Career & Technical Education

Golden Valley’s CTE Department has a vast array of opportunities for students to get hands-on experience.

The Agriculture Program consists of three instructors teaching courses in Agri-science, Ag Leadership, Ag Mechanics-Welding, Floral Design, and Ag Business. Our agriculture instructors have years of real industry experience and regularly attend trainings focusing on current industry trends and technologies. Two areas of focus are the Floral Design program and the Ag Mechanics Program with 5 sections of Floral as well as 5 sections of Ag Mechanics offered at Golden Valley High School. This year with the addition of a third ag teacher, Golden Valley has started a third pathway in Agri-business. There are over 350 students enrolled in agricultural courses at Golden Valley High School.

 

The floral design class at Golden Valley was featured in the Kern High Network.

 

All students enrolled in Agriculture courses are also members of the FFA Organization. The FFA Organization founded in 1928 is one of the oldest vocational youth organizations in the United States that provides unique opportunities for students to take what they’ve learned in their classes to compete in Career Development Events and leadership conferences. Each student is also expected to keep records and maintain an SAE (Supervised Agriculture Experience) Project. Many students choose to raise a livestock for exhibition at the Kern County Fair. Market Lambs, Goats, and Hogs are wonderful projects for students to learn the science behind feeding and nutrition, and the personal effort it takes to responsibly and ethically raise animals who will be entering the food chain. They also learn the Business aspect of investing money into a project and procuring buyers. Students are rewarded for their efforts through the FFA degrees and proficiencies where they can earn recognition at the local, state, and national level. A team of student officers are elected each year to organize the annual Program of Work for Golden Valley FFA.

 

 

Another pathway for students to engage in hand on learning is through our Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Engineering Program. Students enrolled in this program take specific courses with engineering in mind: Introduction to Design, Principles of Engineering, Engineering Development and Design, and Computer Integrated Manufacturing. Students work on projects geared towards the engineering field, take field trips to universities that are heavy engineering schools, and spend much of their classroom time learning by doing. The instructors in this field are passionate about helping students find joy in engineering. 

 

Mr. Hopkins working with some of his engineering students on building rockets and understanding principles of physics.

 

Finally, Golden Valley has a fully functional wood shop and computer classes focused on the 21st century. Golden Valley is in the beginning phases of a computer science pathway of which includes coding and other introductory elements of computer science. Golden Valley is continuing to explore curriculum and instruction that is hands on and can prepare students to succeed beyond high school. 

 

Tyler Rawles (Class of 2019) constructed this work bench in wood shop with Mr. Haskell (Right)