CTE ASCEND Highlight: Business + Management Pathway
As part of our mission to prepare students for life outside our virtual school walls, Oregon Charter Academy (ORCA) developed ASCEND, our career and technical education (CTE) program that equips students with strategic and relevant knowledge for the real world. ORCA students can choose one of five professional pathways that pair intensive classroom instruction with on-the-job learning opportunities.
We highlighted our computer science pathway in a previous post. This time, we’ll turn our lens on the Business + Management pathway and learn how it offers students an incredible head start as they take their first steps into college or a career.
The ASCEND Business + Management Pathway
Students who choose this pathway will gain an in-depth understanding of every aspect of business ownership, including marketing, accounting, management, and more. They'll also have the chance to earn college credit and gain valuable experience in a work-based learning course. Here's how students progress through the program:
Beginner Courses
The beginner courses in our Business + Management pathway are open to any 9th - 12th grade ORCA student. Classes like Digital Literacy and Business Communication teach foundational skills, such as how to use email appropriately or effective ways of communicating with supervisors.
Intermediate Courses
Digging deeper into foundational topics, our intermediate courses are also open to any 9th - 12th grade ORCA student. Students can additionally pursue individual interests in classes like Sports Management, Spanish for Business, or Principles of Marketing, which offers a social media marketing certification through a work-based simulation.
Advanced Courses
The advanced courses in our Business + Management pathway are primarily for seniors who have committed to completing the program. These courses focus on teaching real-world business skills in two ways:
Oregon Employability Skills: This free, open-resource curriculum was developed here at ORCA in partnership with Oregon industry leaders and will soon be open to all schools and students statewide. The curriculum teaches students ten core skills to be effective employees. While learning about many vital Oregon industries, they'll earn an academic badge/professional certification.
Work-Based Learning: The program culminates with students putting the knowledge they've gained into action through work-based learning. Many of our students already work, so they can tie this course into their current job. Other students can participate in simulated working opportunities in areas such as retail, entrepreneurship, or sports management.
Collaborative Math and Business Courses
As students move along the Business + Management pathway, they also take collaborative math and business coursework that allows them to earn college credit.
Freshmen and sophomores take Integrated Math 1 and 2, which combines Algebra 1 and 2 and Geometry, saving them from taking an additional math class. Students also participate in entrepreneurship and personal finance labs, making the courses relevant to business concepts.
Juniors take a data science course, which is an emerging topic that will become more important as they move into the work world.
Seniors take ten credits of college math that check off their initial postsecondary math requirements.
Currently, students can earn 15 college credits during the ASCEND Business + Management pathway, and we plan to expand that by adding college-level public speaking and business administration classes in the coming years.
Extracurricular Activities
ORCA students can also hone their business skills in one of our extracurricular clubs, which play a significant role in our school's culture. Many of our ASCEND Business + Management students are members of SkillsUSA, which is a national organization that helps kids develop business and leadership skills. Our students can also learn relevant business skills in other clubs. For example, they can improve their writing through the school newspaper, or develop their graphic design skills through the school yearbook.
Future Career Opportunities
The in-class curriculum, work-based learning opportunities, and extracurricular clubs provide our ASCEND Business + Management pathway students with an excellent glimpse into the professional world. While some head directly into the workforce after graduation, most of our students pursue advanced training through pre-apprenticeship programs in the trades or at a college or university. A few of our students also pursue entrepreneurship and credit ASCEND with giving them the necessary skills to launch, manage, and market their businesses.
Join Us for a Virtual Information Session
If you'd like to learn more about ORCA's ASCEND program, or our approach to virtual learning, join one of our virtual information sessions to connect with ORCA staff and preview our learning platform. We hope to see you there!