In connection with the Round Rock Chamber, the Round Rock ISD Career and Technical Education Department has hosted an externship for secondary educators each summer since 2015. This annual offering is a special opportunity for secondary teachers to connect with companies and organizations related to their specific program subject area. The goal of this externship is for the district’s educators to create lessons and projects that apply the skills and information learned during their experience with community partners while strengthening their partnership and providing opportunities for their students to connect with these businesses.
Jeffrey Lazcano-Pry, an engineering teacher at Westwood High School, was one of the recipients of this externship.
“My first week at Athena, I learned more about how engineering designs move into manufacturing, including how teams communicate design requirements, review technical drawings, verify parts, document changes and solve problems during production. At Round Rock Public Works, I learned about civil engineering, infrastructure, water and wastewater systems, environmental services, GIS and the daily work required to support a growing community.”
When asked if he would suggest this experience to other teachers in the future, he agreed wholeheartedly.
“Absolutely,” he said. “I would strongly recommend the externship program to other CTE educators. It provides a level of industry knowledge and understanding that is difficult to gain through traditional professional development. What stood out most was the incredible access I was given to employees with important firsthand knowledge.”
This year, 18 secondary teachers were connected with an area of expertise for 10 days, shadowing a business or organization for four hours per day. During this time, these teachers absorb information that they will use to create lesson plans for the upcoming school year.
Bernadette De La Garza, a STEAM and digital media teacher at Pearson Ranch Middle School, spent her time at the Trellis Company and the City of Round Rock Marketing. Her experiences show the differences in opportunities not only between grade levels, but between disciplines.
“I learned that an openness to learning new things, problem-solving, and a positive, collaborative attitude were all characteristics hiring managers were looking for, in some cases even more so than degrees,” De La Garza said. “It was also interesting to hear stories about various career paths from straight out of high school, military or traditional college. This experience was well worth my time and allowed me to build new connections with local business partners, and I was reassured that I am trying to move my students in the right direction.”
During this externship, not only do educators grow their own knowledge and connections, but they’re also paid for their time and receive funds to purchase classroom materials, along with 40 hours of professional development credits.
Peggy Mica, assistant director of CTE, is always excited to get this summer program together.
“Teachers love the idea of connecting their classroom learning with businesses but don't always know how to get started, and we’ve heard businesses want to help schools but don't always know who or how to help,” she said. “These externships give both groups the chance to come together and learn about the other's needs, successes and challenges.”
As the externship concluded, these staff members were invited to an externship celebration, where they reviewed their placements, shared their experiences and thanked the community partners who made this possible at the Round Rock Chamber.
Great job to these CTE educators for bringing the skills and knowledge to our students!
Bernadette De La Garza - Trellis Company, City of Round Rock Marketing
Deborah Stuart - Emerson, TECO-Westinghouse
Dillon Raad - City of Round Rock Marketing, Round Rock Chamber
Emily Warnock - Penfold Theatre, Round Rock Public Library
Eric Flanders - DiaSorin, The Goodkind Co.
Eve Logan - Round Rock Area Serving Center
Faith Palombi - MOD Architecture + Design, ClearCorrect
Jeffrey Lazcano-Pry - Athena Manufacturing, City of Round Rock Utilities
Jessica Arldt - East/West Manuf, Texas State Technical College
Joshua Williams - City of Round Rock Planning and Development, Stantec Architecture
Kimberly Moreno - Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area
Lorraine Bustamante - Round Rock Area Serving Center
Mark Rosenbaum - GSD&M, Round Rock Chamber
Nicole Martinez - The Williamson Museum
Tayelor Thrash - Blanton Museum of Art, The Williamson Museum
Valarie Waldo - Party Chaos
Wendy Armbruster - Typhoon Texas, Happy State Bank
Yan Shen - O’Connell Robertson, HNTB
To learn more about Round Rock ISD’s CTE Externship, visit the CTE webpage.