IT High School Expands Program.

BROOKLYN (New York, N.Y.); NEW York (N.Y.); NEW York (State); UNITED States

The article relates the expansion of the information technology (IT) program of George Westinghouse High School (GWHS) in Brooklyn, New York City. George Westinghouse High School in Brooklyn, New York City dropped its traditional vocational classes and adopted a technology-only curriculum, including Cisco certification and C++ programming classes. The result was Urban Brooklyn's economically underprivileged kids have a better chance of going to college and getting a job in IT-related fields, and the school's name is no longer synonymous with crime. Nearby companies, such as banking giant HSBC, are offering that experience by pairing with GWHS students with company mentors and providing internships. Just as companies are constantly adapting to changing business climates, GWHS is refining how it becomes a pioneer IT school. At first, the technology curriculum was more concentrated on the junior and senior years when students focus on one IT subject, taking courses in areas such as C++ programming. In 2004, with the help of a $450,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education , there are two teachers in many of the ninth-grade classrooms: An academic instructor and a technical instructor who helps students when they need to search for answers on the Web or use a computer to write an essay. Next year, students will be required to submit work electronically.