Galt High School Program Helping Students Transition Into Adulthood

GALT (CBS13) — Galt High School is getting high marks for a new program designed to dramatically lower the student drop-out rate and prepare students to become self-sufficient adults after they graduate.

Students get hands-on training for careers they begin thinking about freshman year. First students develop a 10-year plan. It was a plan freshman Arelly Benavidez wasn't too keen on at first.

"I remember at the beginning of the year being put in the class and I was like why am I in this class I don't remember choosing that," Benavidez said.

Superintendent Elizabeth Kaufman says the program is important because students "need to know how they're going to support themselves when they leave at 18 you can just walk in find a job right now and support yourself and get out of your parents' house."

It's a program adapted from a national model. Teacher Carli Walden says student's career choices vary.

"We have everything from students who want to be stand up comedians to students who want to own a bakery," she said.

The students research all the requirements in order to get into that career, choosing three pathways: AG academy, BEST Academy and Careers With Children.

Brooke Beckett, who was just named high school district teacher of the year, teaches the BEST curriculum—biomedical engineering science and technology.

"In our engineering class, they get to see if they actually like designing things in 3-D on the computer.

Options for students to make some informed choices about their future, revisited yearly if they change their mind.