August 30, 2022
High schoolers explore careers in fields like Fire/EMT, Coding, Culinary
This summer, Baltimore City Public Schools high schoolers helped to save lives, learned to save our internet security, and saved us from cooking dinner for ourselves!
Fire/EMT Apprenticeships
As part of City Schools’ new summer Fire/EMT Apprenticeship Program, rising sophomores at Dunbar and Patterson High Schools, and Vivien T. Thomas Medical Arts Academy went on emergency calls and supported professional EMTs while embedded with the Baltimore City Fire Department. They learned the ins and outs of work in the field while supporting their communities.
The student apprentices are in City Schools’ Fire/EMT Career & Technical Education (CTE) pathway and are working towards their EMT certification. According to Des Hamilton, City Schools Career Readiness Manager, the paid, eight-week experience is a significant step towards that goal. “When students have first-hand experience working in their CTE pathway, it unlocks passion, helps with recruitment, and motivates them to successfully pursue these careers.”
And thanks to a partnership between City Schools and the City of Baltimore, they were paid through YouthWorks, the City program that connects young people to summer jobs with employers across the Baltimore area.
Next summer, the program is expected to expand to all high schoolers. It’s only one example of the impactful, real-world learning happening this summer. Check out a few other examples of how students have been putting what they learn in the classroom into action across Baltimore this summer.
Baltimore Tracks
Thirteen high school students who are part of City Schools’ Computer Science and IT CTE Pathways or have an interest in IT had apprenticeships this summer with local technology companies through the collective, Baltimore Tracks. From cyber security and coding to website build outs and back-end support, students gained the experience necessary to obtain certifications that include CompTIA Security+, CompTIA A+, and CompTIA Network+. Technology companies hosting paid interns this summer included Truvelop, Idhini Inc., and EcoMap Technologies. Read more about Baltimore Tracks in the Baltimore Business Journal, here.
Culinary Arts at Forest Park High School
Seven high schoolers in the Culinary CTE pathway worked with Chef Shannon Smith and Chef Artitus McDowell, Vocational Teachers, four days a week at Forest Park High School. Through this new culinary summer program, they planned menus, cooked dishes, and sold them to the community through a partnership with DoorDash. Named the Forester Cafe, the students sold a variety of tasty options, from shrimp & grits to breakfast bowls. The result? Almost $400 in sales a day!