More Electives, Comp Sci High!
“Students, if you are interested in any of these electives, please show your interest by advocating for them! You can help make the change!”
What do you want to do after high school? Though this may be a question that a few kids at Comp Sci High have answered in their minds, many draw a blank while answering this question. Do you know what could help you narrow down your answer for this question? Here’s the answer: electives!
Here’s a straight fact for you: Electives can help teens investigate their interests, learn or hone skills, and clarify career goals. In fact, elective courses can be great motivators for students! Many students in this school do not know what they are going to do after high school, and in order for Comp Sci High to actually consider more electives for the Students, we need more advocacy and interest from the whole Comp Sci High community. So, here are some electives to peak the interest of the community.
Film Studies / Cinematography
Have you ever wanted to film a movie? Have a class where you only watch shows? The purpose of film class and the topics studied would involve producing, directing, art direction, cinematography, screenwriting, post production work, and sound. Film classes can bring important topics to light though the source of a movie. Such classes can also inspire creativity and allow the students of Comp Sci High to express themselves and really run a classroom. Film class would also open up so many career options for students to explore such as screenwriter, TV writer, Foley Artist (sound effects), Production assistant, and more.
Culinary Arts
I know most of you all have thought about and want to have a cooking class at Comp Sci High. The purpose of a culinary arts class would be to educate and empower students to make nourishing food choices through hands-on learning. Cooking is a life skill and the best way to acquire a skill is to get training, to practice, and to learn from others. Having a cooking class for the students at Comp Sci High would mean when they got home from school at the end of the week, they would also be able to bring home a new recipe for their family to try. If college is an option in a student’s future, then they would be able to cook quick cheap meals while they attended college, allowing them to have the decision to make healthy choices for the rest of their lives.
Foreign Language
When applying to NYC’s Summer Youth Employment Program or while working through online applications, you might notice that such forms tend to ask if you speak more than one language. Some of you could click yes and go on to list them, but many of you can’t say the same. Learning a language in school is pretty underrated because it can be such a big help for certain kids by opening up opportunities that wouldn’t have been accessible before, such as interpreters, tour guides, and translators. Research shows that people who speak more than one language earn 5% to 20% more on average than those who don't. If learning a new language was available to the students, it would seem like such a support system for helping the kids in this community figure out what they want to do with their life.
When interviewing the principal of Comp Sci High, some things I noted were that it’s hard to find people to teach electives, those who are committed and experienced in these kinds of arts, So teachers, if you know anybody in the teacher community that fits these roles (or maybe you yourself fit this role), please advocate and show interest! Students, if you are interested in any of these electives, please show your interest by advocating for them! You can help make the change!