John F. Kennedy High School...The PREMIER choice for Career & Technical Education

Successful graduates set themselves apart by finding ways to showcase their talents and skills through excellence in academics, relevant work experience, and a clear vision of where they are going and how they will get there.  Our Academies: Construction, ProStart Culinary Arts, Pharmacy, and Virtual Academy give students a focus for their work and the time to develop relevant, necessary work skills that apply to ANY career in their future.

Career and Technical Education provides a focus for our students to prepare for the fastest-growing, highest need jobs in the region.  Each Academy is connected to the local economy through internships, field trips, business partners, and community activities focused on Masonry, Culinary Arts, and Pharmacy.  Students build resume experience before graduation, practice essential employability skills, and learn from business partner experts in our community through field trips and classroom visits.

Students strive for personal goals built around their own Career Development Plan, evolving each year as the student grows and achieves milestones.  Curriculum and instruction are integrated across subject areas, and career pathway internships are encouraged for every student. Community business connections aligned with each Academy introduce students to networking and the people who can help them succeed.

At the heart of the school are our teachers and administrators who are dedicated to building relationships with each student.  We recognize and celebrate these young adults in as many different ways that we can to share their talents and skills with the community.

When you enroll at Kennedy you will choose one of the following academies:

• Construction Academy: Students begin their hands-on instruction in the ninth grade by exploring the various skilled trades in the construction industry. John F. Kennedy specializes in the skilled trade of masonry. Our local business partners provide in-class and on-the-job training through apprenticeships and internships while earning real wages! Students graduate prepared for the construction workforce with multiple NCCER credentials and their OSHA 10-Hour certification.  Engineering and Architecture candidates get validated hands-on construction experiences that move them ahead of their college peers.

• Health Sciences Academy: Our 4-year program is designed to expose and prepare students to pursue healthcare-related careers upon graduation. Students earn CPR/AED certification and the OSHA 10-hour medical card. Seniors have the opportunity to pursue the national Pharmacy Technician certification (CPhT) through the completion of this capstone course. This pathway prepares students for the growing pharmaceutical industry by providing them with the clinical and business skills needed to work successfully alongside pharmacists and physicians.

• Culinary Arts & Hospitality Academy: Students work with our professional chef from 9^th grade through 12^th grade learning basic knife skills, nutrition, and safety the first year and progressing to complicated recipes, sauces, inventory, and restaurant management. Local business connections help place students in internships and local chefs and entrepreneurs in the hospitality world provide industry knowledge, experience, and mentoring.

• Virtual Academy: Virtual Academy is a program designed to provide students with a personalized education option that offers virtual experiences that are flexible, rigorous, and innovative. The Virtual Academy will serve grades 9-12. The application is open to all students who are eligible to enroll in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools in grades 9-12.

All of our students are encouraged to take Business courses to augment their Academy classes and connect them to the community economy.  Students can explore Entrepreneurship and Marketing.  Our business department touches every student at John F. Kennedy and provides a unifying force for collaboration and essential employability skills training.

Students interested in applying to John F. Kennedy must be mature enough to function in a workplace environment, be prepared for new challenges, attend school every day, and have a strong interest in one of our CTE academies. Students are expected to attempt all credentials and complete their Academy sequence of courses.  We are looking for students like you!