New program at Cherry Creek Innovation Campus gives Aurora students more trade options
Thinking of school supplies probably brings pencils, binders, and notebooks to mind, but not A/C units and furnaces. Well, at Cherry Creek's Innovation Campus, that is exactly what they need to get their students on the path to a career.
The year hasn't even started yet, but Smoky Hill High School senior Quionte Anderson already thinks he knows what he wants to do after graduation.
"I think I'm going to trade school, I think to be a linesman," said Quionte.
That's because he has been heavily involved in the construction and trades programs at Cherry Creek Innovation Campus. Quionte learned all about construction last year and even got a summer job with a contractor. This fall he will continue his journey when he joins the brand-new HVAC program.
"I thought HVAC would just be a little different," said Quionte. "I kind of just wanted to try something different."
Principal Steve Day says students like Quionte are exactly why CCID has developed programs like its HVAC program, and they just received a huge donation from Carrier to make sure their students have top-of-the-line learning tools.
The company that invented A/C gave the school state-of-the-art furnaces and air conditioning units for students to work on in their HVAC lab. Principal Day says this will really help students like Quionte take the next step.
"That's going to be authentic equipment to work on for students to train and get ready for these jobs and these careers," said Day.
"I feel like that will really help us learn about it. And it'll be better," said Quionte.
Quionte says he really likes the new equipment and that it may even make him rethink what he wants to do with his life and become an HVAC technician
"It is definitely a possibility, especially if I start liking it," said Quionte.
Carrier said in their presentation Wednesday they are dedicated to making sure the Cherry Creek Innovation Campus has the tools they need to produce HVAC technicians in the future.
