Prerequisite: None

Students build life skills focusing on establishing positive relationships, balancing work and family life, investigating careers, making responsible consumer choices, applying nutrition and wellness knowledge, studying child development and parenting, and money management.

Prerequisite: None

Life Planning equips students with advanced life skills, including creating and maintaining healthy relationships, practicing personal nutrition, health, wellness, and developing a life management plan.

Prerequisite: None

Students enrolled in Nutrition and Wellness learn aspects of healthy living and eating. Units include understanding wellness, investigating principles of nutrition, ensuring food safety, and planning menu and preparing food.

Prerequisite: None

The Intro to Culinary Arts curriculum provides students with opportunities to explore career options and entrepreneurial opportunities within the food service history. Units include investigating food safety and sanitation, exploring culinary preparation foundations, practicing basic culinary skills, and exploring diverse cuisines and services styles.

Prerequisite: None

Students in Fashion Careers focus on identifying and exploring individual careers within the apparel, accessory, and textile design, manufacturing, and merchandising industry. Students will learn basic hand sewing and machine sewing skills and implement elements and principles of design into fashion and fabric construction.

Prerequisite: None

Students will focus on all aspects of pre and postnatal care and development from newborn to age 5. Students will also experience careers in child care. Units include balancing work and family, analyzing parenting roles and responsibilities, ensuring a healthy start for mother and child, evaluating support systems that provide services for parents, and evaluating parenting practices that maximize human growth and development.

Prerequisite: None

Virginia Teachers for Tomorrow (VTfT) fosters student interest, understanding, and appreciation of the teaching profession and allows secondary students to explore careers in education. Students build a foundation for teaching; learn the history, structure, and governance of teaching; apply professional teaching techniques in the VTfT classroom and reflect on their teaching experiences. Additional educational leadership opportunities are offered through the student organization, Future Educators Association.

Prerequisite: None

Students continue to explore careers in the Education and Training Cluster and pathways. This course provides the opportunity for students to prepare for careers in education as they research post-secondary options, learn about the process of teacher certification in Virginia, and participate in a practicum experience.

Prerequisite: None

In this foundation course in PLTW, students use 3-D computer modeling software as they learn the engineering-design process and solve design problems for which they develop, analyze, and create project modes.

Prerequisite: Must be completing college level sequence of math and science

In this foundation course in PLTW, students explore the engineering profession and the fundamental aspects of engineering problem solving. Students study the historical and current impacts of engineering on society, including ethical implications. Mathematical and scientific concepts will be applied to fundamental engineering topics, including mechanics and electrical-circuit theory.

Prerequisite: Must be completing college level sequence of math and science

Students explore architectural design foundations and increase understanding of working drawings, construction techniques, and codes regulating building design. They learn the design process and apply the elements and principles of design to architectural projects. Through producing models and illustrations of all aspects of a building, students create architectural design solutions using CAD (computer aided drafting and design).

Prerequisite: Must have completed at least 3 PLTW courses or have teacher approval

In this capstone course in PLTW, teams of students, guided by community mentors, work together to research, design, and construct solutions to engineering problems. Students synthesize knowledge, skills, and abilities through an authentic engineering experience. Students are expected to develop and formally present an independent-study project and a team oriented project that are critiqued by an evaluation committee.

Prerequisite: None

Students design and build scale or full-size structures and work with projects that help them understand the jobs of architects, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, surveyors, contractors, masons, design engineers, and a variety of other construction careers. They also explore aspects of the construction industry.

Prerequisite: None

Production Systems is a project focused hands-on learning environment. Students learn the importance of process management through the exploration of various career fields, machinery, and textiles. This course allows students the opportunity to explore their interests through the development of individualized projects.

Prerequisite: None

The game design industry is the fastest revenue growing entertainment medium and has created many new job disciplines. In this project-based course, students will create innovative games through the application of graphic design, animation, audio, and writing skills. Students will work in teams while developing problem-solving, critical thinking, and effective communication skills. They will analyze, design, prototype, and critique interactive games within a project management environment. Career opportunities across multiple industries, including the entertainment and educational arenas, will be explored.

Prerequisite: Game Design and Development

Students will work collaboratively in teams to refine their game design skills as they apply graphic design, animation, audio and writing skills to create innovative games for education and entertainment. This project-based course enhances problem solving, project management, and communication skills through the analysis, design, construction, and critique of interactive games. Students will learn about career opportunities in game design and development and investigate the training and certification requirements.

Prerequisite: None

This program is structured to give students a strong academic knowledge and hands-on experience with the skills and knowledge necessary to meet the needs of a career in any criminal justice field. Expert guest speakers from various agencies provide in-depth information and hands-on application. National Workplace Readiness skills certification is provided.

Prerequisite: Criminal Justice I

This course is the in-depth study of crime in America, United States courts in action, and law enforcement efforts to deal with crime. The course will investigate victimization, criminology, serial murder offenders, human trafficking and dangerous drugs, due process, and constitutional laws affecting law enforcement as well as a review of sentencing offenders, paroles, prison rehabilitation, and corrections of the 21st century. Included will be a view of other employment careers in private and mechanical security systems as well as local, state, and federal law enforcement. Hands-on application, expert guest speakers, and field trips are offered throughout the curriculum.