Computer training will result in certification
By: Lea Kahn
In the 1950s, auto shop and wood shop courses were popular offerings in most high schools. But today, students are just as likely to take computer-related courses.
Lawrence High School is no exception. Beginning in the fall, students will be able to enroll in the Lawrence Cisco Networking Academy — thanks to computer giant Cisco Systems and the Lawrence Township Education Foundation.
The goal of the Lawrence Cisco Networking Academy is to train students to design, manage and troubleshoot computer networks. Upon graduation, they will become Cisco Certified Networking Associates, said Rebecca Gold, the school district’s director of educational technology.
“This is one of the most exciting and innovative programs ever offered. We are one of a few districts offering it. There are about 10 or 12 in New Jersey. I am so ecstatic that we can offer it,” Ms. Gold said.
“When we put in our computer system, Cisco Systems offered us a chance to do this. They reached out to the school,” she said, adding that the work force is “woefully in need of help.”
The skills students will learn in the two-year course are in high demand by society, Ms. Gold said. Students will be able to find high-paying jobs after high school, or they can take these skills with them to college, she said.
“It doesn’t matter if they go off to college or a career. These are skills they need to survive in the technological world. All of us are on the computer. Everything we do is technology,” Ms. Gold said.
The students will learn hands-on, using Cisco Systems equipment purchased by the Lawrence Township Education Foundation, Ms. Gold said. The foundation is spending $25,000 for the equipment needed to run the program.
Naturally, the course will be taught on the Web, she said. It is not a traditional curriculum, with school books. It is a very challenging course, she added. Internships with private companies will be available to the students enrolled in the Cisco academy.
“We are trying very hard to make sure that everyone who wants to get into the course will get into it. Some kids could decide it is not what they thought it was,” she said.
About 70 students — about three-quarters boys and one-quarter girls — have expressed interest in the Lawrence Cisco Networking Academy, based on an information session held last week, she said. But only about 30 or 40 students are expected to hand in applications for the course by the Friday deadline, she said.