VTHS paves way for new program

VERNON — The college-bound Vernon Township School District administration and faculty members traveled to Philadelphia on Monday, Oct. 3, to sign a historic agreement with the Facilities Management Program of Temple University.
This is the first time in the university’s history that Temple has partnered with a national high school to offer concurrent credit. The Vernon visitors toured the grounds of the renowned Tyler School of Arts, marveling at the modern architecture of the recently-renovated facilities and bearing witness to the palpable energy of this vibrant college community. With every step taken, the educational leaders of Vernon Township and Temple University forged the beginnings of their joint academic partnership; trailbla¬zing the path for Vernon’s high school students to soon follow.
More than 100 students at Vernon Township High School are enrolled in a three-year Construction Engineering program that lays the foundation for students’ future careers in technological industries. Driven by the school district’s Career Technical Education (CTE) initiative, this high school program provides hands-on learning experiences and career-driven opportunities to interested students, sharpening their technical skills and elevating their academic preparedness with industry-grade programs. As a fast-track to employment in newly-developing technology fields, Vernon’s Construction Engineering program guides students toward the next stage of their continued education, at either a four-year university, a two-year community college or immediate entry into the workforce. Now, thanks to a signed Memorandum of Understanding with Temple University, as well as one with Sussex County Community College, Vernon Township High School can also offer concurrent college credits to students who have completed the program’s three consecutive courses.
“This is the first agreement that Temple University has produced with a national high school,” Temple University Professor Rashida Ng said.
Serving as the exemplary model for future Temple University high school collaborations, the college’s academic relationship with Vernon Township High School builds upon the concept of easing the student transition into the workplace through partnered efforts.
Vernon’s Construction Engineering program has been strategically-designed to align with the Facilities Management Program of Temple University, in an effort to create a pipeline of student talent directly into the college. One of the premier fine arts institutions in the nation, ranking 15th according to the US News and World Report, Temple University’s Tyler School of Arts educates the engineering and design innovators of tomorrow with today’s technological discoveries. The college’s Facilities Management program, within its Division of Architecture and Environmental Design, enables college students to pursue degree programs that are specifically tailored to cutting-edge fields in job-rich industries, opening the doors to numerous career opportunities. Temple University plans to increase the number of internships for its incoming engineering students, which will lead to a more robust program to which graduates of Vernon Township High School may apply.
This visitation marks just one of many steps along the path of this progressive, academic partnership between Vernon Township High School and Temple University, as the two institutions plan the next stages of their apprenticeship program. Next month, Vernon’s high school will provide bus transportation to Temple University for its CTE student participants and their parents, so that they, too, can visualize the boundless opportunities awaiting them, only a few hours from home.