Chapel Hill ISD creates educational model, helping freshmen explore careers

CHAPEL HILL, Texas (KLTV) - Last Fall, Smith County’s Chapel Hill ISD implemented a new educational model called the Academies at Chapel Hill.

The focus is to allow freshman students the chance to explore the different career paths before graduating high school.

This year’s freshman class is the first to experience the Academies at Chapel Hill. It’s divided into three career academies: business and industry, technology and engineering, and public and human services.

Associate principal at Chapel Hill High School, Christy Murray says the purpose of the freshman Academy is to put the students through their freshman seminar class.

“Through that freshman seminar class, they’re able to go through different modules. They’re able to have aptitude and skills assessments so they can actually see what they’re good at. If students aren’t able to put their hands and explore all careers, they really don’t know what they’re good at yet. So, giving them that time to explore each career pathway has been very beneficial versus just allowing them to choose a career.”

Students toured the different opportunities Thursday morning and will pick their chosen career path to study for the rest of high school.

Murray says students will be able to earn dual credit and earn an industry-based certification by the end of senior year.

Ninth grader, Diego Rodriguez says he enjoys the new model because it helped him discover the audio and video pathway under the engineering academy.

“It gives me a little bit of help in deciding in what I can do and it will help a bunch of other people to warn them that these things can affect your future. If you see something you like and you like doing, go for it.”

Thursday was the last day for the Academy Tours. From here, students will soon meet with their freshman counselor and choose their career pathway.

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