Leadership, vision, opportunity: three words that describe the future of an exciting partnership between Passaic County Technical Institute (PCTI) and Passaic Public Schools! The Computer Science initiative between the two school districts builds upon an existing Aerospace Engineering collaboration which will provide more than $796,000 in grants to implement innovative career and technical education programs. PCTI’s Superintendent, Diana Lobosco, commented about the new partnership, “We are delighted to collaborate with Passaic Public Schools to advance student learning in two critical STEM fields of study. We look forward to an effective partnership that integrates learning with real world opportunities of the future!”
The recently received CVSD Partnership Grant 4, provided by the New Jersey Department of Education, will assist in the creation of new Computer Science STEM career programs, which will be open to Passaic High School students from ages 11-18 and grades 6-12. The aim is to provide students traditionally underrepresented in STEM classes opportunities to advance their studies in the Computer Science field. In Passaic schools, the grant expands the use of the Project Lead the Way courses in middle grades, preparing students to be successful in Computer Science career and technical education training in high school. “We are proud to expand our partnership with PCTI and provide more opportunities for our students to engage in high level STEM-related college and career preparation,” noted Pablo Muñoz, Superintendent of Passaic Public Schools.
The partnership is based on PCTI’s incredibly effective CTE model that builds partnerships between industry, workforce, and college partners. Students of the CVSD Partnership grant will earn dual enrollment credits and stackable industry credentials. Participating students also have the chance to enroll in AP courses and Structured Learning experiences while in high school.