Career & Technology education programs consist of coherent sequences of courses that offer industry-based certificates and work-based learning in order to prepare students for in-demand, high-skill, and high-wage careers in Texas. At WHS, we are proud to offer a variety of programs of study for students to choose from as well as continue to grow the programs offered by adding courses each year.

CTE courses are intended to introduce students to different career fields and allow for them to deepen their understanding of the employability those career fields offer. At Wylie High School we offer the following career clusters with varying programs of study within each cluster.

• Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
• Architecture & Construction
• Arts, Audio Visual, and Communication
• Business, Marketing, and Finance
• Hospitality and Tourism
• Education & Training
• Health Science
• Human Services
• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
• Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics

Below you can read about some of the courses offered within these programs, watch videos created by our student production team, and get a glimpse of what WHS students have the opportunities to learn.

• Educate, market, and build robust programs

• Align and deepen programs

• Engage in the Abilene community

• Partner with community to create pipelines into local industries

• Provide exposure to workforce to our students

• Provide relative work experience for CTE students through our community

• CTE program partnership with the Development Corporation of Abilene to begin a career empowerment scholarship program called NEXTU
  
• CTE program hosts advisory committee meetings to partner with industry, post-secondary institutions, and administration for program improvement
• Floral Design Students, or the Bloomin' Bulldogs, sell a floral arrangement each month to the public
• Marketing Students are behind the scenes with Wylie Bulldog Athletics social media
• Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) attends competitions and convention
• Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE) is new this year and qualified for the STATE competition!

• The Purple Dog Company continues to be a profitable student run business

• AV courses have become a staple at most Wylie events for producing and streaming

• AV students Mason Kerby, Case Kirby, and Timothy Sturtivant placed 4th at the 2022 UIL Film Festival

• Students continue to flock to Ag courses in order to learn to weld, work with animals, and enter competitions

• Human Services and Culinary Arts classes are a student-favorite due to real-world skills taught

• Students can earn class credit for working in internships through the practicum in marketing, a/v, graphic design and entrepreneurship.

• Students can earn their Certified Veterinary Assistant license -- partnership with multiple local veterinary clinics

• WHS offers a practicum course in which students can earn their Certified Nursing Assistant license – partnership with Windcrest Health and Rehabilitation

• Accounting II
• Dual Credit Medical Terminology
• Dual Credit Anatomy and Physiology
• Electrical Technology II
• Plumbing Technology I
• Practicum in Business Management
• Practicum in Education and Training
• Sports and Entertainment Marketing II
• Sports and Radio Broadcasting

Animal Science

Applied Agricultural Engineering

Plant Science

Digital Communications

Design & Multimedia Arts

Courses Offered:

- Digital Media

- Graphic Design and Illustration I

- Fashion Design I

- Graphic Design and Illustration II

- Fashion Design II

- Practicum in Graphic Design

Teachers: Daisy Blair, Amanda Gay (not pictured), and Lisa Jenkins

About the Program:

Graphic Design is an exploratory program to gain an understanding of design as a profession. Students develop visual perception, aesthetic awareness, cognitive thinking, and visual problem solving skills. Students will gain a proficient understanding of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. This project-based learning environment includes student projects like: Publication Design, Brand Identity, Logos, Digital Illustrations, Photo Manipulation, and Typography.

Fashion Design helps students to explore the fashion industry with an emphasis on design and construction.

Program Highlights:

Students participated in a Development Corporation of Abilene branding competition for NEXTU with AISD. The winners, Dylan Ragan and Cristobal Correa, won MacBook Pros, an adobe creative cloud license, and a micro internship with Six27 Creative Co.

Electrical Technology

Plumbing and Pipefitting

Courses Offered:

- Principles of Construction

- Plumbing Technology I

About the program:

The plumbing and pipefitting program of study explores the occupations and education opportunities related to assembling, installing, or repairing pipes, fittings, or fixtures of heating, water, or drainage systems.

Accounting and Financial Services

Business Management

Entrepreneurship

Marketing and Sales

Courses Offered:

- Principles of Business, Marketing, and Finance

- Business Information Management

- Financial Mathematics

- Accounting I

- Accounting II

- Securities and Investments

- Career Preparation

Teachers: Lisa Jenkins, Adam Cherry, Krystal Martin, Pam Mauldin

About the Program:

Overall students will learn how to examine, analyze, and interpret financial records as well as the skills necessary to perform financial services, prepare financial statements, give financial advice, and introduce students to investment opportunities.

Program Highlights:

Students can earn Microsoft Office Certifications through BIM. In Securities and Investments, students compete against students across the state in The Stock Market Game in which students are given virtual $100,000 to invest in the stock market that mimics the actual stock market in real time. Accounting students work towards earning their Quickbooks Certification.

Courses Offered:

- Principles of Business, Marketing, and Finance

- Business Information Management

- Business Law

- Business Management

- Practicum in Business Management

- Career Preparation

Teachers: Lisa Jenkins, Krystal Martin, Pam Mauldin, Megan Rausch, Laura Vinson

About the Program:

This program concentrates on how to plan, direct, and coordinate the administrative services and operations of an organization. Students learn the skills necessary to formulate policies, manage daily operations, and allocate the use of materials and human resources.

Business Management runs our school business, The Purple Dog Company. The class focuses on graphic design, social media, financial management, website design, merchandise planning, community outreach, and event planning–and they use all of these skills to run our student company. They also design merchandise and work to sell all of the items on our website.

Program Highlights:

Business Management is better known as The Purple Dog Company which is a student run company that operates an online store, maintains the website and marketing, and generates revenues and expenses. Students apply to join The Purple Dog Company. Follow The Purple Dog Company on Facebook and Instagram.

Courses Offered:

- Principles of Business, Marketing, and Finance

- Social Media Marketing

- Advertising

- Sports and Entertainment Marketing I

- Sports and Entertainment Marketing II

- Practicum in Marketing

- Career Preparation

Teacher: Summer Hill, Lisa Jenkins, Megan Rausch

About the Program:

Fashion Marketing shows the student all important aspects in owning a retail business and how to make money in doing so. By using both traditional media and social media, the students exhibit how to better advertise for a clothing store, as well as how to track sales, inventory, and other factors to increase revenue.

Sports and Entertainment Marketing shows the student how to properly advertise and facilitate sporting events and live music in a stadium setting. The class is taught about all aspects of running a stadium: ticketing, staffing, concessions, booking events, parking,-- all to help events run smoothly.

Program Highlights:

Social Media Marketing is the behind the scenes contributor to Wylie Bulldog Athletics Social Media.

Teaching and Training

Courses Offered:

- Principles of Education and Training

- Principles of Human Services

- Child Development

- Instructional Practices

- Practicum in Education and Training

Teachers: Sara Blakely and Amber Jansa

About the Program:

This program prepares students for careers related to teaching, instruction, and creation of instructional and enrichment materials. Courses focus on early childhood learning and creating activities that promote social, physical, and intellectual growth.

In Child Development, students take home baby simulators home to experience what it is truly like to be a parents. In Principles of Education, students interact with early learning classrooms and gain hands-on experience by observing and assisting teachers.

Program Highlights:

In the newly added Instructional Practices classes, students spend their class time at the younger campuses working directly with WISD teachers. They create lessons for the teachers and help them as need. The teachers are excellent mentors for our students

WHS started a Texas Association of Future Educators this year (TAFE). Led by Amber Jansa, our students competed in TAFE competitions and qualified for STATE in their first year!

Healthcare Therapeutic

Exercise Science and Wellness

Courses Offered:

- Principles of Health Science

- Dual Credit Medical Terminology

- Dual Credit Anatomy and Physiology

- Health Science Theory

- Practicum in Health Science

Teachers: Donna Lang, Kathryn Gay, Lex Ann Hood, Teela Locker

About the Program:

In this program students are introduced to careers in the medical field and the expectations of knowledge and skills of health professionals. As students progress through the program they learn basics regarding diagnostics, patient care, how to monitor/check vitals, development and implementation of care plans, maintenance of records, and pain management.

Principles of Health Science students took assessment tests then researched careers of interest. Then they chose a health science career they were most interested. Each class put on their own career fair. They had a power point presentation of key aspects of the career and then had to have an interactive activity that other students got to participate doing. This activity had to represent something that a person in the career would do on the job. We do many job skill activities like preparing for an interview and then participating in a mock interview. We will do leadership, time management and teamwork activities. And much more. This class is structured to help students learn about themselves, health science careers and be able to work with new partners and groups as we work through these activities. Through this the goal is to be well rounded and have the ability improve communication skills as we learn other things.

Medical Terminology is an introductory course in Health Sciences that gives a full year of study of body systems and terminology associated with those systems. In each chapter, students learn about the anatomy of the system, terms to describe each part, and an in-depth coverage of disease conditions and treatments for those systems. Also addressed in the individual systems are the healthcare specialty areas that would be involved in the specific system of study. Students who take Medical Terminology can also follow the track to complete Health Science Theory and then take the course to complete the CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant).

Anatomy & Physiology is a senior-level course which prepares students interested in pursuing healthcare careers with advanced-level coursework. The course is both a science credit and a Health Sciences elective. The A&P course is focused on providing students a strong foundation of the Anatomy and Physiology of body systems, as well as an emphasis on disease processes. There is also a strong focus on medical treatments as it is important for healthcare practitioners to have an understanding of the applied nature of health sciences. Case studies are examined on a regular basis. In addition, the rigor of the course is meant to help prepare students for their first year anatomy course in college. A&P explores a deeper understanding of body systems by also participating in specific lab activities and also organ dissections, including the cow eye, sheep brain, pig and sheep kidney, and sheep heart.

Program Highlights:

Students who have completed Health Science course work are eligible to apply for the practicum in which students have the opportunity to earn a Certified Nursing Assistant license.

Courses Offered:

-Lifetime Nutrition and Wellness

-Sports Medicine I

-Anatomy and Physiology

-Sports Medicine II

Teachers: Casey Pacheco (not pictured), DeeDee Baker, Brian Stuart

About the Program:

The Exercise Science and Wellness program of study introduces CTE learners to the fields that assist patients with maintaining physical, mental, and emotional health. Students will research diet and exercise needed to maintain a healthy, balanced lifestyle and learn about and practice techniques to help patients recover from injury, illness, or disease.

Program Highlights:

Students who participate in the sports medicine class are selected by application and interview to be apart of Wylie High Schools very own athletic training program.

Courses Offered:

- Introduction to Culinary Arts

- Principles of Hospitality

- Culinary Arts I

- Culinary Arts II

About the Program:

This program introduces students to occupations related to planning, directing, and preparing activities of a food and beverage organization as well as preparing food. Students learn about table settings, nutritional values, different ingredients, and spend class time in the kitchen putting their knowledge to practice.

Program Highlights:

Students receive their Food Handlers Certification and ServSafe Manager Certification.

Program and Software Development

Engineering

Courses Offered:

- Automotive Technology I: Maintenance and Light Repair

- Automotive Technology II

Teacher: Cisco College

About the Program:

In this program students learn how to repair and service various types of vehicles. These courses are taught at Cisco College for dual credit during 7th and 8th periods.

Wylie ISD does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age in its programs or activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies: Title IX Coordinator, Tommy Vaughn at tvaughn@wyliebulldogs.org or 325-692-4353, and/or the Section 504 Coordinator at Shauni Vaughn, svaughn@wyliebulldogs.org or 325-437-2370.

Further nondiscrimination information can be found at Notification of Nondiscrimination in Career and Technical Education Programs