Congratulations to all the 2022 local graduates! It’s been a challenging year, but our community is proud of what you have accomplished! As a group of young adults moves on and another school year draws to a close, I wanted to share some of the wonderful opportunities that Hilliard City Schools has to offer our students. Our district provides several pathways to setting students up for success beyond high school.
Our Innovation Learning Campus (ILC) offers several inventive options for personalized learning. For example, the ILC offers courses in healthcare, business, and education, just to name a few. Additionally, the district coordinates a robust professional mentorship program where students learn with industry professionals. This program usually results in over 50 hours of hands-on learning in a field of the student’s choice.
The district offers an early college option through its College JumpStart program, allowing students to earn up to 24 credit hours via Columbus State Community College, free of charge! In addition, several other classes throughout the district have College Credit Plus (CCP) credits embedded into their curriculum. It’s very common for our graduates to continue into college and graduate early with tremendous financial savings due to the vast CCP options that we provide within Hilliard City Schools (HCS).
HCS also works in partnership with Tolles Career & Technical Center. Tolles offers multiple professional training pathways. Nursing, firefighting, construction technology, information technology, and cosmetology are just a few. Tolles continues to expand their options to meet the needs of the 21st-century workplace. Tolles also offers three satellite programs within our high schools and Innovation Learning Campus.
Additionally, HCS has joined forces with local businesses to provide internship, pre-apprenticeship, and mentorship experiences that allow students to be set up with high-level jobs right after high school. Worthington Industries, Amazon Web Services, and Eco Plumbers are just a few companies that we have partnered with to offer these opportunities.
I hope the students and parents in our district explore the unique learning opportunities our district offers. The future of work is evolving, and our district is working to grow with it to provide our students with the best options to be Ready for Tomorrow.
Zach Vorst is a member of the Hilliard City Schools Board of Education.
