It’s 10:15 in the morning and the cafeteria is filled with the noise of students talking and putting down their belongings as lunch starts. As they are entering the cafeteria, junior Anna Burg changes into her scrubs, exits Central, and boards a bright yellow school bus.

Burg spends half of her day at Lewis and Clark Career Center for the Health-Related Occupations program that is offered to high school juniors and seniors.

She learns skills required for a job in nursing or other health-focused careers. In addition to the Health Sciences program, the institute offers Advanced Manufacturing, Constructions Trades, Automotive and Mechanical Technology, Education and Training, Information Technology, and Hospitality programs.

Lewis and Clark Career Center focuses on giving students hands-on experience in their field, which will give them a better chance at acceptance from universities or securing a job straight out of high school.

“We do a lot of hands-on activity in the lab,” said Burg. “We work on how to take care of patients, how to communicate with people, and basic care for the elderly,” Burg said.

The school is a perfect environment for students who want an engaging learning experience that will give them the confidence they need to continue with their desired field. Burg loves the program. From what is taught to the way it is designed, Lewis and Clark is tailored to the Burg’s needs and those of her classmates.

“Lewis and Clark is the best thing ever, getting to leave after third hour and meeting new people from all the schools in the county,” Burg said.

Lewis and Clark student counselor Ms. Casey Lober sees the positive impact the programs have on students.

“Our students are happy with their choice. You see our students coming on days when they don’t have regular school because they like spending time at our school so much,” Ms. Lober said.

The program prepares students for whatever choice they make regarding life after high school. Whether that be further education at a two or four-year university, or going straight into the workforce, Lewis and Clark gives students what they need to succeed with the choice they make. Dr. Andrew Stewart, the director of Lewis and Clark Technical School, regards the programs as having a positive influence on students that gives them numerous opportunities past high school education.

“[Lewis and Clark] is an opportunity for student that they can’t get anywhere else. They can leave high school and make a good living wage for the foreseeable future,” Dr. Stewart said.

The skills students learn from the program provide them with the information necessary for excelling in the path they take after high school. Senior Caitlyn LaTour is enrolled in the Early Childhood Careers program and she feels ready for her future. Lewis and Clark helped her decide what she wants to do beyond high school.

“I want to be a special education early childhood teacher, a preschool teacher that helps kids with Down syndrome and things like that. I feel a lot more prepared. I’ve gained so many skills and I’d absolutely recommend Lewis and Clark to other students” LaTour said.