The St. Vrain Valley School District announced that Longmont High School's Pathways in Technology Early College High School Program, or P-TECH, received a three grant from an anonymous donor. The funding will support several key components of the program.
SVVSD offers P-TECH at four of its district high schools including Skyline, Frederick, Silver Creek and Longmont High. The program is "a new type of school that brings together the best elements of high school, college and the professional world, allowing students to earn a high school diploma as well as an Asssociate degree at no cost to the student," according to the SVVSD website. Students enrolled in these programs can participated in internships and mentorships with industry partners.
TrojanTECH opened at Longmont High School in the fall of 2023 allowing students to earn an associates degree in business from Front Range Community College. The program also partners with the city of Longmont, Longmont Chamber of Commerce, Longmont Economic Development Partnership, Longmont Downdown Development Authority and the Latino Chamber of Commerce of Boulder County.
"The success of TrojanTECH is built on our strong connections with local industry partners and community members,” said Anne Atherton, assistant principal at Longmont High School and TrojanTECH lead. “Local businesses have been incredibly generous — hosting mentor days, funding lunches, recruiting mentors, and promoting our program. We are deeply grateful to our partners and for this anonymous grant that will enhance support and create meaningful opportunities for our students.”
"The grant will strengthen TrojanTECH’s collaborative efforts among the business community, enriching students' educational experience with the goal of developing a robust workforce pipeline for local businesses," according to the news release from SVVSD.
The grant will fund a TrojanTECH teacher and an industry partner coordinator. Phillip Inzerillo, community and investor relations specialist at Longmont EDP, will assume the industry partner coordinator role in which he will facilitate connections between students and local businesses. He will create opportunites for mentorship, internships and collaborative projects that will lead to paid internships with in the next year.
“We believe that having a business community resource person will enrich our TrojanTECH students’ experiences and help local businesses address workforce needs,” said Scott Cook, CEO of the Longmont Area Chamber of Commerce. “This anonymous grant represents a shared commitment among community leaders to empower the next generation of business professionals and stimulate economic growth in Longmont. By investing in education and mentorship, we are building a skilled workforce ready to meet the needs of Longmont’s businesses.”
