Associate degree legislation
House Bill 2034, which would allow Career Technical Education Districts (CTEDs) like the East Valley Institute of Technology to offer associate degrees, has passed the state House and is now in the Senate. We would like to thank bill sponsor Rep. Michelle Udall, R-Mesa, and all lawmakers who have supported this important legislation. Since EVIT started 30 years ago, many jobs and careers have evolved to require more education, at least an associate degree. HB 2034 will allow the CTEDs to evolve to better meet the needs of our students and communities.
Adult learners
Quality career and technical education isn’t just for high school students. The number of adults enrolling in EVIT’s post-secondary programs has grown by 54% since 2018. EVIT Chief Academic Officer Ronda Doolen was recently interviewed on AZTV 7 about the importance of CTE for adults, and how EVIT is maximizing the investment taxpayers have made by utilizing its facilities to expand education opportunities for adults. Watch the interview: https://bit.ly/3IEERp8
Power Campus expansion
The new Aviation building, including a plane hangar, has just opened at EVIT’s Power Campus, 6625 S. Power Road, Mesa, as part of a $38 million construction project that also includes expansion of the veterinary sciences and engineering programs and renovations for health sciences and cosmetology programs to be completed by August. A third building expansion is expected to begin in the 2022-23 school year. FOX10 recently featured the new aviation building: https://bit.ly/35hBmXz. Power Principal John Corsaro was also interviewed about the Power expansion on AZTV 7: https://bit.ly/3syUpW2
Automotive Skills Challenge
EVIT’s Automotive Technologies instructors have been working with industry advisors to organize the East Valley High School Automotive Skills Challenge on Saturday, March 26. The event is not only for EVIT students, but also for East Valley students who take automotive programs at their high schools. Students from a dozen programs are competing at their high schools for a chance to be in the Top 64 to compete on event day at EVIT. The students will compete hands-on in 10 stations including electrical, diagnostic and more. The automotive industry is donating over $5,500 in prizes. This public event, which starts at 9 a.m., will also include over 100 cars competing in a Pinewood Derby, the Ultimate Impression Car and Truck Show, raffles and prizes, and food trucks.
Inspiring alumni
This year, we are featuring the stories of successful EVIT alumni in the Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Alum Allistar Machacek used skills from two programs – Construction and Precision Machining – to jump-start a career pathway that took him from EVIT to Arizona State University and the Herberger Design School to his current job as project engineer for McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.: https://bit.ly/3C9r5Zf. Culinary Arts alum Saul Lopez still uses the skills he learned at EVIT as an assistant safe quality foods manager for United Dairymen of Arizona: https://bit.ly/3Msrrz4.
Thank you for your support in helping EVIT change lives.