South Tahoe High CTE programs become more relevant: Tiny homes, allied health, electric vehicles

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - South Tahoe High School's Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses have evolved from their beginnings and now look nothing like our parents' wood shop or ROP (Regional Occupational Program) classes. While they still bridge the gap between high school and postsecondary plans, they also provide career skills training and help students get ready for college or work in a way they never have.

Students can follow four different CTE paths at South Tahoe High School (STHS): Allied Health; Engineering; Hospitality and Tourism; and Arts, Media, and Entertainment. Students can customize their paths as well, choosing the classes that make the most sense for them.

Allied Health - Exercise Science, Sports Medicine, Dental Assisting

Engineering - Automotive, Construction, Environmental
Hospitality & Tourism - Culinary, Resort and Recreation Management, Event Planning
Arts, Media, and Entertainment - Graphic Design, Photography, Broadcast & Video

"It is more relevant now," explained Isaiah Tannaci, the school's CTE Department co-chair.

The one good thing that came out of COVID was Tannaci having time to evaluate their CTE program as he worked remotely. They consolidated the classes into the four paths listed above that are now tailored to the students' interests.

Engineering is aimed at those interested in problem-solving. The previous CAD (computerized aided design) lab is gone as there was very little interest, and automotive is being revamped to be for electric vehicles. Construction is much more than building jewelry boxes and the students are making a tiny home this semester. The environmental engineering students are on top of all the current principles of engineering, soil science, biology, and chemistry to develop solutions to environmental problems.

The Arts, Media, and Entertainment path gives students instruction in creating daily and weekly broadcasts, live shows, and video production. With COVID, students couldn't attend some games in person so the video students were able to broadcast games live to those at home. Tannaci said they are looking to start in-house internship classes in graphic design and digital photography.

With the South Shore being a hub for hospitality and tourism jobs, this path gives students experience in culinary, baking, and recreation management (in collaboration with Edgewood Tahoe, and Lake Tahoe Resort where they spent the night and learned about all the jobs involved with guests. There is a new event planning class that puts on dances and homecoming and is working on Senior Prom.

Tannaci with the CTE program got some strong workforce grants since the skills learned can help the local economy. In the past three years, the CTE program has received almost $1.5M in grants. With grant funds, they have replaced three computer labs, added an interactive cadaver lab, and improved all of their programs. He said they are also looking at more new programs.

With the first grant, STHS improved, enhanced classes, and had professional development. The second one allowed them to put focus on retooling construction classes and having students build tiny homes, updating automotive to include electric vehicles, and changing the environmental classes. The third grant is guiding them to use Lake Tahoe as the classroom with all it has to offer. The dream was to have an outdoor recreation class, and that happens this coming fall.

"We focused on creating pathways so instead of one class here, one class there, we now have up to four classes in each one," said Tannaci. "The CTE classes help students find their identity."

Students in the construction path are getting real experience with the tiny home project that will be built in one semester. The students can add their own design with a base set of pre-engineered plans. They still have birdhouse "wars" in one class where they see who builds the best birdhouse. That is a favorite of the female students who make up about ten percent of the construction students.

"Kids are excited, proud to be part of this," said Tannaci of the construction pathway.

The tiny home will go to support a group, or someone, in the community. They are working with local partners to determine that final phase.

A lot of the CTE classes a dual enrollment with Lake Tahoe Community College. That started with the first sports medicine program and now that includes culinary, dental and exercise science.

Many of the high school students don't understand the benefits of dual enrollment, said Tannaci. They can get enough credits to go into college as a sophomore.

One thousand students at STHS take a CTE class, the reason so much time and money is being invested in the valuable program. Students not going onto college can leave the school with skills ready for a competitive wage job as well as upward mobility.

COVID may have helped with the success of the new pathways.

"Students came back from COVID with a new desire to learn," said Tannaci.

The CTE program is also looking at ways the students can help rebuild burned trails and staff is working with local agencies to accomplish that.

The CTE program also received a t-shirt press from a Reno company and students will be able to create logo wear on a large scale at some point.

"We have many amazing, talented people here. They just don't know the options - I want to show them," said Tannaci.