We believe that in order for students to graduate with a strong, competitive advantage, they need to have an understanding of the world that they will be entering. They need hopes and dreams for themselves beyond school, and to see their path forward.

When students can see themselves in a future career, they will persevere through the obstacles on their path. We believe that every person, business, and organization has expertise and resources that can help students see their futures – while at the same time benefitting our community by building nimble workforce pathways.

Learn more about how you can help – and how students can benefit your organization – below.

Industry Advisory Committees

St. Vrain Valley Schools is nationally renowned for its career pathways. These pathways are dependent on the expertise of our industry partners, who help us to develop learning goals, curriculum, postsecondary pathways, and relevant work-based learning experiences for students.

Please contact Heidi Ringer ([email protected]), Postsecondary Workforce Readiness Coordinator and CTE Director, to be connected with an advisory committee.

Industry advisory committees include:

Career Elevation and Technology Center

• Automotive technology
• Advanced Manufacturing
• Health Sciences
• Interactive Media Technology
• Welding & Fabrication Technology
• Prostart & Culinary Arts
• Agricultural Sciences
• Pre-Law

Innovation Center

• Aeronautics
• Artificial Intelligence
• Cybersecurity
• Entrepreneurship
• Motion capture
• P-TEACH
• Robotics
• Video Arts
• Learn more here

Work-Based Learning: Job Shadows, Industry Mentors, Interns/Apprentices

Career exploration is important for all students. Whether a student plans to attend college, pursue another postsecondary training opportunity, join the military, enter the workforce, or start their own business, they are better prepared for all post-graduation opportunities when they have begun to explore those opportunities in high school.

Industry partners are a critical element of meaningful work-based learning experiences for students. Below are the types of work-based learning opportunities we offer for students, as well as staff contacts.

Industry-Sponsored Project Teams: Industry-sponsored project teams do real work with real clients. Students provide creativity, technology savvy, and industry skills – often solving problems in ways that no one else in your organization could. Industry sponsored project teams create chat bots, manufacture custom metal fabrication, fix vehicles for charitable purposes, produce social media content, help conserve endangered species, and more.

Project Teams are currently available at the Career Elevation and Technology Center, with fields including automotive, culinary, advanced manufacturing, welding, and more. For more information, contact Buck Webber, CETC Assistant Principal, at [email protected].

Project Teams are also available at the Innovation Center, with fields including aeronautics, biosciences/conservation, robotics, video arts, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and more. For more information about project teams at the Innovation Center, please contact Lynn Eckhart, Innovation Center Outreach Manager, at [email protected].

Internships: Internships are on or off-campus work-based learning activities designed to provide students with opportunities in real-world environments for exposure to the requirements of a particular occupation or industry. Students will learn about the work environment and the expectations for success in a career pathway. Such work experiences are not expected to provide formal training for occupational skills, although some skills may be learned. Internships are completed under the guidance of an industry supervisor and school district personnel, who in combination with the student will create a framework for learning and reflection. To learn more about hosting an intern in St. Vrain Valley Schools, contact Heidi Ringer, Postsecondary and Workforce Coordinator, at [email protected].

Job Shadows: A work experience option where students learn about a job by walking through the workday as a shadow to a competent worker. Variations include virtual job shadows (allows an individual to observe an occupation through the use of videos) or job simulation (career exploration that allows an individual to participate and gain experience in aspects of an occupation through simulation).

Mentor or Volunteer: to mentor students or volunteer in a classroom, please contact each school’s principal. If you need help identifying which school your skills may be a fit for, please contact Hilary Sontag at [email protected].

Career Fairs

St. Vrain Valley Schools offers several career fairs throughout the year:

• Innovation Center and Career Elevation and Technology Center Career Fairs: the Innovation Center and Career Elevation and Technology Center offer a joint career fair each winter/spring. All industries are welcome. Please contact Eric Berngen at [email protected] if you have interest in hosting a table.
• High School Based Fairs: some high schools offer their own career fairs. If you have interest in participating in a specific school’s career fair, please contact the school principal or Maura Brady-McMullen at [email protected].

Postsecondary/College Fairs

Each high school hosts their own postsecondary/college fair. Please contact each school’s principal or Maura Brady-McMullen at [email protected] to learn more.

Donate Resources

We gratefully accept donations from community members, businesses, and organizations. To learn more about making a donation to benefit a specific program, school, or department, please contact Hilary Sontag at [email protected].

To make a donation to the St. Vrain Valley Schools Education Foundation, which provides school supplies for students; makes grants to teachers; and awards postsecondary scholarships, please visit their website.