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Academies set to recruit students
By Ryan Vicksell, Staff Writer
Students and teachers of the Carrollton n Farmers Branch ISD academies are hitting the recruitment trail.
They will travel to middle schools around the district to ramp up excitement about the programs available at Creekview, Newman Smith and R.L. Turner high schools.
The academy programs offer students enhanced instruction on their chosen fields with some of the finest facilities available anywhere in the state. Any student in the district is eligible to attend any of the academies, regardless of the school they are zoned to attend. Academy programs generally compromise of one or two classes per year in a chosen subject area.
“Each director will get to speak with a small group of students for 15-20 minutes at a time, giving the students a general idea of the opportunities at each academy,” said Brian Horn, director of the Law and Criminal Justice Academy at Creekview High School.
Not only are the academy members going to the middle schools, but the students are also coming to them. Meetings will be held at each high school with all academies in attendance. The meetings are from 7-8:30 p.m. on Nov. 28 at Newman Smith, on Nov. 30 at R.L. Turner and on Dec. 5 at Creekview.
“We also have middle school students visit us and get a look at the facilities and pick up applications,” said Vince Cowdrey, director of the Academy for Media Arts and Technology at R.L. Turner High School.
Biomedicine is the focus at R.L. Turner’s Academy of Biomedical Professions.
“We give students basic foundations in medicine,” said Jackie Tindell, director of the Academy of Biomedical Professions. “We give students very firm foundations in their medicine through introductory courses such as Health Science Technology. They need that foundation to be able to get out in the field.”
Students have a plethora of opportunities to make a difference in the academy once they are able to head out in the field.
“We work with hospitals such as Trinity Medical Center and Plano Presbyterian. Students take internships in their senior year. They work with some field they are interested in such as scientific research or veterinary medicine,” Tindell said.
The academy also offers a Co-op program, certified nursing aid program and clinical rotations.
“This is a good course to prepare for college and provides good experience to see if this is what students want to do.” Tindell said.
Newman Smith is the home of the International Business Academy, which offers students a look inside the corporate world.
“We provide students with a solid business foundation no matter what career direction they choose,” said Kathi Long, director of the International Business Academy.
The academy offers a broad range of courses applicable to almost any business. The academy offers internships with various local businesses to provide students with real-life experience in a field of their choosing.
“Students take courses such as marketing, accounting, business management, business law and many others. Students can also take 28 dual-credit hours at Brookhaven Community College,” Long said.
The Academy for Media Arts and Technology at R.L. Turner offers the opportunity for students to gain experience in the fields of media arts, computer science or business applications.
“Our program is an exploratory program that allows students to explore different areas of interest,” Cowdrey said. “Our students take a series of courses in their chosen strand, followed by a Senior Internship that gives them real life experience in their chosen fields.”
Students have the opportunity to gain certifications with programs such as Final Cut Pro and other programs. Students also work with CFB-TV, the KRLT radio station and many more programs.
“The academy gives students the hands-on experience that they need,” Cowdrey said.
Creekview High School’s Law and Criminal Justice academy seeks to teach students about the fundamentals of law and law enforcement.
“Our goal is to push students to a level of thinking that goes beyond a typical class,” Horn said.
The academy offers two different strands, or subject areas.
“One of our strands is law, which would be ideal for someone becoming a lawyer or a judge, for example. The other is law enforcement, which would be ideal for someone becoming a policeman or an investigator. Of course these are only examples,” Horn said.
The academy is the newest academy, becoming open to any student in the district in 2004. The academy offers the best instructors in the field and will be beneficial to anyone who wants to “learn something beyond a typical classroom,” Horn said.
In addition, the Academy of Math, Science and Engineering will be opening at R.L. Turner in fall 2007, offering students from anywhere in the district the opportunities and education in their chosen fields in an academy environment.
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