CTE in Action
Creativity, Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Flexibility
Building Tomorrow, Today
Val Verde Career Technical Education connects high school learning with college programs, industry certifications, and in-demand careers.
Class of 2026 — 1,398 graduates. Participation means taking at least one course in a pathway. Completer means finishing all of a pathway’s courses — for most of ours, a two-year sequence. College/Career Prepared is California’s own readiness measure, reported on the state School Dashboard.
Explore PathwaysA CTE pathway is a sequence of two or more career-focused courses within a student’s interest and goals. Pathways are designed to connect high school learning with college programs, industry certifications, and in-demand careers.
District Mission: The Val Verde Unified School District will provide students with a comprehensive education that includes critical thinking and problem-solving skills to prepare them with technical, academic, and employability skills for success in the workplace and in post-secondary education.
More Val Verde students are starting a pathway, and more are finishing one — even as our graduating classes have gotten smaller.
Share of each graduating class who took at least one pathway course.
Share of each graduating class who finished every course in a pathway.
Discover the opportunities available at each of our high schools.
822 students in the Class of 2026 took courses in two or more pathways.
Explore careers by industry or interest, take a quiz to find matches, and watch real professionals talk about their work. California Career Studio is a free tool from the California Department of Education.
Creativity, Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Flexibility
Students who graduate having met A-G requirements and completed a CTE pathway leave high school with the academic foundation for college and the technical skills, certifications, and experience for career success.
This gives students the freedom to choose the path that fits them best:
Career Technical Education (CTE) students learn alongside real employers. Here is a look at the businesses, public agencies, and colleges that work with Val Verde students — and the ways they get involved.
A sample of the signed agreements now in place
Students take on real work roles supporting the Mead Valley Farmers Market — marketing, content creation, product design, and community outreach. Blue Zones staff provide mentoring and feedback on student work.
Students create photography, video, graphic design, and social media content for the gym’s brand. All work and communication go through the supervising CTE teacher.
“Summer at City Hall” is a three-week program that pairs career-readiness lessons with job shadowing in Parks & Recreation, Public Works, Administration, the Senior Center, and Special Events. The first group of students has finished, and the program will continue and grow.
Pre-apprenticeship programs in three areas: mechatronics, public safety and emergency medical services (EMS), and education. These give students structured early training that can lead into a registered apprenticeship.
Students complete clinical rotations at Riverside University Health System (RUHS) facilities — Orange Vista students in the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) program, and Rancho Verde students in Medical Assisting. Both gain supervised hands-on experience in a working healthcare setting.
A pre-apprenticeship for students in the Residential & Commercial Construction program, giving them a route toward a carpenters’ apprenticeship after high school.
A sample of our established, hands-on relationships
Early childhood education students serve as teaching assistants in infant, toddler, and preschool classrooms — direct, hands-on experience with young children.
A long-standing partner site for public-safety and medical pathway training and hands-on experience.
Hosted a hands-on workshop for construction and engineering students at the training center, run with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).
Building weekend hands-on welding workshops for students in the manufacturing pathway.
Hosting several students in paid photography internships, and working with our District Photo Team on field trips and training.
Hosted a behind-the-scenes tour of the stadium for video production, audio production, and entrepreneurship students.
Provides driver’s education course vouchers to Val Verde students age 15 and older.
Val Verde video production students are filming “Their Journey, Our Purpose,” a video series spotlighting adult education students across the eight member agencies of the Riverside ABOUT STUDENTS Regional Consortium on Adult Education. Students shoot studio interviews and on-site B-roll, following learners at the beginning, middle, and end of their programs.
New partnerships taking shape
Exploring real work-based learning inside museum operations — curating, installation, photography, and video — plus a proposed yearly “Museum Fellows” student group.
Planning a district-wide partnership with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) that spans nearly every pathway: guest speakers, site tours, and a proposed “Transportation Careers Day.”
Programs Val Verde runs for our own students
A student-run broadcast and video production program. Students live-stream district events — high school football, performances, and all four graduation ceremonies — and produce original short films, training on professional broadcast, mobile production, and studio equipment. Teen Vision films have earned recognition from the Panasonic KWN competition, the California Student Media & Multimedia Festival, the Palm Springs Student Short Film Festival, and international student film festivals.
Open to students in all photography pathways by application and teacher recommendation. The team covers district events, with a focus on performing arts. Growing in 2026–27 with quarterly meetings, field trips, and training alongside our California Baptist University and Cherished Memories partners.
Working with LAUNCH and the state Division of Apprenticeship Standards to make Val Verde a registered apprenticeship sponsor.
115 members — teachers, employers, college faculty, counselors, students, and state labor-market researchers — meet twice a year to make sure our Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment (CLNA) reflects current job-market data across all 13 industry sectors.
Our district-wide college and career fair, with dozens of hands-on workshops and exhibits led by industry professionals and college partners — covering every CTE pathway from Agriculture to Public Services.
Interested in partnering with Val Verde CTE? See our engagement menu to find the option that fits your organization.