The Carolina Alliance for Technology (CAT) program has one clear long-term outcome: to increase students’ employability in computer science and engineering high demand industries. Major program components facilitated within a smaller learning community include a redesigned high school schedule with 8.5 hours of individual learning time per week; rigorous academic personalized courses of study (including competency credit) offered using an authentic, project-based instructional approach in a high school major with college credit articulation agreements; annual community service learning projects; on-the-job experiences (including internships and Registered Apprenticeships); participation in a youth-led advisory group, heightened opportunities for career exploration, interest inventories, career skills training, mentoring, and research; engaging summer experiences; and college awareness-preparation. Students will sit for the National Career Readiness Certificate Plus and other engineering and computer science related credentials. CAT teachers will integrate academic and career-focused content through common planning time and annual Summer Institutes. Educators will also participate in industry-led professional development targeted to increase their understanding of necessary work-readiness skills. The program also includes necessary wrap-around services to ensure that all participants overcome barriers leading to success in their career pathway. Weekly counseling will ensure support and on-track monitoring.

Rising 9th grade students (school year 13-14 8th graders) are invited to enroll in CAT now! Contact your middle school guidance counselor, and be sure to ask about CAT during your Individual Graduation Plan conference.

• Take at last 4 career pathway courses
  
• Engage in work-readiness skills assessments and training
  
• Reach at least the Silver Level on the National Career Readiness Certificate (WorkKeys) Plus
  
• Engage in career exploration and job shadowing
  
• Complete at least 20 hours of internship or apprentice-ship
  
• Participate on one community service project-based learning team per year
  
• Participate in mentoring and counseling
  
• Attend at least one CAT field experience
  
• After 9th grade: Clemson Computer Science Field Experience
  
• After 10th grade: Disney Youth Education Leadership Field Experience for WorkKeys Gold Level students
  
• After 11th grade: College-credit courses, internships, and apprenticeships
  
• 12th grade: Capstone Field Experience at Disney World on physics and technology
  
• Sit for certification examinations for industry-recognized credentials in engineering and computer science
  
• Take courses for college credit or articulation credit
  
• Have a modified HS schedule with 8.5 hours of individual learning and project time per week
  
• Have access to a CAT Collaborative Commons tutoring and teamwork space within
• Participate in a small mentoring and guidance group that progresses through the 4 years of the program
  
• Take common academic courses with other CAT students designed to integrate computer science and engineering with English, Math, Science, and Social Studies; teachers will stay with students over multiple years
  
• Have the opportunity to serve on the Youth Leadership Council and Advisory Board
  
• Participate in college campus visits and receive assistance with college planning and applications
  
• Have access to online, competency-credit courses