Students in Leander ISD have the opportunity to gain experience in classrooms, offices and on construction sites. Leander ISD’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) program offers four programs of study within the Architecture and Construction Cluster: Architecture, Interior Design, Electrical and Construction.
Students in these programs gain the knowledge fundamental to the field represented in their program of study, learn the industry standards and eventually gain hands-on experience through practicum internships. They often work with clients or businesses in the community.
“My teacher does an awesome job teaching industry standards. We learn about how to do floor plans, elevations, perspectives, and all within industry standards so that one day we can actually apply them,” Vandegrift HS Architecture and Interior Design Graduate Jenna Rigney said. “Even though we go to college and get that degree, we’re already set up for success as soon as we step through the doors.”
These programs also allow students to apply lessons learned in core curriculum classes to practical work contexts.
“In interior design we use a lot of math, for example, like geometry, and we’re actually applying it to real world scenarios,” Leander HS Architecture and Interior Design Graduate Elise Rogalski said. “I love it because we’re actually applying what we’re learning in my math class.”
Students in the Architecture and Construction programs of study also have the opportunity to earn industry-based certifications while in high school.
“I learned things about theory of electricity, how to calculate stuff that involves electricity, which will help me in college,” Leander HS Electrical Graduate Evan Smith said. “I’m ahead of other students who are becoming electrical engineers because I have that experience.”
Learn more about the individual programs by hearing directly from students in the videos below.
