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Ernest Ward To Get Electrical Academy, First Such Program In The Nation
March 5, 2010
Ernest Ward Middle School will be home to a new IBEW Electrical Academy next school year, the first such program in the nation at the middle school level.
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers will work with the school district to create the Electrical Academy. Middle school career academies are small, personalized learning communities within a school in which select students and teachers participate during a two or three-year span. A career academy involves teachers from different subjects working together as an interdisciplinary team.
“The career academy is an exciting thing for Ernest Ward,” Escambia Superintendent of Education Malcom Thomas said. “It will engage students in a relevant way, while preparing them for the workforce and their future.”
In the EWMS Electrical Academy, the students will be introduced to electrical systems, learn the theories of electricity and gain valuable hands-on experience in various projects, according to Carl Leiterman, director of Workforce Education for the Escambia County School District. While students will work with AC (household type) electrical systems, most projects will use DC (battery type) voltage for safety reasons.
“They will take the theory and expand it to the application,” Leiterman said.
One focus of the program will be “green” power — wind and solar generation systems. “It’s one of the fastest growing and most in demand career fields right now,” he said. “The future is in green technology. These kids at Ernest Ward are going to have a tremendous opportunity to get a head start on a very well-paying career.”
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers curriculum will be adapted to meet Florida standards. The program, which will begin with the 2010-2011 school year, will be open to students from across Escambia County in grades seven and eight with at least a 2.0 GPA and few discipline referrals.
By 2012, the current Construction Academy at Northview High School is expected to be expanded to include an Electrical Academy, Leiterman said. After high school, students could transition into the workforce with certifications offered by the George Stone Technical Center or into college program including electrical engineering.
“It is an excellent opportunity for our communities and Ernest Ward,” Principal Nancy Gindl-Perry said. “With it being the first program like this in the nation, it will make Ernest Ward an even better opportunity for our students that we already are.”
There is one final hurdle before the IBEW Electrical Academy will be official — it must be approved by the Escambia County School Board at their April meeting. Thomas said he fully expects the board to grant approval.
Comments
18 Responses to “Ernest Ward To Get Electrical Academy, First Such Program In The Nation”
Mrs. Ellis,
Shouldn’t the role of a middle school be to prepare the students for high school, i.e., reading and comprehension, writing, math skills, civics?
Maybe this program is good for high school to give those students who are not going to college an option to explore a trade.
I still have reservations about the union influence.
Work Force Education … preparing student’s for L I F E!
When we visited Germany, we seen the wind and solar generation systems almost every where we traveled to. What a wonderful opportunity for the students. Everyone need some type of trade.
hey sign me up too i am going to do this for my daughter she is in 7th grade she will be in the first class ha ha
Hey Abbie! I will probably do this too! I hope that it will be fun!
THIS IS THE MOST SENSE I SEEN USED IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM IN A VERY LONG TIME!!!
TRAIN THEM TO USE A SKILL. HEY IF THEY NEED A HOUSE TO TRAIN ON , I KNOW TWO.
WHOOPEEEEEEE!!!!!!’NOW YOU KIDS, BOTH BOYS AND GIRLS GO, GO, GOOOO. DON’T LET’S US DOWN!
Kudos to you Cuz. What a wonderful thing to happen at your school. luvs ya
If they’ll stick to the curriculum and lay off the indoctrination, some of them may be qualified for a good paying job at the new power generation plant when they graduate.
As for the IBEW, I have no use for them. They attempted to unionize Solutia and all they managed to do was create conflict and stress friendships. Union membership is down nationwide because most of the current workforce realizes how useless and divisive they are. Maybe they plan to brainwash them young to drive up membership.
Coooolllliiooo =D
that is great i will think about taking that class next year. :p
I agree with SW! I’m all for the additional education just not the union propaganda that will go along with it. Brainwash them early IBEW!!!
Finally something other than the FFA school kids can get into. At least this has a future for all who apply themselves.
Sounds like a great first step. Hopefully if the Gulf Power Power Plant comes to fruition the training will prepare the students to compete for those jobs. I hope part of the curriculum includes teaching the students that the certifications for the high paying jobs mean nothing if they have no sense of responsibility. Thanks to the ones working to make this happen.
…and while they are learning a trade, they can be indoctrinated into the great world of trade unions.
WOW!!
That is great
This is great! And it’s about time the true “Northend” got something from the school district. Now, how about giving something that would be attractive and beneficial for our high school? And I’m talking about a ditch digging or sanitation engineering academy either. The brain drain to all the downtown specialty academies continues to pull some of the best students away, which has not helped the school’s FCAT grade.
This is where or country needs to go. Teach or future a trade stating in middle school and take on thru high school. When they graduate they will have learned a trade that will pay well. This is a great plan and I would hope that other trades would also offer training and that this would happen accross the country. Make the United States Strong
WOW! I really like this.