Avancing Students in Our Community

One way to provide students with more holistic learning opportunities is by offering career and technical education (CTE) opportunities within the K-12 school system. In recent years, school systems have revived and modernized their CTE programs in response to a growing body of data that shows many jobs will disappear or require new skills in the next few decades.

Therefore, school districts want to better support and prepare their students for the future workforce. “According to a 2017 Brookings Institution report, in 2015 alone 39 states created 125 new laws, policies, or regulations concerning CTE, some of which involved the allocation of state funding” (Simmons, 2018). The desire to better prepare students for what may come after high school is also reflected here in Virginia. Virginia’s statewide “Profile of a Virginia Graduate” describes the knowledge, skills, experiences, and attributes students must attain to be successful in college and/or the workforce. “Life-ready” skills include appropriate academic and technical knowledge, workplace skills, responsible community, and civic engagement, and the ability to align personal interests with career opportunities (VDOE).

VMDO Architects has witnessed this emergence of wanting to better prepare students— academically, emotionally, and mentally—in many of our clients. We’ve had the opportunity to design CTE centers and see firsthand how these dynamic, innovative educational programs can benefit students and their communities. Most notably, we’ve worked closely with clients to develop CTE programs, curricula, and flexible learning spaces in Winchester, Arlington, Fairfax, and Charlottesville, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. As architects that specialize in happy, healthy, and high-performing learning environments, we truly believe that our work can make a positive impact in communities. As the demand for CTE programs and learning environments increases, we believe the architecture industry can play a crucial and impactful role in helping to advance the future of education.