This year for the first time ever at The Laboratory School of Finance and Technology, a 9th period class can grant you a college certification and experience. Currently, a group of ten students is learning about digital media and skills that come with trying to get a career in a specific field. They use a website named Coursera.org, which partners with different universities to offer college level work. The course they are taking is called Graphic Design Specialization and it is from the California Institute of the Arts.

Mrs.Devore, a 9th and 12th grade teacher, says “I think this is an amazing opportunity. I think that these ten students are the only ninth graders in the entire country who have the opportunity to take a college level class like this that is paid for. As students gain this certificate they have an actual formal certificate like a diploma that they can use to get jobs either if they’re doing SYEP or in the future. How the class works is that there’s five courses kind of like units and focus on different things, students work at their own pace to read articles, to watch videos, and then to do practical projects to build a graphic design portfolio. We are planning to bring  some real graphic designers into class so that students can show them their portfolios and so then they can talk to students about what their career is like. Next semester we’re going to choose a different certificate so these students and other students will have the opportunity to vote and choose a certificate that they want to do.” One option that students are talking about is a video game design certificate.

Mrs.Devore would like to thank Arete Education and F&T for making this opportunity possible. 

The program is “an online, professional-level training program,” Assistant Principal Downs said, when giving 9th graders the option to choose their 9th period class, in an email. 

Jaynesali Smith, a freshman in Mrs. Devore’s class said: “My experience is actually pretty good, it’s pretty easy and straightforward. I heard something about my resume so I decided that it can help me in my future career. I’ll actually do this again. I love the teacher and the people in my class, they are pretty chill, they don’t bother, they’re all pretty nice.” 

Overall, this is an amazing experience and this program should have more recognition.