their choice in their county, depending on their interest. Eastern High is the school for cutting edge technology. "Our 1700 students can get a comprehensive, competitive four-year computer education here and possibly walk straight into a $40,000 a year job after graduating," explains Mr. Sexton.
The program began ten years ago and now boasts of thirteen separate computer labs each sponsored by different community companies. Rogers Group Lab is the largest of the labs and teaches Microsoft A+ for certification. "We actually build computers in this class," said Mr. Sexton. The Central Kentucky SBU has supplied over $6,000 in the past two years to help provide the high school with additions and upgrades to their systems and hardware.
"America has been bringing in people from India and other countries to fill our high tech jobs in computer systems design. Many of their children are now enrolled at Eastern High, along with anyone else in the community who is interested." They realized very quickly that they needed to get kids ready for the high tech jobs of the future if they wanted to work at all. Jefferson County (Middletown) has a diverse socioeconomic population of which 28% is minority. This program evens out the playing field, making it possible for any public school student in the community who is interested in computers to get the training and certification they need for the choicest jobs.
"Our problem was how to keep the software and hardware at least as cutting edge as the stuff some of them have at home. We looked to our corporate community for help, since they would eventual benefit from the programs. They provided the resources and developed an Intern Program, where the students as sophomores in high school could begin doing summer work as interns at the different companies in town. Those companies could then train their interns to do the specific computer job in the specific way they want it done and thereby have trained, certified employees after graduation."
Eastern High has developed a four-year program for the students. As freshmen and sophomores they must take basic computer classes, regardless of their major. In their junior year they can start specializing in a variety of areas.
(Picture Above) On October 13, Britt Rhodes of Central Kentucky presented James Sexton of Eastern High School with a check for $2,000 for their Rogers Group Computer Lab. (Left of check) Mr. James Sexton of Eastern High School (Right of check) Britt Rhodes of Central Kentucky SBU
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