MCPS Career Readiness Education Academy (CREA) is Breaking Records This Year

The Career Readiness Education Academy (CREA) is an academic and career readiness education program for English learners in MCPS who are at least 18 years old and unlikely to meet all graduation requirements prior to turning 21 and if they are interested in pursuing an alternative pathway to a high school diploma via GED preparation. Tania Perez-Fuentes, who works for the program, tells us it’s breaking records this year.

“We have broken all records in regards to GED sections passed this school year and it’s only December. We have over 100 sections passed and one fully graduated already.” she told us. “These are students that come from high trauma, interrupted education, extreme poverty and they are absolutely rocking the GED/Career Education classes.” Students in CREA are provided with opportunities to prepare for the GED exam, learn valuable work skills, and earn industry certifications. “The staff is a completely supportive family and we go all out for our kids. Although funded by MCPS, many of our activities are financially provided by staff sinply because we love our kids. We rely on community donations for coats and food and sometimes for cultural assimilation field trips but anything extra comes from us.”

The CREA program is currently offered at both Seneca Valley High School and Thomas Edison High School of Technology as a full-day program. The evening program is offered at Thomas Edison High School of Technology. Day and evening program options provide flexibility for students to continue their education on a schedule that best meets their needs. All CREA students have the opportunity to continue their education in MCPS until they turn 21. Students who participate in either the day or evening program are considered full-time MCPS students.

Per Perez-Fuentes, “We are an MCPS program for immigrant, English Language Learners who are non-diploma bound and are working towards their GED and career certifications. CREA is housed at Thomas Edison High of Technology but overseen and funded by the Office of Foundations, MCPS. 100% of our students are immigrants with the majority from Central America. They work full-time and study Monday through Friday evenings. The entry requirements for the program are that they be 18-21 years old, placed in ELL classes and do not meet the credit requirements to reach high school graduation. Because they do not graduate, we celebrate their exit from the program; some will leave having reached all four portions of the GED testing, some will exit with a technical certification (auto mechanics, restaurant management/culinary, construction, electricity, HVAC or nail tech), some with both, and others who entered at a later age, leave with a higher level English than they entered and some portions of the GED completed. Currently, we have about 160 students in the program throughout the three sites, a day program at both Thomas Edison and Seneca Valley, with the bulk of the students (136) enrolled in our evening program.”

The program is holding its holiday party on Thursday, December 21st from 6pm-9pm featuring DJ Chris Hypnotic and a performance from Sherwood High School’s Fuego Azul Latin Dance Team.