Another opportunity for students

Imagine having the designation that you have earned Naftrack certification on your college application or job resume. Starting this year, students in three Porterville Unified School District Pathways don’t have to imagine. It’s something they can actually achieve thanks to the district joining the Lenovo Scholar Network, a program developed by Lenovo and the National Academies Foundation (NAF) that incorporates mobile app development into career and technical education.

The CODE (Computer Operations & Development Education) Pathway at Granite Hills High School, MTA (Multimedia Technology Academy) Pathway at Monache High School, and AOE (Academy of Engineering) at Harmony Magnet Academy have all joined the network, which now supports 118 academies and 5,000 students nationwide.

The partnership between Lenovo and NAF brings mobile app development curriculum and delivery program to NAF academies across the United States. The two organizations provide innovative technology to provide exposure and encourage interest among high school students in STEAM.

Students who complete the coursework can earn a credential that recognizes accomplishment in app design, business management, entrepreneurship and product development. Such credentials are one component of Naftrack, a certification program for pathway students that indicates completion of technical training and high school graduation.

PUSD continues to find great opportunities to give its students the skills to not only succeed in college, but also when they reach the workforce.

Editorials in The Porterville Recorder are the opinion of the editorial board which consists of Assistant Publisher and Managing Editor Brian Williams. Other columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions of the authors and not necessarily of The Recorder.