LM Summer 2024

Charleston Schools See Impact of a Resurrected CTE Program

Story Submitted by Charleston CUSD #1

Fast-Growing Program Recently recognized as the Charleston Area Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year , CHS Industries currently consists of six “subsidiaries,” which include agricultural and manufacturing, a “Trojan Brew” café, a bakery, a design center for textile printing, an auto detailing center and a greenhouse. Rather than competing with local businesses, the subsidiaries are designed to generate revenues from product sales “so that these programs are not only sustainable but can be improved upon over the coming years,” according to Aaron Lock, Charleston High School’s principal. Lock added that, as a high school principal, he has “been blessed to be able to pursue real-world, real-life work experiences and opportunities for our students.” The impact on students was immediate and is growing. Within a year of launching CHS Industries, enrollment in Career and Technical Education classes increased from

In the March 2024 issue of Leadership Matters , IASA Executive Director Dr. Brent Clark made a plea for our public education system to adjust with the paradigm shift toward workforce readiness training programs. Recognizing such a need years ago, Charleston CUSD #1 launched an innovative program for its high school students that paired renovated facilities with redesigned curriculum. “We had a window of opportunity to do something special for our kids—to engage them through hands-on learning and interdependent experiences,” said Dr. Todd Vilardo, the district’s superintendent. “We would have squandered time and money by either only renovating our outdated vocational building or only re-writing our curriculum. We needed to do both simultaneously, so we envisioned students and teachers working across subject areas to design, create, market, and sell products—all while gaining workforce and business skills.” The result: CHS Industries.

4 LM Summer 2024