NEW CAREER AND TECH ED CENTER COMING FOR MPS STUDENTS

Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) and community leaders will officially break ground at North High School on Friday, Sept. 16 for a new Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center and significant renovations to the North building and grounds.

The state-of-the-art CTE facility, opening in fall 2023, will give students across Minneapolis access to hands-on skills and knowledge using industry-validated curricula to earn post-secondary credits and industry certifications. Career pathways will include: engineering, robotics, drones, computer science, and media arts.

Aligned with a well-balanced high school experience, CTE courses emphasize the development of real-world skills and practical knowledge within a selected career focus. When students enroll in CTE courses they build resume-worthy experiences and are connected to a variety of career exploration activities which include guest speakers, worksite/company tours, and internships. As part of the comprehensenive district design, MPS is consolidating CTE classes at the new CTE Center.

The project will also include several renovations to North, along with an enhanced Jazz88-KBEM studio equipment and studio remodel. The radio station’s temporary home for the next year will be in the West End area of St. Louis Park, in space rented from iHeartMedia.

“Please bear with us as we complete this move over the next few weeks,” said station manager Dan Larkin in an email update. “We are working hard behind the scenes with Minneapolis Public Schools IT, our engineers, and the fine folks at iHeart to make this as seamless as possible, but you know how moves can go, right? We may have moments (hopefully not hours) where we need to be off the air, or resort to back-up programming, but know that we are doing all of this to make sure we can continue to deliver everything you love about Jazz88.”

We’ll be back in all new digs, with new, updated facilities and equipment, a new stream, and better resources for MPS students pursuing creative media studies. While there may be inconveniences, as with any move, this is a big win all the way around, and we thank you for supporting us and being a part of it,” added Jazz88 Development Specialist Andrew Diemand.