Career & Technical Education (CTE)

Career & Technical Education (CTE) is an educational model that aligns secondary and postsecondary education to labor market demand, and provides students with the technical, academic and employability knowledge and skills they need for success. Put simply — CTE prepares students for the career of their choice. Please check out our short video below to learn more about CTE in the Issaquah School District.

What career areas can middle school students explore?

Information Technology

Computer Science for Innovators and Makers
This course allows students to discover computer science concepts and skills by creating personally relevant, tangible and sharable projects. Throughout the course, students will learn about programming for the physical world by blending hardware design and software development. They will design and develop a physical computing device, interactive art installation, or wearable, and plan and develop code for microcontrollers that bring their physical designs to life.
Physical computing projects will promote student awareness of interactive systems, including Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and broaden their understanding of abstract computer science concepts through meaningful and authentic applications.

Project Lead the Way: App Design
In this course, students are exposed to computer science by computationally analyzing and developing solutions to authentic problems through mobile app development, and will convey the positive impact of the application of computer science to other disciplines and to society.
Students customize their experience by choosing a problem that interests them from the areas of health, environment, emergency preparedness, education, community service, and school culture. Because problems in the real world involve more than one discipline, the unit will introduce students to biomedical science concepts as they work on solutions for the specific problems they choose to tackle.

Computer Science Discoveries: Game DesignIn the Game Design course, students create programmatic images, animations, interactive art, and games. Starting off with simple, primitive shapes and building up to more sophisticated sprite-based games, students become familiar with the programming concepts and the design process computer scientists use daily. They then learn how these simpler constructs can be combined to create more complex programs. In the final project, students develop a personalized, interactive program.

Computer Science Discoveries: Web DesignIn Web Development, students are empowered to create and share content on their own web pages. They begin by thinking about the role of the web and how it can be used as a medium for creative expression. As students develop their pages and begin to see themselves as programmers, they are encouraged to think critically about the impact of sharing information online and how to be more critical consumers of content. They are also introduced to problem solving as it relates to programming while they learn valuable skills such as debugging, using resources, and teamwork. At the conclusion of the unit, students will have created a personal website they can publish and share.

Science & Technology

Automation & RoboticsIn this course, students are given the opportunity to combine mechanisms with input and output devices to automate the mechanisms. Construction and programming skills are layered, and projects and the problem provide students the opportunity to connect their learning throughout the lessons in the unit. Students take on the role of interns, and work in teams to identify design requirements and create prototypes to meet the needs of clients. They also explore different aspects of automation and robotics, and experience how solving real-life problems involves the teamwork of mechanical engineers, software developers, and electrical engineers.

STEM Advanced Automation & Robotics
In this course, students expand their knowledge from Automation & Robotics by taking the concepts and building on them. Students build and program a remote-controlled robot, then build and code a creation of their own design.

Engineering & Math

Design & ModelingIn this course, students discover the engineering design process and develop an understanding of the influence of creativity and innovation in their lives. They are then challenged and empowered to use and apply what they’ve learned throughout the course to design a therapeutic toy for a child who has cerebral palsy.

Principles of Flight
The exciting world of aerospace comes alive during Principles of Flight. Students become engineers as they design, prototype, and test models to learn about the science of flight and what it takes to travel and live in space. They solve real-world aviation and space challenges and plan a mission to Mars.

Makerspace
In this course, students put their engineering and computer science skills to the test by designing and building projects of their own. Students will use an iterative engineering design process and the skills learned in other courses to solve a problem experienced in or for the local community.

Woodshop 1This course introduces students to the fundamentals of woodworking while prioritizing safety, creativity and hands-on learning. Students will develop skills in project design and planning as well as the use of various hand and power tools, including belt sander, drill press, lathe and others. Students will use skills learned to build three projects, each becoming progressively more challenging. With instructor permission, students may make projects more challenging to fit advanced skill sets.

Woodshop 2This course introduces students to the fundamentals of woodworking while prioritizing safety, creativity and hands-on learning. Students will develop skills in project design and planning as well as the use of various hand and power tools, including belt sander, drill press, lathe and others. Students will use skills learned to build three projects, each becoming progressively more challenging. With instructor permission, students may make projects more challenging to fit advanced skill sets.

Integrated Projects
In this course, students use a variety of hand tools along with some power tools such as, band saw, belt sanders, drill press and lathe. Some of the projects in this class are made from wood, but students will integrate other materials while working with electrical, glass, concrete and art supplies. Examples: Electrical Tree or Heart, Lathe Project, Stepping Stone, Miniature Adirondack Chair, CO2 Race Car, Personalized Wooden Letter, String Art.

Culinary Arts

Arts, A/V Technology & Communications

Digital Photography
In this course, students learn about basic photographic composition as well as use of Adobe Photoshop to edit and modify digital photos.

TV/Video ProductionIn this course, students learn digital story telling as well as video editing through a variety of programs including: Filmora and Adobe Premiere Pro.

TechSmartIn this course, students learn about communication, basic use of Microsoft computer applications and digital storytelling.

Health Sciences

CTE Course	Beaver Lake MS	Cougar Mountain MS	Issaquah MS	Maywood MS	Pine Lake MS
App Design (PLTW)
Automation & Robotics	x	x	x	x
Computer Science Discoveries- Game Design		x		x
Computer Science Discoveries- Web Design		x		x
Computer Science for Innovators and Makers	x
Design & Modeling	x	x	x	x
Integrated Projects					x
Makerspace	x
Medical Detectives
Principles of Flight
STEM Advanced Automation & Robotics				x
STEM Foods and Nutrition				x
TechSmart
TV/ Video Production
Woodshop (Intro, 1, and 2)					x

Pathway Advisory Committee

Pathway Advisory Committees are composed of business and industry members, instructors, current students, former students, and parents. The duty of the committee is to guide program pathways through continual improvement using their expertise in the occupational area. These groups do not function as policy makers and are not asked to make such decisions.

Please let us know if you would like to volunteer for a Pathway Advisory Committee

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CTE NEWS!

Liberty FCCLA students bring home gold

On March 4-7, Liberty FCCLA travelled to Spokane to compete at the State Leadership Conference and brought home impressive wins

STEM/CTE

IHS DECA's record-breaking year at State Competition

Issaquah High School had a record-breaking year at the State Conference in February

STEM/CTE

Liberty DECA delivers impressive performance

Liberty DECA delivered an impressive performance at the Washington State Career and Development Conference in Bellevue

STEM/CTE

Liberty's FCCLA students win big at Regionals

Liberty's FCCLA students had a fine showing at their regional competition

STEM/CTE

College Planning Workshop for Families New to the U.S. College System

Issaquah High School hosts a college planning workshop for families new to the U.S. college system

STEM/CTE

Skyline's White & Silver Mock Trial teams head to Districts

Skyline's White & Silver Mock Trial teams ventured to Port Orchard to compete in the Kitsap District Tournament.

STEM/CTE

Skyline's Mock Trial Green Team wins 1st Place

Skyline's Mock Trial Green Team traveled to the Pierce County Superior Court in Tacoma to compete in their assigned district tournament January 31-February 1.

STEM/CTE

Patriot Company Wins 21st Consecutive Regular Season Drill Meet

Liberty's NJROTC competition win-streak continues at Bremerton High School meet in January.

STEM/CTE

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