PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL SPONSORED CONTENT BY ANIMAS HIGH SCHOOL

How can high schools best engage, support and challenge teens so they graduate with a clear path toward purposeful adulthood and the tools needed to find success?

At Animas High School, this postsecondary preparation begins in ninth grade, and continues through all four years of education.

Exposure to a range of careers is key. At AHS, students interact regularly with local professionals. Students tackle real challenges alongside adults working in relevant fields. A study of energy, for example, might pair an indepth lessons of energy sources with installing solar panels or increasing voter turnout in the LPEA election. Experts share experiences through classroom visits and career fairs to increase awareness of careers and knowledge about the training needed to pursue them. Finding one’s path after high school isn’t just a matter of knowing what’s out there, it’s also a result of knowing oneself. AHS students build strong relationships, engage in meaningful reflection and develop unique strengths. Juniors complete a three-week, full-time internship, exploring their choice career. Senior projects include a college-level research paper, action project and TED-Talk style presentation, all completed in response to a question connected to individual curiosities and future goals. This level of responsibility builds confidence and direction.

A strong academic foundation and intentional support of well-being are priorities. Now that AHS has moved to the college campus, students prepared for the challenge can attend Fort Lewis classes during the school day. Concurrent enrollment opportunities contribute to higher rates of college enrollment, retention and completion. Traditionally, college readiness is assessed using grades and test scores, but with adolescent depression and anxiety rates on the rise, schools must support well-being to prepare teens for healthy, purposeful adulthood. At AHS, career and college prep includes this, too.

AHS students are required to apply and gain admission to an educational institution of their choice. Students and families receive support in researching, applying to and understanding how to pay for college. According to the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative, over 70% of top jobs require some type of postsecondary education past a high school diploma. While not every AHS graduate goes immediately to a four-year college, every student learns how to access a postsecondary education, ensuring equal opportunity for all.

Preparing teens for success after high school is a multifaceted task that matters not just for individual students and families, but for our society as a whole. Afterall, our future is in their hands.