DC now has a permanent home for the Advanced Technical Center for students

As of Wednesday, the Advanced Technical Center (ATC) for DC students has a new, permanent home. 

Officials opened the new home at 1709 3rd St NE, the Penn Center, for students interested in vocational training. The ATC is open to students in DC Public Schools and charter schools for career readiness. The center opened last year, operating out of a space at Trinity Washington University, with dual enrollment programs managed by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education.

Paul Kihn, DC’s deputy mayor for education, said that the new space is crucial for students to pursue new learning and pipeline opportunities. 

“If we think that our old way of doing high school, where every high school has to do everything for every student, is going to work, it is not,” said Kihn at a launch event Wednesday. “We have got to blur the artificial distinctions between high school, college and career. This morning, I am so thrilled to tell you that you are standing and sitting in the middle of that blur.”

Last year, 96 students from eight schools enrolled in the ATC program. The center is open for students entering ninth, 10th and 11th grades to participate during the high school day. Such students can take part in two-year, four-course dual credit programs in cybersecurity, health information technology and general nursing. The program is enacted in partnership with Trinity and the University of DC to help students easily transfer their credits to local schools.  

At the launch event, Mayor Muriel Bowser said that programs that focus on work-based learning are key to making sure kids are excelling and growing in their learning. 

“This is what people used to call vocational programs: learning a trade, getting ready for the work world, that’s what we’re doing here at the Advanced Technological Center,” Bowser said. “These are modern programs for modern jobs.”

This year, ATC expects almost 200 students from 13 high schools across DC’s eight wards. Students can earn college credits in the courses; in 2022, students earned a total of 740 college credits. Students will also have the chance to earn industry credentials and access to paid internships. ATC will additionally transport students to and from the center to their high schools to increase accessibility. 

“As we thought about the ways to not just recover from the pandemic, but redesign and reimagine the high school experience, the courses of study were aligned directly to careers that are in demand right here in Washington, DC,” said Christina Grant, state superintendent of education. “We were intentional about partnering with two universities that both offered credentials and accreditations so that our students can be work-ready, and college-ready and career-ready.”