COVINA, CA – Northview High School students are putting public service theories, principles, and techniques to the test through hands-on lessons and projects in the school’s Public Safety Career Technical Education (CTE) Pathway, which aims to develop students into professionals with a passion for helping their community.

The CTE pathway features three classes: Administration of Justice I, Advanced Forensic Science, and Administration of Justice III. Through these classes, students cover a wide range of topics, including the history of law enforcement, the process of American justice, cultural diversity, ethics, and patrol officer procedures. Students gain active skills in fingerprinting, blood spatter analysis, crime scene reconstruction, and more.

“Our pathway helps students understand the commitment needed to have a career in public safety and the goals and expectations of the job,” Public Safety teacher Gregg Peterson said. “Working and interacting with these students is incredible – it makes me feel positive about the future of the public service industry.”

Students who have gone through the Public Safety Pathway now work in public service positions such as police officers, detectives, Secret Service, and the military. “I find criminal justice fascinating,” Northview High School junior Alexandria Corral said. “I enjoy everything I have learned in the Public Safety Pathway so far, and I cannot wait to continue in the course sequence. The program has inspired me to want maybe to go to law school one day.”

Northview High also hosts the San Gabriel Valley Law Enforcement Explorer Academy, which goes hand-in-hand with the Public Safety CTE Pathway. This 13-week program partners with the Covina Police Department to further immerse students in law enforcement. The program is run like a police academy, with students learning radio codes, lessons in accountability and teamwork, and physical fitness. The goal of the Academy is to give students a foot in the door at police agencies, allowing them to begin working in police departments immediately after graduating high school.

“I have always wanted to have a job in law enforcement, and I was thrilled when I found out I could gain even more experience through joining the Explorer Academy,” Northview High School junior Atianna Dickson said. “My favorite thing about the Public Safety Pathway is that it allows me to see the different career paths I can take in action!”

Dickson plans to attend college after graduating high school, hoping to become a jailer or cadet at the Covina Police Department. She aims to one day become a patrol officer.

“Our CTE programs go to the next level to give students the chance to earn certifications or participate in supplementary programs, such as the Explorer Academy, that give them an extra boost when entering the workforce,” Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Eminhizer said. “We do everything we can to ensure our students are standout and exemplary applicants in the industry of their choice.”

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

CVUSD_PUBLICSAFETY1: Northview High School Public Safety career technical education Pathway senior Donovan Perez participates in a hands-on project involving collecting and analyzing fingerprints. Students gain active skills in fingerprinting, blood spatter analysis, crime scene reconstruction, and more in the Public Safety Pathway.

CVUSD_PUBLICSAFETY2: Three Northview High School students graduate from the San Gabriel Valley Law Enforcement Explorer Academy. The 13-week program goes hand-in-hand with Northview High School’s Public Safety Pathway and gives students a foot in the door at police agencies, allowing them to begin working in police departments immediately after graduating high school.