Career and Technical Education

Two pathways encourage students to delve into science related career and life skills.  Courses are located at Duluth East, transportation is provided to Denfeld students to and from the Duluth East campus.

Courses:

• Introduction to Agriculture,
• Food, and Natural Resource Sciences
• Plant Science: Greenhouse 1 (block)
• Plant Science: Greenhouse 2 (block)
• Plant Science: Fall (1 hour)
• Plant Science: Spring (1 hour)
• Forestry, Fish, and Wildlife (block)

(Block classes are held at East)

Clubs/Competition:

• Future Farmers of America

People in this career cluster provide the support needed to make a business run; advertising, marketing, budget analysis and management, accounting, human resources, customer service, research, the list goes on. There are many types of jobs at all levels.

Courses:

Introduction to Marketing and Business: This course is the entry to all marketing courses and involves the many activities needed to get products/services from producers to consumers. It's one of the most exciting and vital career areas you could ever expire. This class is a must for all students who plan on succeeding in our very competitive Free Enterprise System. Students will be exposed to Marketing/Business, Economics and Human Relations. Activities will help students apply all of the marketing and business functions and relate them to any career opportunity. In addition, you will learn advanced skills in locating, applying for, and keeping a job. 

Sports and Entertainment Marketing: Sports and Entertainment is now a $500 billion industry, the Sports and Entertainment industry has become a dominant presence not only in the U.S., but also in the rest of the world. The Sports and Entertainment Industry encompasses everything from digital communications to personal service and sales. Students will learn the fundamental principles and concepts identified with Sports and Entertainment Marketing, and develop skills through marketing research and actual industry based projects. Students will also have the opportunity to plan, implement and evaluate school and community Sports and Entertainment Marketing practices and strategies.

Business Management, Leadership, Coaching: Marketing and Business Management gives students insight into the characteristics, organization, and operation of business, management and leadership. This class will give any student, whether planning to go on to school or work after graduation, the edge in the job market. To be successful in the global and diverse workplace, students must develop communication, human relations, self-management, and workplace enhancement skills. More than ever before, merely being technically competent is not sufficient. 

Starting Your Own Business:  An Entrepreneur is a person who attempts to earn a profit by taking the risk of operating their own business enterprise. Thousands of people become entrepreneurs each year. They start their own businesses from scratch, buy existing businesses, or buy franchised business; if they are successful in providing products and services to consumers at a profit, they will build rewarding careers for themselves as entrepreneurs. This class will help you understand what it is like to be an entrepreneur and what is involved in starting a business. Economics will be emphasized in this class.

Business and Personal Finance: Students will gain the ability to manage their personal finances and make wise economic decisions. Areas explored include budget planning, banking, tax returns, investing, consumer credit, insurance, and career exploration. This course will help students become intelligent decision ­makers in a global economy.

Clubs/Competition:

• DECA

News courses are being created. The first classes to be offered is AP Computer Science Principles.

Students learn about safety, hand tools, professional construction/job site standards and and working together as a crew member/team player. They apply reading, writing, and math skills to estimating, building techniques and blueprint reading.

Students are exposed to careers available in the construction trades and apprenticeship opportunities related to the construction industry.

Over the scope and sequence of the program, students are involved on site building a structure (garages, additions, storage buildings - pretty much anything that needs to be built the students, with supervision, can do).

Programs are offered to students attending Duluth East and Denfeld.  If coursework is carried out at a school, then the courses are located at Duluth East. Transportation is provided to Denfeld students to and from the Duluth East campus (or current work site).   

Courses:

Construction Tech 1:  An introductory course providing a “hands-on” experience in carpentry, electrical, plumbing, heating, sheet rocking, and taping, painting, and cabinet installation. Most learning takes place on a construction site in the community, building homes and/or working on rehabilitation projects for nonprofit organizations. Students will increase math abilities related to the trade and construct residential dwellings to meet codes while interpreting blueprints. 

Construction Tech 2:  Provides students with advanced skills, tools, and knowledge in current home construction techniques. Students will build a home and/or work on rehabilitation projects for nonprofit organizations. In addition, students will increase their skill levels in all trades and understand mathematical applications as applied to estimating materials so work on projects can progress in an orderly and coordinated schedule. Most learning will take place on a jobsite located within the community. Students may participate in an optional youth apprenticeship/internship with a trade organization, if selected.

Construction Tech 3:  Provides students with leadership roles and final skill development on the job site.  Students will work independently under the direction of instructor on tasks and duties often associated with entry-level apprentice skills.  Students will work on the jobsite with beginning students and serve as mentor and lead on build projects. Students will share their skill levels in all aspects of the build and understand mathematical applications as applied to estimating materials so work on projects can progress in an orderly and coordinated schedule. Most learning will take place on a jobsite located within the community. Students at this level are expected to participate in an youth apprenticeship/internship with a trade organization either during or upon completion of this course.

Students prepare to study Principles of Engineering, Civil Engineering, Architecture, Digital Electronics, Industrial Robotics and Automation, Manufacturing, and Aviation.

The courses survey important engineering concepts and provide hands-on application through individual and team activities that encourage students to share their knowledge with others.

• Creativity Lab: Students design projects through use of cutting-edge industrial strength software (AutoCAD Inventor, Revit, LabVIEW and SolidWorks).
• Innovation Lab: Prepares students for interaction with rapid prototyping 3-D Printers, laser engravers and vinyl sign makers.
• Tech Production Lab: Manufacturing activities using CNC routers, turret lathes, milling machines and welding equipment.

Includes a wide variety of material applications - woods, metals, acrylics, paper boards, foams, and plastics. They may use learned skill sets to earn articulated college credit, participate in SkillsUSA competitions, and work with the high school robotics teams (Denfeld DNA, Duluth East Daredevils).

Courses:

• Sustainable Design
• Weldments
• Simulation: Finite Element Analysis 
• Additive Manufacturing
• FAB Lab (I and II)
• Principles of Engineering
• Engineering Research and Design (I, II and Advanced)
• CAD for Architecture (I and II)
• Advanced Architecture Research and Design

Clubs/Competition:

• Skills USA
• CAD/Welding Competition

Numerous CSWA Certificates Available.

Students explore digital design and communication careers through hands-on use of industry-based software utilized in advertising, design and layout.

Students apply and contextualize art concepts for client and business needs to provide an authentic learning environment and career connections. They learn basic and advanced skills in the Adobe Suite including Photoshop, Illustrator, In-Design, Acrobat for business purposes.

Meets 1.0 Arts Graduation Requirements.

Courses:  

• Graphic Arts Digital Design 1:  Students explore communication technology careers including pre­press, offset printing, silkscreen, finishing work, and quality control. Extensive “hands­on” class using computers, scanners, offset printing presses, silk screens and other equipment found in the graphic arts industry. Students envision, design, and use resources to create, assemble, and deploy a finished project. Software use includes current industry standard, Adobe Creative Suite ­ InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop and Flash. Units include paste­up, silk screening, scratch pads, elements of design, typography, small space ads, digital photography and poster design. Troubleshoot equipment including computers and printers. Produce real­world work for high school: posters, flyers, advertisements.

• Graphic Arts Digital Design 2:  Course includes in­-depth study of communication technology career paths. Units include color theory, 2-­sided offset printing, tiling poster, ink mixing, business portfolios, rubber stamps, 2-color silk screening, spot colors, and poster design. Use digital and video cameras. Students create presentations using sound and motion. Troubleshoot equipment including computers, printers, scanners, offset presses. Produce real ­world work for high school: staff business cards, school scratch pads, and promotion of school events.

• Graphic Arts Digital Design 3: This upper ­level course is a continuation of the skills learned in Graphic Arts 1 and 2. Students will prepare advanced multi­color projects for offset and silkscreen printing. Troubleshoot equipment including network issues, computers, printers, scanners, offset presses. Produce real ­world work for high schools and community.

People in this career field promote health and wellness. They diagnose and treat injuries and disease. As a physicians, dentists, or nurses, they may work directly with patients. They may also work in a laboratory to get information used in research or provide administrative support by keeping medical records.

Jobs are found at a variety of different sites, from hospitals, clinics and nursing homes to cruise ships, sports arenas, or within a patient's home.

Courses:

CITS Intro to Nursing:  Meets the criteria necessary for entry ­level employment as a Nursing Assistant/Home Health Aide and serves as an introduction to the medical/nursing career pathway for students who decide to advance in the medical/nursing profession and other Allied Health careers. Complete and pass background study clearance prior to clinical, which is a mandatory requirement of the Minnesota Department of Human Services. All state requirements must be met.

CITS Medical Occupations:  Provides a foundation of knowledge and skills in both Medical Terminology and Allied Health. Information assists the in the career decision ­making process.

Emergency Medical Responder:  A foundation of knowledge and skills in both AHA CPR and BLS.  Information learned will assist the student in the career decision ­making process and prepare them for a exposure to the variety of careers in the pre-hospital pathways. 

Clubs/Competition:

• HOSA Future Health Professionals
  • Leadership Development
  • State Conference
  • Skills Competitions: Regional, State, National

Transcripted College Credit and CNA license.

Hospitality and tourism are the region's third largest industry. This career cluster offers opportunities from cooking, serving, hotel management and services all the way to marketing and service in large convention settings.  

The program provides a student-led food service operations, the Clock Tower Cafe at Denfeld, which has a student run deli and catering.

Courses prepare students for a job in the food service industry through hands-on training and an opportunity to become Servsafe certified in Food Safety. Students are encouraged to participate in industry partnerships, internships, an active and successful SkillsUSA team, Prostart and opportunities to earn post-secondary scholarships. 

Courses:

• Intro to Cooking (1 Hour)
• International Cuisine (1 Hour)
• Level 1 Restaurant Industry (1 Hour)
• Level 2 Restaurant Industry (1 Hour)

Transportation provided for Duluth East students who enroll in the Denfeld Clock Tower Cafe Program.

Industry-Related Certifications: 

• ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification
• National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation

Automotive Courses

Programs are offered to students attending Denfeld and Duluth East - courses are located at Denfeld, transportation is provided to Duluth East students to and from the Denfeld campus.

Courses:

• Automotive Basics: Engines and Brakes -  How to repair properly automobile electrical and brake systems.  Students will be challenged to diagnose problems in the electrical and brake systems using meters, analyzers, and computers.
• Automotive Basics: Transmission and Suspension - Covers basic engine theory, construction, diagnosis, as well as computer, fuel and ignition systems and steering and suspension systems.  Students will learn how to service these various systems using proper technical skills
• Automotive Diagnostics and Electrical - Students work at an advanced level in the automotive shop using test equipment and doing live on-car diagnostic and repair work on computer controlled electrical and brake systems.  Students who meet specific criteria may participate in job shadowing and/or an internship at a local repair facility.
• Automotive Engines and Performance - Covers advanced engine theory, construction, diagnosis, as well as computer, fuel and ignition systems, steering and suspension systems, and wheel alignment.  Students will learn how to service various systems using the proper technical skills and are encouraged to participate in job shadowing and/or an internship at a local repair facility.

Industry-Related Certifications:

• Automobile Technician, Brakes – ASEEF
• Automobile Technician, Electrical/Electronic Systems - ASEEF
• Automobile Technician, Engine Performance - ASEEF
• Automobile Technician, Suspension and Steering - ASEEF

Aerospace Courses

Aerospace Physics is designed for students who like hands-on problem solving, collaborative teamwork and creatively finding solutions. The course uses problem based learning to enhance study of flight theory, airplane design and airplane construction/manufacturing.

Programs are offered to students attending Duluth East and Denfeld.

Includes:

• Tours of the local aviation campus at Lake Superior College; tours and collaboration with Cirrus and AAR; tours of the airport flight control tours and Superior Helicopters
• Flight simulator time at LSC and working with remote Control simulators at each high school
• For the course  final project, students will collaboratively use physics and engineering principles to design a model aircraft, build it and fly it.

Courses:

• Aerospace Physics
• More coming in 2024-25

Aerospace Physics meets the 1.0 Physics/Chemistry requirement.