Career Tech Ed adds new program for students

Career Tech Ed programs at Hamilton High School

Source: Hamilton High School

Hamilton High School’s Career Tech Ed is adding its first new program in four years.

Game Programming, taught by Dan Richter, will officially become a Career Tech Ed program for the 2013-14 school year, said Kent Bryson, CTE principal. Enrollment has just about hit capacity at around 50 students.

Bryson said the work to create the newest career tech program began about two years ago when Richter began teaching the classes to gauge student participation to ensure it would be a successful and sought-after program within Career Tech Ed.

Game Programming will offer three courses: Game Programming Visual Basic, Game Programming Java, and Mobile Apps development.

In the initial game programming class, students will use program language to create games including Pac Man, Tic Tac Toe and Space Invaders. The junior course using Java is more advanced with 3D options.

“We strive in matching a student with their passion,” Richter said, with possible careers in Web development, database management, mobile app development and graphics.

The latest addition brings the Career Tech Ed offerings to a total nine programs with 13 career paths, Bryson said.

Upon successful completion, most career tech students leave Hamilton with up to 14 college credits in hand. There’s even an option for automatic enrollment at Sinclair Community College for some programs.

“The kids get to declare a major when they’re in high school,” Bryson said. “It’s a pathway for them to be successful.”

During the 2012-13 school year, 510 Hamilton students — about 30 percent of the high school — were enrolled at Career Tech Ed, with a 98.5 percent graduation rate for seniors, Bryson said.

Bryson said the high school starts recruiting students early by having every sixth grader tour the facility and programs. The district follows up by hosting trade fairs at the middle school buildings.