District 93 prepares students for real world

There is a newer high school in Eastern Idaho that not too many people know about.The teaching concept they use is really taking off with the students and it’s getting them ready for the real world.

Class is in session at District 93’s newer Technical Careers High School.

“It’s almost self explanatory where you’ve got one side that’s a single, and then two sides,” said one of the instructorspointing todifferent welds on a screen infront of the class.

But it’s not atraditional classroom setting.

“Whatyou’re going todo is you’re going to takethat and clamp that down,” said shop instructor, Brad Herbst.

“We’re teaching our cores, our English our math and our social studies geared towards their interests. So instead of learning formulas in a math class, they learn the formula, then they go into a shop and figure out how that formula applies to their interests,” said school Principal Craig Miller.

A mix of both book learning and hands-on is really nothing new. District 93 is running with it. About 175 students spend part or all of their day here.Three years down the road, the district expects this to be a full-fledged high school, adding programs to fit the community workforce needs. Miller saidit is working.

“The saying goes, I learn by doing and by doing the formulas and by doing the things they are being taught in their cores, they’ll remember it longer and it will make sense to them and it will make them want to learn more about that.” said Miller.

“Oh yeah, I’m definitely a hands-on learner too,” said senior, Tyler Longhurst.

“Instead of doing math equations on the board somewhere, it will be how we are going to use them in the field,” said senior, Heath Hansen.

The overall goal is threefold, get students on their way to a career choice right out of high school, get them some college credit on their way to post secondary studies, or help them realize this may not be the career path they wanted.

“I want to go to ISU and do the auto body program there,” said Hansen.

“Get my business degree and then open up a body shop in the future, said Longhurst.

Tyler and Heath are just two of the students that this concept is resonating with.

“The more students have heard about it, the more students we’ve had come through our doors and want to sign up for our classes,” said Miller.

“And that you’re matching up in here and at these, (visual straight lines asthe truck hoodof a car matches up with the compartment) so these are your points of interest,” said Herbst, as he instructed both students.

Points well-taken. Next year, the district hopes to partner with ISU’s Energy Systems Technology and Education Center.