In Cherry Creek School District, we recognize that today’s current education system should align with industry needs and competencies. Businesses from all over the state of Colorado have told us they are having difficulty finding employees with the appropriate competencies to effectively fill their positions. In order to address this misalignment, the district is working with industry to place students in local apprenticeship programs. 

Apprenticeships are a combination of on-the-job learning at a company and related instruction through relevant coursework or certifications.  All Apprenticeships offered in the district begin in high school and span 1 to 2 years after high school graduation. 

Upon completion of an apprenticeship, students have the skills and professional competencies to step directly into a high-growth, high-wage career. 

For more information on Cherry Creek School District Youth Apprenticeships, click HERE. 

Unlike an apprenticeship, an internship is a professional learning experience that offers meaningful, practical, work related experience aligned to a student’s career interest. At the Cherry Creek Innovation Campus, the Internship program provides students an experience in a career field they would like to pursue after graduation. This experience provides first-hand learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skill development in a professional setting. Typically, internships are limited to a semester of school, or the length of the summer.

Internships are different than modern youth apprentices in a few ways. First, internships are far more prevalent than apprenticeships, although apprenticeships opportunities are growing rapidly. Secondly, apprenticeships last significantly longer than internships, often several years. Lastly, internships are generally unpaid experiences where apprenticeships are paid. In short, internships are designed to give students a short term, hands on, learning experience while modern youth apprenticeships are designed to provide a student a long term, in depth, paid, hands on experience that will provide them a direct entry into the work force upon completion.

CCIC industry partners agree that traditional students lack the necessary skills needed to enter the workforce. Most high school students today study academic core subjects, but they aren’t gaining the knowledge they need to seamlessly integrate into the work force and college. Too often, employees do not demonstrate workplace habits that employers prioritize: Professionalism, reliability/dependability, collaboration, respectfulness/consideration, communication, and growth mindset. Counselors at the CCIC work in partnership with instructors to support and drive a unique grading policy that incorporates the importance of professional skills across all of our pathways. At the CCIC, students have the opportunity to develop the necessary technical skills needed to compete in their selected career fields, while at the same time developing the professional skills that will allow success in any work or college environment. In addition to prioritizing professional skills, counselors also partner with Arapahoe/Douglas Works to help students develop resumes, one on one employment counseling, and interviewing skills.

Learn more about Arapahoe/Douglas Works.

Whether you are considering the military out of a sense of patriotism or duty, for action or adventure, or for a stable job in an evolving economy, the military can offer amazing career opportunities. Students who attend the CCIC will learn valuable technical skills and professional skills that can easily be transferred to a career within the United States Military. Counselors at the CCIC work closely with recruiters from all branches of the Military to ensure students are getting proper support and accurate information as they determine if the Military is the right career choice for them.

To learn more about the enlistment process and the many benefits within the Military, please visit www.usa.gov/join-military.

The service academies are federal institutions that provide an undergraduate education and train future commissioned officers for service in the United States Armed Forces. Applying to a Military Service Academy is a rigorous, highly-competitive, and lengthy process only for the most determined and qualified candidates.

Listed below are the five federal United States service academies:

o The United States Military Academy (USMA) located in West Point, NY

o The United States Naval Academy (USNA) located in Annapolis, MD

o The United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) located in New London, CT

o The United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) located in Kings Point, NY

o The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) located in Colorado Springs, CO

o United States Military Academy West Point Academy (USAWP) located in West Point, NY

When applying for an academy, it is best to start applying early during your junior year in high school. All academy appointments must obtain a congressional nomination from your local congressman or congresswoman, your two State Senators, or the Vice President of the United States. All candidates are eligible to apply for nominations from any of these four sources. To apply for a congressional nomination, contact your local congressional representative and both of your senators’ offices for information on their application process. The Vice President can nominate candidates without geographical restriction within the United States. To apply for a nomination from the Vice President, you can find information on the White House webpage.

You only need one nomination from any of these sources to be included in a pool of candidates before a service academy will even look at your potential candidate’s application file. Thus, it’s important to apply through all applicable sources.

Candidates are required to have letters of recommendation, strong transcripts, strong SAT or ACT scores, pass a Department of Defense Military Examination Review Board (DODMERB) physical examination, and pass a fitness test. Candidates are expected to be scholars, leaders, and athletes within their schools or communities.

If applying to a service academy is your goal, counselors at the CCIC will partner with your home high school counselor to help guide and connect you with the proper academy liaisons that will work directly with you.  

For more information on service academy appointments, please visit www.militarybenefits.info

Technical colleges are sometimes grouped with community colleges and four year universities; however, they are very different. Rather than receiving a general education that community colleges and four year universities offer, technical colleges provide students specialized training that prepares them for a specific trade or profession.

 At a technical college, you only take classes geared towards one specific career, rather than taking a wide range of general education classes. In addition, most technical college programs can be completed in two years. This means you won’t have extra expenses for books, labs, facilities, and other miscellaneous fees.

Community college, sometimes called a junior college, offers students a two-year degree known as an associate degree. Some degrees/certifications are designed to be transferred to a four year institution, while others are more career specific and meant to prepare you for employment shortly after you obtain your degree. There are many benefits to attending a community college. First and foremost, no matter which college you attend or major you choose, your first two years will mainly consist of the same set of courses. By attending a community college for your first two years, you are able to complete your basic classes while saving a significant amount of money. This could, in turn, reduce the amount of money you’ll pay or borrow when/if you transfer to a four-year college.

In addition, many community colleges don’t have residential housing, which means you might be able to save money by living at home for the first two years. Also, a community college offers students more flexibility at a lower cost as they explore which career path they want to pursue. It is not uncommon for students to pay a hefty price tag at a private/public university, only to realize that the major they declared isn’t really what they want to do. While you can change your major at a college/university, many students are surprised to learn that most of the classes they already took don’t count towards the new major they are interested into changing into. This often results in lost money, time, and opportunity. In other words, community college gives you a chance to “test the waters” at a much lower cost than a four-year university.

Lastly, community college offers students the opportunity to attend class while maintaining a healthy work schedule. According to the Community College Research Center at Columbia University, 69% of community college students work while they attend school. Of those 69%, 33% work more than 35 hours a week. Community colleges understand students need flexibility, which is why more night and weekend classes are offered than at a traditional four year university/college. The ability to work work while going to school, can help reduce the cost of college and untimely reducing the possibility of accumulating unneeded debt.

At the CCIC, counselors can work with your student to help determine if attending a community college is right for them. In addition, counselors can help students who have taken courses at the CCIC with concurrent enrollment credit, navigate the community college system in ways that help them.

Public universities and private universities offering bachelor degrees both fall into the category of four year college and universities. At these institutions, a bachelor’s degree is one of the most common degree options and is available in a variety of fields. On average, a bachelor degree is earned within four years and can lead to entrance into the workforce or to a more advanced degree program. Typically, 120 credit hours of coursework, including general education classes, electives, and major requirements are needed to fulfill the requirement of a bachelor’s. General education classes account for about one-third of all classes within four year college programs, and include subjects such as English, Math, Science, Humanities, and Foreign Language.  

If you are looking for a traditional college experience, a four year university could be the place for you. Four year colleges and universities offer a well-rounded education. In fact, colleges and universities require students to take courses in a number of areas to help them determine what area of study is best for them while at the same time providing a well-rounded broad base of academic knowledge.

Research shows that many entry level positions require a bachelor’s degree. By completing a degree at a four year college or university, you will have the academic skills needed for the demands of your career choice. Further, research shows that employees who have graduated from a four year college or university tend to earn more money than students with associates degree or high school diplomas.

Counselors at the CCIC can assist you in the college application process if a four year college or university is a good fit for you.

Over the past decade, the cost of a university education has risen three times faster than other school related expenses. Most students finance at least some part of that cost by taking student loans. The goal is that an investment in college will produce a high paying job that allows students to pay off student loan debt. Financial aid needs to be examined in depth if you are considering using it to fund your post-secondary plan. Financial aid can be a useful tool to fund higher education, but families should have a realistic plan to pay off the debt after graduation.

Counselors at the CCIC are skilled in guiding students through the financial aid process as well as scholarship opportunities. For more information on financial aid, please visit:

FAFSA

FAFSA 4caster

Types of Aid

Who gets Aid

College Aid Financial Calculators

Colorado Opportunity Fund

The CCIC offers Concurrent and Dual Enrollment courses, which offer students an opportunity to earn high school credit, while at the same time earn college credits in a variety of Career & Technical Education courses. Concurrent Enrollment courses are tuition-free courses that offer college credit at a local community college. Dual Enrollment courses offer students college credit at a local university, with a minimal fee for the student. All Concurrent and Dual Enrollment courses are taught by CCSD teachers who have been approved as adjunct professors by an accredited community college or university. MORE INFO

An industry certification is a credential recognized by business and industry at the local, state or national level. Industry certificates measure competency in an occupation and they validate the knowledge base and skills need to demonstrate mastery in a particular industry.

Industry certifications are important in a number of ways. First and foremost, these certifications allow students to demonstrate mastery of knowledge and/or skills that business and industry are seeking. This can lead to increased job prospects, marketability to employers, as well as an increase in post-secondary education options.  In addition, industry certifications are important to employers as they provide evidence of proficiency, skills and abilities. In other words, industry certifications connect students possessing industry specific skill sets to the demands of the workforce. This intentional connection addresses the skills gap while increasing an individual’s earning power. 

At the Cherry Creek Innovation Campus, we align our innovative curriculum with current industry standards. By aligning our curriculum to what industry and business partners are seeking, we are confident that our students will develop the professional standards needed to compete and succeed as they enter the workforce, college, and/or military.

Industry Certifications available at the CCIC:

Advanced Manufacturing

• National Institute of Metalworking Skills (NIMS)

Business Services

• Certified Associate Project Management (CAPM)

Health and Wellness

• American Red Cross CPR/AED
• Certified Nurse Aide (CNA)
• Behavioral Health Technician
• Pharmacy Technician

Hospitality and Tourism

• Hospitality & Tourism Management 1
• Hospitality & Tourism Management 2
•  ServSafe Food Handler
• ServSafe Manager
• Lodging & Resort Management 1 Workforce Readiness
• Lodging & Resort Management 2 Workforce Readiness
• S.T.A.R.T. Guest Room Attendant
• S.T.A.R.T. Lodging Security Officer
• S.T.A.R.T. Restaurant Server and Kitchen Cook
• Gold Certified Guess Service Professional
• CHTMP (Certified Hospitality & Tourism Management Professional)
• ProStart National Certificate of Achievement

Infrastructure Engineering

• OSHA-10 Construction
• HBI PACT (Pre Apprenticeship Certificate Training)
• NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research)

IT & STEAM

• CompTIA A+
• CompTIA Network+
• TestOut PC Pro
• TestOut Network Pro
• Certified SOLIDWORKS Associate (CSWA)
• Certified Additive Manufacturing Associate (CSWA-AM)

Transportation-Automotive Technology

• Snap-on Certifications
  • Mustimeter
  • Torque
  • Precision Measurement
  • Scanner and Diagnostics
  • Wheel Service & Alignment
  • Advanced Scanner Diagnostics
  • Pro-Cut on-car Rotor Machining
  • Battery Starting and Charging

• ASE Student Automobile Certification
  • Brake Systems
  • Suspension & Steering Systems
  • Electrical/Electronic Systems
  • Engine Performance

Transportation-Aviation Maintenance

• Snap on Multimeter
• Snap on Torque
• Snap on Precision Measurement

School counselors serve as a first line of defense in identifying and addressing student social/emotional needs within a school setting. Counselors at the CCIC have unique training in helping students with social/emotional issues that may become barriers to academic success. In partnership with our school social worker, counselors provide individual student support directed at improving students social/emotional wellbeing.

Due to the unique design of the CCIC, counselors work in tandem with home high school counselors to ensure all social/emotional needs are being met while students are at the innovation campus.

At the CCIC, counselors will help students’ social/emotional management in the following ways:

• Identify and employ appropriate methods for individual social/emotional support.
• Know and utilize counseling theories to inform direct and indirect services providing support to social/emotional development.
• Serve as a referral source for students when social/emotional issues become too great to be dealt with solely by the school counselor or social worker.
• Communicate essential information with all appropriate support structures at student’s home high school.
• Crisis interventions

Counselors at the CCIC are committed to supporting students’ social/emotional needs and provide the proper support when a student’s issue becomes too great to be dealt with solely by themselves.

American School Counselor Association

How do you know where you are going if you have not first identified your destination? In order to achieve a goal, you must be serious and specific about what you want, where you want to go, what you want to achieve, and the targets you want to hit. Specific questions give you specific answers. Specific answers lead to specific behaviors that when put into motion, can lead to the achievement of meaningful goals. At the CCIC, counselors recognize that students need structure and support when identifying and pursuing their individual goals.

The formation and pursuit of goals can be a valuable tool for students. Researchers have found that the pursuit of goals, as well as their attainment, are associated with increased level of happiness and an increased level in self-esteem. Why? Research shows that much of the positive emotion that human beings feel is the result of the neurotransmitter dopamine, in response to evidence that satisfactory progress has been made towards a desired goal. In addition to the emotional benefits of goal setting, research also suggests that it helps bolster understanding of an individual’s strategy to achieve their set goal. Lastly, the process of establishing specific goals can increase performance in other domains, such as overall academic achievement.

Counselors at the CCIC work in collaboration with teachers to help students develop realistic and meaningful goals.