Jefferson Public Schools issued the following announcement on Sept. 2.
Jeffco Public Schools’ designated Career and Technical Education (CTE) school, Warren Tech, has officially selected programs for its third campus, located in the south region of the district on the Dakota Ridge High School property in Littleton. The programs offered will be: Aircraft Maintenance Technology, Audio Production, Aviation Technology, Hospitality & Event Management, Live Sound & Event Production, Physical Therapy, and Video Production.
The Warren Tech South campus is part of Jeffco Public Schools’ Capital Improvement Program, funded in part by the November 2018 voter-approved bond measure. “Sam Miller, Sr. Project Manager, leads HCM Architects and JHL Construction, who are anxious to start building and deliver the project for the 2021-22 school year,” said Tim Reed, Executive Director of Facilities for Jeffco Public Schools. The project will break ground in the fall of 2020.
"We are excited to extend the mission of Warren Tech, which includes connecting 21st-century academic knowledge with cutting-edge career training for a new group of students next school year,” said Eric Stout, Associate Principal for Warren Tech South.
Warren Tech South expands the Warren Tech system, which includes Warren Tech Central and Warren Tech North. Each Warren Tech campus has a unique set of program offerings, 37 in total, that provide customized learning experiences for students. The addition of the south campus provides an opportunity to better meet the needs of students in the southern part of Jeffco Public Schools, while still serving the entire district.
“As project lead and Community Superintendent serving the Warren Tech programs for the past seven years, I am absolutely thrilled to have been able to be a part of the process from the start,” said Matt Walsh, Community Superintendent for Jeffco Public Schools. “I'm proud to be in a community and district that pursues some of the most progressive educational experiences, designed to truly prepare students for the future. In a time where many communities and educational environments are just trying to manage the crisis of the day, the leadership of Warren Tech and our district are looking to make every day a better opportunity for our students.”
Warren Tech integrates academics, technical skills needed for a multitude of industries, and postsecondary workforce readiness, preparing students to competitively meet the challenges of our global society. Juniors and seniors from any Jeffco high school (as well as Platte Canyon, Gilpin, and Clear Creek) can apply to attend the school for half the day, spending the other half at their home high school. About 1,500 students from over 35 high schools make up the current student body.
Warren Tech South programming is brand new, with the exception of Audio Production and Video Production, which will relocate to the south campus from the central and north locations. In collaboration with Colorado Economic Development and Department of Labor and Employment, the Warren Tech South programs were determined by evaluating state, country, and global workforce needs. Student and community input was also collected.
The programming provided at Warren Tech trains students in industries that are essential across the globe. “Jeffco Public Schools and Warren Tech have always been a national model for Career and Technical Education, concurrent enrollment, and industry partnerships. Now, the new Warren Tech South campus is a symbol of our commitment to all students through innovative and creative partnerships,” says Walsh.
In collaboration with post-secondary institutions like Red Rocks Community College, students have opportunities to earn concurrent enrollment college credits, and in 2018-19, Warren Tech students earned almost 13,000 free college credits and over 1,000 industry certifications.
Essential to Warren Tech’s success are industry partnerships. “Since the bond approval in 2018, we’ve been working to make connections with industry partners for the new campus and to collaborate on the types of programming we should offer, so students are ready for the jobs in demand and that will continue to be in demand. It’s been an honor working with Jeffco Public Schools staff in designing a state-of-the-art CTE facility to house new and exciting opportunities for Jeffco students, both in the south area and across the district. The addition of a third Warren Tech campus enables more students the opportunity to attend Warren Tech, which is very important to us,” said Warren Tech Principal Heather Keeton.
With the fall 2020 groundbreaking just around the corner, a team is already working on building the framework for programs, which includes establishing certifications and concurrent enrollment that will be available to students, as well as finalizing building designs and needed equipment.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming students to our south campus in August 2021 and are deeply grateful to Jeffco Public Schools and the Jeffco community for their continued support of Warren Tech,” said Keeton. Director of Choice Programming for Jeffco Public Schools, Marna Messer, agrees, “The 2021-22 school year will be another fantastic year to be a student in Jeffco.”
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