CAREER AND COLLEGE PREP
Career and College Prep
Are you looking to get a jump-start on your future? You can use your middle and high school years to figure out where you want to go and how to get there. In addition to core courses, you’ll take career-focused classes to explore your options and find your passion—all while earning your high school diploma. Discovering what you want to do now can prepare you to dive into a career right out of high school or help you make the right decision about your college major.
Career Fields
Take career-focused courses in the high-demand pathway of your choice:
Student Career Coaching
ARVA high school students can meet with career coaches to get advice on creating résumés, networking, interviewing, financial aid, college preparation, internships, and more! These virtual sessions are free to students at K12-powered schools.
Our career coaches also host live, interactive webinars to better prepare students for their futures with expert insight and advice on college and career prep. These events are open to all high school students.
You can also:
Participate in career clubs
Gain workplace skills
Prepare to take industry-recognized certification exams upon graduation*
Career and College Prep Motivates Students to Find Their Passion
“The career focused classes are a great preparation for life and the job place.” –Amy Johnson, ARVA Head of School
Career Clubs
ARVA students can enroll in career clubs, also called career technical service organizations (CTSOs). CTSOs allow students with similar career interests to connect, practice professional skills, work on service projects, take field trips, and compete against other local, state, and national schools. ARVA offers these career clubs:
Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA)
This national CTSO is for students interested in the services surrounding families and consumers. Participation allows students to:
- Build real-world skills
- Explore career opportunities
- Engage in events and competitions
- Apply for scholarships and awards
National FFA Organization (FFA)
This intracurricular organization is available for students enrolled in an agriculture course. FFA is committed to providing students with a path to achievement in leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. Students in FFA can:
- Build valuable skills through hands-on learning
- Explore their interests in a range of agricultural careers
- Participate in competitions based on real-world agricultural skills
Technology Student Association (TSA)
TSA is a national, nonprofit CTSO of middle school and high school students who are engaged in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Since TSA was chartered in 1978, over 5,000,000 student have benefited from membership. Students in TSA can:
- Compete in a wide variety of STEM competitions—from biotechnology and cybersecurity to STEM animation
- Participate in intracurricular activities and community service
- Gain 21st-century leadership skills
SkillsUSA
With curriculum that covers 130 job categories and more than 600 national partners—businesses, trade associations, and unions—SkillsUSA gives students the opportunity to:
- Practically apply what they learn in the classroom
- Take courses in addition to those offered by the ARVA course catalog
- Participate in academic competitions and community service activities
- Connect with like-minded students who have similar career and academic interests
- Earn scholarships offered exclusively through SkillsUSA
*Many Microsoft®️ Office certificates can be earned after completing one course. Other certificates require more classes to be better prepared, and students who participate in the program for at least two years will have further preparation for certification testing.