PORTLAND, TX — Gregory-Portland Middle School is taking a different approach to how students plan for their future careers.
"I just finished welding. Next week we'll take our checkpoint, and we'll switch,” student, Caleb Becak said.
Every 7th grader is now required to take career investigations where students get to explore their interests.
They'll spend the school year getting hands-on experiences using real-world technology.
Some students tell KRIS 6 they've already thought about what they want to do when they grow up.
"There's two options. I want to be either a doctor or a lawyer,” student, Bella Kish said.
"A nurse or a doctor. Someone in health care. I feel like having health care will help me decide if it's something I want to do,” Becak said.
As GPISD officials implement experiential learning across the district. It was important to help middle school students choose the career path that matches their skill sets.
"They don't really know. They see it on paper, but they don't know what it entails,” Superintendent, Michelle Cavazos said.
This program is the result of ahouse billpassed by the state legislature. It said students must select a field of interest by freshman year.
"Giving them this level of experience in a different way is an even stronger connection to the kinds of experiences they'll have in high school,” Cavazos said.
School leaders tell us dual credit is available for students as early as 8th grade.
