Next school year, Waukee High School will offer three new APEX courses, Health and Bioscience Research, Construction Leadership and Business Startup. The courses are open to all incoming juniors and seniors and will be held at the new Waukee Innovative Learning Center (WILC) and area businesses.
“Economic trends and workforce needs drive the strategic planning for APEX,” Waukee APEX director, Michelle Hill said. “These additions will help students explore what career paths are right for them before investing dollars and time in college planning.”
APEX programming was implemented to allow high school students the opportunity to discover their interests and gain real-world experience by collaborating with business partners. Students are introduced to an innovative learning approach where they work on authentic projects and explore potential careers while earning college credit.
“Our goals have been to support students with college and career preparation and exploration as well as support economic development. I feel we are being successful on both fronts which is rewarding for all involved in making this program happen,” Hill said.
About the New Courses:
Health and Bioscience Research – This class will combine two rising career paths by allowing students to research both Human Services/Medical and Bioscience/Agriculture sectors. The class will allow for extended entrepreneurial research and publication opportunities for students.
Construction Leadership – This class will allow students to explore the construction field through technical and career exploratory projects. Topics covered throughout the course are industry safety standards, building codes, industry math, tools, home maintenance, plumbing, green building projects, business management and leading teams.
Business Startup – This class will support students who wish to further their work in any economic sector by connecting them with business mentors. Mentors will help advance student learning in topics like the business model canvas, market research and funding models and more. Other main topics addressed in the class include introduction to entrepreneurship and business concepts, engaging in customer discovery and presenting a final “shark tank” pitch.