Heartland Technical Academy
Heartland Technical Academy programs
Qualifying Cerro Gordo juniors and seniors have the opportunity to attend the Heartland Technical Academy on the campus of Richland Community College in a variety of career and technical programs. They receive 1.5 credits per semester. The application process begins early in the sophomore year.
Requirements:
- 11th or 12th grade
- all passing grades in the preceding semester
- caught up on all required classes
- no attendance letter in the preceding semester
- no disciplinary suspensions in the preceding semester
- Tech Academy students must pass all classes (both CGHS and HTA) or they are dropped from HTA classes for the following semester.
Selecting a program:
In the fall, all sophomores attend the Program Preview at Richland Community College. All of the programs at Heartland Technical Academy are showcased at this event and students choose tours to attend based on their career interests. Students who are interested in seeing a preview of ALL of the programs should attend the Open House in the fall. The Open House is scheduled in the evening so parents can also attend. Information on the Open House is announced and posted at the high school.
Application Process
Applications are handed out at the student-school counselor meeting after the first of the year. The principal and school counselor go through each application, using the criteria above for acceptance. Accepted applications are sent to Heartland for final approval. The School Counselor is required to include the following information on the application:
- attendance for the past 3 years
- GPA
Heartland selects students using the above information. All Macon County schools send students to the Technical Academy; therefore, students who plan to attend should have a competitive application to assure admittance. Heartland sends the schools the list of accepted students in April.
Who Should Attend:
Students who have a career interest in one of the programs offered should attend the Open House or the Program Preview. Most of the programs offered are considered Career and Technical Education, meaning they lead students to a specific career and start their path of learning the skills of that career. Many of the programs are dual credit and align themselves with Certificate Degrees and Associate of Applied Sciences Degrees at Richland Community College. These 2 educational options are not transferable degrees. In other words, a student who earns an AAS degree in Computer Programming cannot expect admissions to a 4-year school with junior standing the same way a student would who earned a Transfer degree with an emphasis in computer programming. The AAS degree provides specific training and information that can lead to employment in that field. Although there are exceptions, students who plan to achieve a 4-year Bachelor's degree typically do not attend HTA. Cerro Gordo High School prefers to send students who plan to pursue a career in the program in which they apply and who plan to continue their education in that field at either Richland or another facility.
To learn more about Heartland Technical Academy, follow this link to their website.