Elkhart board hears updates on CTE, health and human‑services pathways; administrators tout industry ties and student outcomes
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Summary
District leaders showcased career and technical education, health/public safety and human‑services pathways at the Feb. 24 work session, highlighting internships, certifications, robotics and scholarship totals (students reported $3.9M at ETI; HPS $2M; Human Services over $3M). Presenters emphasized hands‑on learning and industry partnerships (USIC, Notre Dame, local employers).
David Bird (principal, ETI), Krista Rivlin (principal, Health & Public Safety), and Denny Trigg (principal, Human Services) presented program highlights and outcomes to the board on Feb. 24.
At ETI, Principal David Bird described pathway enrollments and staff: ETI serves 444 students (about 21.3% of Elkhart High School), with 24 teachers supporting the program. He highlighted an aerospace engineering pathway (79 students), an advanced‑manufacturing engineering pathway (63 students), a new USIC underground utility‑locating certification (5 students currently enrolled), Fusion 360 design certification (42 students), and an award‑winning robotics team that competes regionally and nationally. Bird reported $3,900,000 in scholarship offers to ETI students so far this year and named community partners including the City of Elkhart and Notre Dame.
Krista Rivlin described Health & Public Safety (HPS) as the largest school of study with 462 students (314 female, 148 male; 64% minority). She outlined Project Lead The Way pathways (biomedical science, human body systems, medical interventions), hands‑on units (crime‑scene analysis, fetal/cow heart labs and mannequin build projects), and student internship placements with local paramedics and Memorial Hospital. Rivlin said senior scholarship totals exceeded $2,000,000 as of two weeks prior and cited strong FA FSA/dual‑credit engagement among juniors.
Denny Trigg described Human Services pathways (early childhood, hospitality management, education professions, human & social services) with 427 students and noted activities such as the early‑childhood practicum (April 21–May 8), cadet‑teacher placements across five middle schools, hospitality student events (food truck), and dual credit achievement (106 students; 667 dual credits reported through the first semester). Trigg said Human Services seniors had collectively earned more than $3,000,000 in scholarship monies.
Board members and administrators praised hands‑on learning and industry partnerships. Presenters said these CTE and career pathways are intentionally aligned with post‑secondary options and workforce connections, including apprenticeship and job placement opportunities associated with certifications (e.g., USIC) and the district’s career center.
Ending note: presenters invited board members and families to upcoming events (ETI military ball March 28, robotics competitions, FAFSA nights), and the board gave positive feedback.