Western Maricopa Tech Prep Consortium

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Welcome to Western Maricopa Tech Prep

Western Maricopa Tech Prep Consortium (WMTPC) is the largest of eleven Tech Prep consortias in the state of Arizona. There are fifty-six high schools in twelve districts and six community colleges in a geographic area encompassing more than 5,500 square miles under the WMTPC umbrella. It serves high school districts as far north as Wickenburg, as far south as Gila Bend, as far east as Paradise Valley, and as far west as Saddle Mountain.

Tech Prep was created under the Tech Prep Education Act of 1990 to link career and technical education programs offered at the high school level to degree and certificate programs at the post-secondary level. Employers were concerned that young people lacked both the social and technical skills required to succeed in even entry-level jobs. They felt that many fields did not require a four-year degree, but did require specific technical training.

Arizona Tech Prep is part of the national educational initiative that involves restructuring traditional curricula and introducing new teaching approaches at the secondary and post-secondary levels preparing students with academic and workplace skills. Western Maricopa Tech Prep Consortium works with consortium high schools and post-secondary institutions to tailor the national imitative to serve each community�s unique population through articulation efforts and numerous activities such as academic integration, Summer Programs for college credit, and the Career Expo.

A curriculum integrating academic and occupational learning and applications.
A career pathway with an identified sequence of courses which leads to employment, employability and technology skills.
Articulated programs�many with transcripted credit�leading to certification and/or a degree.
Advanced occupational training identified in partnership with business and industry.

Western Maricopa Tech Prep Consortium is a resource for students and for the parents, teachers, counselors, and business and industry representatives who believe in Educating Students Today for Careers Tomorrow.

Phoenix City Council approves spending plan for two new CTE schools.

The Arizona Republic (6/2, Newton, Smokey) reported that Phoenix, Ariz. "will help pay for the construction of two" career and technical education high schools. "The City Council voted last week to spend more than $5.7 million to help with capital costs related to the construction of" the two schools. According to the Arizona Republic, $3.3 million will go to the construction of the first school "[i]n north Phoenix," called "CREST, an acronym for Center for Rigor, Relevance and Relationships in Engineering, Science and Technology." According to school officials, the center will "be on the campus of Paradise Valley High School," and "will focus on nursing, biotechnology and engineering." The second school, "[i]n downtown Phoenix," was allocated $2.4 million, and will be a "a medical-sciences school on the campus of the Bioscience High School." The Arizona Republic notes that the "school on the Paradise Valley High campus will begin this fall and attract as many as 400 students over three years."

Arizona Superstar Student

Austin Buben - Millennium High School.

Summer Programs for Students

Students--Earn college credit on a college campus. There are two new college partners offering programs this year.

Paradise Valley Community College is offering an International Business Summer Camp for three credits, and South Mountain Community College is offering Introduction to Biotechnology for four credits. GateWay Community College is launching a Water Resources Summer Program in addition to their ongoing programs � Automotive, Future Builders Academy, and Healthcare. Our consortia and East Valley Tech Prep Consortium have partnered for the GateWay Summer Programs. Estrella Mountain Community College will offer two sessions of Culinary Camp again this year. Sports Medicine and Nutrition is a new program pending at Glendale Community College.

There is no charge to the students for these programs. See applications for eligibility requirements. Registration is limited, therefore early registration is recommended.