ACADEMY OF ARTS,
CAREERS AND
TECHNOLOGY
the
OUTREACH
AACT in the Community
Through dedicating their time to the community, identifying
a need and working to meet the need in the community, up to developing and project and taking courses to bridge the gap between senior year and freshman year of college; students at the Academy of Arts, Careers, and, Technology are involved in the community from freshman year up until graduation, although most choose to continue their involvement long after they have graduated from high school. Through all of the hours that are committed by many, the students at AACT have created many community partners in which most of them have returned year after year requesting more amazing students from the Academy. Some of the partners that AACT students devote numerous hours to include but are not limited to: the Northern Nevada R.A.V.E. Family Foundation, REMSA, Renown, Reno Bike Project, KNPB, One World Children’s Academy, the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, the SPCA of Northern Nevada, Nevada Humane Society, and NASA.
Moreover, students at AACT reach out into the community is through their leadership roles that is essentially developed through their high school career here at the Academy. Every year this CTE-based high school has the privilege to go to many local Reno/Sparks middle schools and explain the students about our high school and the benefits of attending. In essence, they are there recruiting the future Trailblazers of AACT. And it doesn’t stop there. Students go out into the community as well to tell others about the school and its programs. As for representation for national organizations such as Skills USA, HOSA, NASA Rover Challenge, FFA, and FBLA, we gladly get our name out there.
by Miranda Wilson
Junior Year - Easy right?
Almost every Junior student at the Academy of Arts, Careers and Technology can agree that the third year of high school is their busiest and productive year of them all. It consist of AP classes, college level essays, more involvement with your selected CTE courses, and most importantly, committing to a community service learning project.
At AACT, as a tradition, every junior groups together to commit to the journey of planning and presenting a service learning project that demonstrates their way of giving back to the community. The students are given a semester to obtain 20 hours of volunteer time and then are asked to put together a binder and a presentation of what, how, and why they did what they did.
Sounds easy, right? Students here encourage one another to go farther than those simple requirements. For example, for two years in a row, a particular group of students plans the Annual blood drive held here at the academy outside the parking lot. This year, enough blood was donated to save 110 lives. Another popular service learning project is students organizing fundraising events to provide donations to Reno’s local Sierra Safari Zoo.
These service learning projects truly bring the best out of the students and not only is it another way to give back to the community, but it also helps students grow as a person and as a citizen.
by Celeste Rodriguez
College Courses Now, Easier Transition Later
A staple at the Academy of Arts, Careers and Technology (AACT) is the community outreach that students have the opportunity to participate in. A large part of this outreach is taking college level courses not only at our school, but also at local colleges, Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) and the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR).
This school year (2015-2016), we have had one of the largest groups participating in these college courses than ever before, totaling with over 35 (a complete number will not be known until the end of semester) of the 117 seniors at the school. These seniors take various levels of courses at both colleges. Some of the courses include Math 126, Engineering 100, Art 101, English 205, Psychology 101, World Religion, Politics, Animation, Japanese, and Introduction to Abnormal Psychology.
In these classes they are mixed in with full-time college students to make the transition to college easier while also advancing their education. These students not only become more prepared for their ever advancing futures, but they also have expanded their curiosity for knowledge by going above the minimum graduation requirements.
One student who took math 126 said “Taking this course ahead of time has given me an advantage above others in my field, by preparing me for my future major in Computer Science” (Miranda Wilson, 17).
by Alissa Lavelle
