Centennial High School Celebrates 100 Years of Career, Technical Education

From Centennial HS: Centennial High School joined the country in celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Smith-Hughes Act, the first act of Congress to provide funding for Career and Technical Education (CTE). The school put on a robust program of activities for the entire week, beginning with Roswell Mayor Jere Wood reading a proclamation at the school (attached). After the proclamation was read, students released 100 balloons to celebrate the auspicious occasion.

“I am not sure how many people know that 95 percent of Fulton County students who complete CTE pathways graduate from high school,” said Marie Robinson, CTE Chair at Centennial High School. “Not only do students taking these courses learn real-world skills in a chosen field, but they also take industry certification tests that allow students to obtain allow students to obtain professional level employment immediately upon graduating high school. And those are just a few reasons why Centennial and Fulton County Schools are so committed to offering a robust CTE program for students,” added Robinson.

Centennial offers 11 CTE pathway opportunities, the most offered at a North Fulton county high school. They are: Audio-Video Technology and Film, Financial Services, Engineering and Technology, Law Enforcement Services/Forensic Science, JROTC/Army, Food and Nutrition, Computer Science, Programming, Web Development, Emergency Medical Responder, and Allied Health and Medicine.

Centennial also provides its brand-new Maker SPaCE where students can explore building, electronics, video production, sewing, computer programming, editing, 3D technology, embroidering, and more.

During the week, students enjoyed career presentations from many different leaders in the community. Nitascia Washington, Manager of Community Relations from the Better Business Bureau summarized it this way: “Not only were the students engaged in the sessions, but they were very grateful. I think the Career Technical Education Week put on by Centennial is a necessary program that gives students a glimpse of the real world. It allows them to see that sometimes your journey may look one way, but can still be successful with hard work, determination and teamwork.”

Centennial High School is a 21st century learning community providing a high quality, innovative educational experience for all students to be college and career ready. Located at 9310 Scott Road in Roswell, Georgia, the school has been ranked as one of America’s best high schools by The Washington Post, US News and World Report, and Atlanta Magazine. Centennial is also as a leader within the Fulton County Charter System.

Images Courtesy Of Centennial HS