Studies have shown that students retain up to 65% more information when learning through hands-on experiences versus lectures. Boces CTE empowers students to engage in active learning through specially crafted curricula that integrate math, science, and English directly into the hands-on activities their students partake in.
Each program is half a day for either one or two years; while the time commitment is high, students have found that the program has made them a better candidate for internships and colleges alike.
For example, Joshua Kohli, a senior, was able to get an IT internship position at the Indium corporation with the assistance of his advisors due to the expertise he was taught in his Emerging Technology and Cybersecurity CTE program.
Each semester of each year the student is able to earn half a credit in each math, science, English. By partaking in the program the student is able to go down specialized pathways that allow them to get their high school diploma by taking a specialized CTE test and a different set of required New York State Regents exams.
Another advantage to participating in one of the CTE programs is the opportunity to get industry level certifications as well as gain credits from many different colleges.
The curriculum created for each program aims to give the student a more hands-on and immersive look into the world they’re interested in; the programs cover very up-to-date topics the students can utilize going into the workforce, students may also find it easier to fully learn and comprehend the lessons taught due to the hands-on teaching style.
“If a student takes advantage of the course and works diligently and hard then they have the opportunity to learn a lot and go right into the workforce,” Mrs. Tupaj, a teacher at the OHM BOCES CTE program, said .
Teachers Mr. Racioppa and Mrs. Tupaj do warn that choosing to partake in a CTE program as an easier way of completing the necessary high school requirements is not a wise choice as the misconception that it’s easier than taking a traditional high school course is false.
However, they say that students who are genuinely interested, may find the work to be less tedious as well as more engaging than regular class work which can make the work seem easier.
Although the Boces CTE program is not the easy way of getting out of having to do the necessary classes needed for your high school diploma, for certain students who know what specialized interest they are looking to go into, the program can give students a leg up when it comes to landing internships, jobs, and for applying to college as well as providing and education that the student might find more interesting or engaging. If a program of this nature sounds like something that may be of interest to you, take a look at the website and bring it up to your counselor to learn if there’s a program that sounds right.
