CUSD Summer Academy aims to inspire students with potential career paths

CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- It's summer school, with a career focus.

Clovis Unified Students are getting the opportunity to make plans for high school, while still in middle school.

Kids were crafting stories inside Clovis North High School Thursday.

The group is part of The Career Technical Education (CTE) Summer Academy, put on by the Clovis Unified School District.

This summer course offered 11 classes for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders to take part in, free of charge.

"We are providing students a small sliver of what our career technical programs offer them," Assistant Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Accountability Karen Boone said.

She said the goal is to show middle school students the different CTE pathways available for them when they get to high school.

The summer sessions teach students about the career path but develop other skills they can use moving forward.

"So students become better speakers, better thinkers, better communicators, no matter what course they're in," Boone said.

Michelle Miller is one of two teachers in charge of the Art of Storytelling class.

She says while students will learn technical writing skills, she hopes this will also open their eyes to opportunities.

"If they want to be a published writer, they can. If they want to be a published illustrator, they can," Miller said.

Students, like soon-to-be 8th grade Ariana Quigley, says writing is one of her favorite things and she is excited to learn new techniques she can take into next school year.

"I sort of hope to take away just new story writing skills, ways to look at a plot that I haven't yet considered," Quigley said.

The students are not leaving empty-handed.

At the end of the class next week, they will send their story off to be published and get it back as a hand-cover book.

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