The Riverside Local School District has been awarded $2.5 million from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce to expand their career elective offerings. This grant award will allow the District to build an addition on the existing Riverside High School to create space for career education and hands-on learning.
In addition, the grant will fund materials and equipment to further student learning and exposure to specific industry needs. While career education has long been the mission of Joint Vocational School Districts, such as Auburn Career Center, Riverside sees value in experiences that allow all students to gain a better understanding of what career pathway they might want to pursue after graduation. Through the implementation of this grant, Riverside will be able to continue to offer these opportunities to all students.
The additional space at Riverside, which is tentatively scheduled to be completed by the Spring of 2026, will be used to expand and enhance the Construction, Advanced Manufacturing, and Healthcare programs already offered at the school. A lack of space has limited the development of these programs, and the District hopes to see increased enrollment as a result of the additional learning space.
Riverside High School began its career elective offerings several years ago when the District received a grant to upgrade its Welding Lab. The Welding Lab, now a state-of-the-art facility, spurred the development of other career electives that could be offered in the traditional high school environment. Students are able to earn credentials in a specific industry, as well as gain valuable experience in the career field of their choice.
Starting in 2024-2025, the District will offer at least one career elective in each of the career fields identified by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Unlike traditional career-tech schools, Riverside focuses on creating an elective, not a program, that allows students to earn credentials, gain experience in the field, and work towards graduation requirements.