animation and fashion design are just a handful of choices Lafayette
Parish schools offer with the Schools of Choice program that prepares
students for an academic future and lets them learn marketable
workplace skills.
The
deadline for the parish-wide program that covers all age groups is
Wednesday, and Superintendent James Easton says open spots are rare,
with about 3,500 students attending Schools of Choice across the parish.
"I think the community has shown great interest," he said. "We rarely have space available."
Easton said the beauty of Schools of Choice at the high school
level is that students are prepared for both college and career. They
don't have to choose just one.
"We'll see in future years with data
that they will continue their education, or it allows students to take
different career paths," Easton said.
Academy of Information
Technology co-director Joel Hilbun said the small group an academy
provides also is beneficial for students.
"There's nothing like being in a small group and knowing everybody. You don't feel as anonymous and lost," Hilbun said.
He said curriculum at that academy, located at Carencro High School, was designed with both career and academic goals in mind
"In
AOIT you will take a curriculum that will prepare you for TOPS," he
said. "But some are planning for more industry-based certification so
they can go straight out and work."
