October 2007

Career Pathways Academy


Saint Paul Public Schools and Saint Paul College have collaborated to provide articulated learning that develops student interest and advancement in different career fields with pathways to higher education. The program, called Career Pathways Academy, was launched just prior to the 2007-2008 school year and is focused on six specific career paths identified by the Minnesota Department of Education:

  • Engineering, Manufacturing, and Technology
  • Communications and Information Systems
  • Business, Management, and Administration
  • Health Science Technology
  • Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
  • Human Services

    • One key element of the Academy is that high school students can do advanced coursework at Saint Paul College—and earn both high school and college credits for their efforts. Last fall, a group of students from Harding, Humboldt, Arlington, and Johnson High Schools attended Saint Paul College on a part-time basis, and worked on an engineering-focused curriculum that included the use of advanced machinery such as a 3D rapid prototyping printer. The College is now offering a computer graphics class for high school students and an after-school enrichment program in engineering, technology, and robotics for students in grades 8-12. This summer, the Academy will offer a summer construction internship program at Saint Paul College.

    Saint Paul Public Schools and Saint Paul College are now working together on an expanded plan for 2008-2009 that will include courses in computer graphics, construction, engineering, nursing, and more.

    Contributor: Peggy Kennedy