Nipmuc Regional High School Celebrates Commitment of 25 Students to Newly Established Innovation Career Pathways |
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Nipmuc Regional High School students committed to the school's newly established Innovation Career Pathways program during a signing ceremony held on Feb. 26. From left to right, Connor McFeeters, Liam Downing, Kaitlyn Allington, Hannah Cotton, James Rabidou, and Logan Bertuglia. (Photo courtesy Mendon-Upton Regional School District) |
MENDON — Superintendent Dr. Maureen Cohen and Nipmuc Regional High School Co-Principals John Clements and Mary Anne Moran are pleased to share that 25 students committed to join the school's newly established Innovation Career Pathways (ICP) program in a signing ceremony held on Feb. 26.
Nipmuc Regional High School's ICP program is the result of a partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, which awarded $125,000 to the school to support curriculum materials, equipment, training and funding to support teacher leadership.
Through the ICP program, the 25 high school students are entering fields of career studies including information/computer science, business marketing and business finance.
Each of these career pathways provide students with technical courses and advanced courses, which specifically relate to their respective professional field, the opportunities to gain industry-recognized credentials, and the chance to participate in a 100-hour internship, or capstone project, to be completed during their senior year or the preceding summer.
The ICP signing ceremony was attended by educators, parents, and guardians, who offered their congratulations. The event was also attended by industry professionals, including Tom Gardner, vice president for human resources at Access TCA; Chris Fuhrmann, IT manager for Access TCA; and Ashley Bregman, executive director of the Blackstone Valley Hub for Workforce Development.
Nipmuc Career, Communication, and Innovations Coordinator Tara Bennett, who leads the implementation of the ICP program, acted as the emcee for the event. Bennett emphasized ICP's focus on strong partnerships, the cultivation of durable skills and authentic learning experiences.
“Nipmuc is fortunate to have great community partners who believe in supporting student development and career opportunities," Bennett said. "We look forward to expanding our Innovation Career Pathways by building our ICP school community and networking with other ICP schools in the state.”
The following students pledged to join Nipmuc's new ICP program:
The signing event was also attended by another member of the ICP leadership team, Mendon-Upton Regional School District’s Director of Learning and Innovation Ryan Robidoux. He explained that participating in the ICP programs will equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in a rapidly evolving and dynamic modern workforce.
“These pathways will provide each of you with experiences and opportunities to see the jobs, learn the skills, and understand the expectations that exist outside the walls of Nipmuc Regional High School," Director Robidoux said.
Several students said they are excited to get started and look forward to the skills and knowledge that they will gain in the process, along with the future opportunities that will be unlocked through their participation in the ICP programs.
“I committed to ICP because I am passionate about computer science and its real-world applications," said junior Kaitlyn Allington. "The ability to expand my horizons and continually improve my work over the course of my high school career is truly invaluable.”
“I’m excited to participate in ICP because of the opportunities such as networking and gaining more knowledge in the world of finance that it will provide me going forward," said junior Sean Lewinsky.
Superintendent Dr. Cohen congratulated the 25 students for signing their commitments to the ICP programs, and she thanked all the teachers and industry professionals for supporting the program, along with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for providing the funding.
"Thank you to all of our teachers and our community partners for supporting our newly established ICP program," said Superintendent Cohen. "The grant funding provided by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education was crucial to making this all possible. This is an important opportunity for all students involved and I wish them all the very best as they take advantage of this chance to prepare themselves for their future careers." |