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 Career Academies: Construction & Masonry, Culinary Arts & Hospital, Health Sciences & Pharmacy Tech, and Virtual Academy give students a focus on 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-needed jobs in the region.  Each Career Academy is connected to the local economy through internships, field trips, business partners, and community activities. 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. 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 as 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 certificate.  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 in 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. We welcome homeschool and private school students who would like to enroll to take advantage of this opportunity.