Every day a school bus filled with Meridian High School (MHS) students heads south to the Mount Vernon Northwest Career & Technical Academy (NCTA) campus. NCTA provides free technical and professional training for juniors and seniors in high school.
MHS students now have the opportunity to take advantage of the many course offerings provided by the Mount Vernon campus while earning Career and Technical Education (CTE) dual credit and industry certifications.
The course offerings our students are taking at the Mount Vernon campus include animation and graphic design, culinary arts, applied medical science (nursing assistant), dental assisting, criminal justice, money and business, veterinary assisting and video game development.
CTE dual credit allows students in a technical program to earn college credit while in high school. The CTE dual credit counts as college credit and also fulfills high school graduation requirements.
Meridian has a longstanding partnership with NCTA through the welding and fire science courses provided on our satellite campus here in Meridian.
“I am looking for ways to expand learning opportunities for students. We talk about possibilities on our Meridian campus. Student interest and staffing play a role in what can be offered,” Principal Derek Forbes said.
While some students sign up for the courses because they have an interest in that career field, some sign up because they like the opportunity for more hands-on learning.
Meridian High School senior Wyatt Duling is in his second year of the welding program.
“It is like a basic welding class but we have more time during the day so we can go more in depth,” Duling said. “I really like the credit opportunities, to be able to do a class that can give me math and English credits doing something I like to do.”
Just like MHS students can attend courses at the Mount Vernon campus, high school students from neighboring districts attend the NCTA welding and fire science courses offered at Meridian High School.
“I really enjoy the social aspect. The program draws so many kids from other districts, so you get to meet new people,” Duling said.
Ethan Chamness, a junior at MHS, explained that he signed up for the welding course because he does seek a career in the field. For many, taking these courses can be the next step toward that career, providing students with valuable professional experience and some certifications before they graduate high school.
We continue to partner with NCTA to create opportunities both here in Meridian and the main campus in Mount Vernon. To learn more about their programs visit, https://www.nwtech.k12.wa.us/.