CHARLES COUNTY, Md. – The Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) Career and Technical Education (CTE) program application opens 8 a.m. on Oct. 24, and ends at 3 p.m. on Nov. 14, for students who are currently in eighth and 10th grades. The online application opens almost a month earlier this year than it has in past years.
The application window will remain open from 8 a.m., Oct. 24, to 3 p.m., Nov. 14. Staff members with the CTE department are visiting middle and high schools to talk with eighth graders and sophomores about the various programs open to them and the application process. Staff has also planned introduction meetings for students and their families later this month.
- A virtual information session for parents of children in 10th grade is 6 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 6. The Webex meeting will include details about CTE programs offered to students who will be high school juniors at the start of the 2023-2024 school year. A link to the meeting will be emailed to all current sophomores and their parents or guardians the morning of Oct. 6. The meeting will be recorded and available for viewing on the CTE website.
- Spotlight on CTE for high school sophomores is set for 6-8 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 18, at the Robert D. Stethem Educational Center. The in-person event is open to 10th graders interested in CTE programs housed at Stethem.
- Spotlight on CTE for eighth graders is 6-8 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 19, at North Point High School. The event is in person and open to students and families interested in the CTE programs at North Point and Maurice J. McDonough High School.
Applications for students who are current CCPS students will be in a Microsoft Forms format and must be completed in Office365 via the student’s established account. The student’s parent or guardian must electronically sign the application and students must complete an interest survey in December.
Students who are not current CCPS students can apply via an online application. The applicant must upload report cards from their sixth and seventh grade years. The student, along with their parent or guardian, must electronically sign the applications and complete an interest survey.
Some CTE programs require students to apply for admission due to limited enrollment, while others are available at all seven CCPS high schools that students sign up for through their school counselor during the course selection process. Students accepted into CTE programs at McDonough, North Point and Stethem will receive bus transportation to and from their home school.
CCPS has a virtual showcase on its website for CTE programs. The showcase features program-specific videos on each CCPS CTE program and is posted at https://www.ccboe.com/cte/index.php/cte-showcase.
Maurice J. McDonough High School — current eighth graders can apply
Two programs at Maurice J. McDonough High School require students to complete an online application. They are the Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE) program and the CCPS dance program. Students must apply during their eighth-grade school year. The online application opens Oct. 24 and closes Nov. 14. Eighth graders who attend private school or are homeschooled can apply for admission and if accepted will enroll at McDonough. Students accepted into the CASE and dance programs and live out-of-zone will receive bus transportation. Applicants, and their parent/guardian, must be Charles County residents.
Read more about the CASE program here.
Read more about the dance program here.
Parents and students interested in learning more about the CASE and dance programs offered at McDonough can attend the Spotlight on CTE event from 6 to 8 p.m., Oct. 19, at North Point High School. The event is open to current eighth graders interested in the CTE programs offered at North Point and McDonough.
North Point High School — current eighth graders can apply
North Point High School features 16 CTE programs in which students must apply for admission during their eighth-grade school year. The online application opens Oct. 24 and closes Nov. 14. Eighth graders who attend private school or are homeschooled can apply for admission and if accepted will enroll at North Point. Students accepted to a CTE program at North Point and live out-of-zone will receive bus transportation. Applicants, and their parent/guardian, must be Charles County residents. Note: the CASE and dance programs are housed at McDonough.
More information about each program and application criteria can be found here.
North Point will hold a Spotlight on CTE event from 6 to 8 p.m., Oct. 19, at the school. The event is open to current eighth graders interested in the CTE programs offered at North Point and McDonough. The North Point CTE application will open at 8 a.m., Oct. 24, and close 3 p.m. Nov. 14.
Robert D. Stethem Educational Center — students apply as sophomores
The Robert D. Stethem Educational Center houses six CTE programs for students exploring post-secondary options. Programs are offered as a half-day schedule at Stethem. High school juniors attend Stethem in the morning, and seniors take their CTE classes at Stethem in the afternoon. Students must apply during their sophomore year. The application window opens Oct. 24 and closes Nov. 14. Students will receive bus transportation to and from their home school. More information about each of the Stethem CTE programs is posted online here.
A virtual information session for parents of students in 10th grade is 6 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 6. The Webex meeting will include details about CTE programs offered to students who will be high school juniors at the start of the 2023-2024 school year. A link to the meeting will be emailed to all CCPS current sophomores. The meeting will be recorded and available for viewing on the CTE website. Spotlight on CTE for high school sophomores is set for 6 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 18, at the Robert D. Stethem Educational Center. The in-person event is open to 10th graders interested in CTE programs housed at Stethem.
The Stethem CTE application will be open at 8 a.m., Oct. 24, and close 3 p.m., Nov. 14.
Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute
CCPS students can apply to participate in the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute program. The program is offered in partnership with instructors from the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute (MFRI) of the University of Maryland. Students will attend their zoned high school in the morning and the training facility in the afternoon as a half-day schedule. Students must apply during their sophomore year for the two-year program. The application window opens Oct. 24 and closes Nov. 14. Students will receive bus transportation to and from their home school.
Details about MFRI training is posted online here. Apply for the program between 8 a.m., Oct. 24, and 3 p.m., Nov. 14. beginning Oct. 24. The application closes Nov. 14.
CTE programs available at all CCPS high schools
All CCPS high schools have CTE programs available for students to sign up through their school counselor during the course selection process. They include Business Management and Finance; Computer Science; Junior Reserve Officers Training Corp (JROTC); Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Engineering; PLTW Biomedical Sciences; ProStart Food and Beverage Management; and Teacher Academy of Maryland. North Point does not offer either PLTW Engineering or Biomedical Sciences program.
Information about these CTE programs, as well as video highlights, are posted on the virtual showcase page at https://www.ccboe.com/cte/index.php/cte-showcase .
Parents and students with questions should contact their child’s school counselor.