Wasilla High School receives national award

Wasilla High School received the National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3) START award. They are recognized for implementing new technical and engineering certifications in their school. Wasilla High School is the only school in Alaska offering these types of programs.

“I think it’s just affirmation of what we’re trying to do here,” Career and Technical Education (CTE) Teacher Brian Cook said about receiving the award.

The award is presented to schools that have newly adopted NC3 leadership programs. Cook and other CTE teachers have been actively providing classes and equipment for students looking to pursue these certifications.

“So [NC3] looked at our school and as a school that was just starting out, we really took hold of it and are trying to implement it to the best of our ability in our schools,” Cook said.

Cook explained that Wasilla High began implementing NC3 certified courses last year. Cook and other teachers pursued courses that would best suit both students and the community.

“I think we as a school are really trying to push the idea of career and technical education as a viable option, rather than just four-year college,” Cook said.

Wasilla High offers several certification programs for its students. These include Tormach, Greenlee and Snap On certifications. The school looks to implement more in the future, including a Kubota certification in the next year.

Jason Marvel, Wasilla High School principal, is excited to offer the Kubota diesel technician certification. Marvel points out how important a certification in this industry would be for the area and for Alaska.

“Because diesel… It’s big. It’s big up here,” Marvel said. “And there’s a demand for it.”

The CTE teachers at Wasilla High are proud to offer these certifications. Both the community and students will benefit from programs like these down the road.

“It’s something that we really believe in and think is good for not just our school, but our community as a whole,” Cook said. “And we think that this program is going to be able to get students where they need to be to jump straight into the industry or further their careers in the future.”