West Boca High School offers various different industry certifications. They include a wide range of certifications like Microsoft certifications to even being certified as an Emergency Medical Technician. If you’re new to West Boca or simply have an interest in what industry certifications are offered, then you’re in luck because here is a list of all the industry certifications offered in each academy that could be yours too! (All information found is from the official West Boca High School website.)

Drafting & Design Academy Industry Certification 

Drafting & Design Academy is an NCAC/ACTE National Model Academy filled with many certifications that could be obtained. This academy includes two different strands within the program. In the Drafting Strand, students employ the use of the AutoCAD Computer Aided Design software for architectural, mechanical, and 3D projects where they have the opportunity to obtain industry certifications in this field. In the Communications Technology Strand, the program incorporates technical skills found in visual technologies (conventional and digital procedures), multimedia productions, graphics, web page design, electronic media, and other emerging technologies. Students will be working in desktop publishing, digital duplicating, screen printing, heat transfer printing, and embroidery. Some more certifications this academy offers are the Adobe industry certifications.

Academy of Culinary Arts Industry Certification

The Culinary Academy is a program that offers students an opportunity to work and learn in areas of food preparations and service. The academy offers students the opportunity to train food service situations and at the end of the program, students will have a basic knowledge of culinary arts and food service management. They will gain practical experience that will already fill their resume with many certifications where they could start working in the food service in college or get admitted to the top culinary schools in the country. Some certification opportunities students have is to be certified by national organizations such as The National Restaurant Association, with a “Pro Start” certificate, “ServSafe” certified, membership in the American Culinary Federation and the National Technical Honor Society. 

Academy of Medical Sciences Industry Certifications

The Medical Sciences Academy is another NCAC/ACTE National Model Academy that WBHS offers. As stated by the West Boca School website, “The academy offers multiple strands that are each designed to provide students with the medical skills and training to succeed in post-secondary healthcare education and to successfully transition into the healthcare workforce.” This program combines a meticulous and rigorous academic curriculum with multiple clinical and laboratory experiences in all three years of the program. Students have the opportunity to earn medical certifications in the program where they will also have one or two years of clinical experience at area hospitals and other health care facilities that WBHS has partnered with. This program offers five different strands which are as follows: Emergency Medical Responder, Health Unit Coordinator, Medical Lab Assisting, Emergency Medical Technician and Pharmacy Technician. This program gives the students a chance starting their 3rd year in the academy to go on “rounds” or better known as “clinicals” in which the students travel to various clinical sites including West Boca Medical Center, CVS, Walgreens, therapy clinics, athletic events and/or Coral Springs Fire Department. These clinicals allow students to gain hands-on experience with patients that brings the curriculum to life along with earning many certifications. By the time students graduate from this program, they have the opportunity to earn multiple industry certifications like Pharmacy Technician, Emergency Medical Responder, Emergency Medical Technician, Certified Medical Administrative Assistant, EKG, Phlebotomy, Health Unit Coordinator and Certified Patient Care Technician. All these certifications make it possible for students graduating from the program to be able to start working in the medical field while entering a university. They even give these students a chance to get ahead in college than any other medical student in the country. 

Academy of Computer Science Industry Certification

The Computer Science Academy includes two tracks which are Cybersecurity and AP Computer Science. All  students in this academy begin by taking IT Fundamentals where they are introduced to computer hardware troubleshooting and various operating systems. Then, by their sophomore year, students choose if they would like to follow the Cybersecurity track or the AP Computer Science track. The Cybersecurity track teaches students how to secure a network from unauthorized activity, and it’s the only track for this program where students get the opportunity to get industry certifications like Microsoft Office Specialist and Microsoft Technology Associate certifications. However, if students choose to pursue the AP Computer Science track, then there are not any industry certifications offered unless the student decides to take an extra separate elective where they could get Microsoft certified. For instance, there is an elective offered, Digital Info Tech, which any student can take no matter if they are part of the academy or not, and those students that select this elective get a chance of getting certified in Microsoft Office. Thus, if students following the AP Computer Science track take Digital Info Tech along with classes offered in their track, then they still get the opportunity to get an industry certification. The AP Computer Science track also consists of two college classes which are AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A. Students in these classes learn to cultivate their understanding of coding through analyzing, writing, and testing code as they explore concepts like modularity, variables, and control structures. Students get the chance to acquire college credit if they pass both classes and pass the end of course AP exams with at least a 3 for each AP class in the program. 

Academy of Performing Arts Industry Certification

The Performing Arts Academy consists of Band, Dance, Theater and Vocal. The West Boca Band, known as the “Vanguard”, is made up of 195 student musicians performing in 7 different musical ensembles featuring the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Jazz Bands 1 & 2, Pep Band, and Percussion Ensemble. West Boca High’s Dance program is a dance academy intended to inspire students to work on one’s crafts in pursuit of scholarship in education and learning through the art of dance. Theatre at West Boca High School give students a chance to hone their craft, learn how to act on the big stage, and perform in various different productions where people from all over the state may come and see. Last year students performed in the South Florida Cappies, the Florida State Thespian Festival for over 7000 theater students, Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, and even got a chance to travel to California and London. The academy also features a traveling Musical Theater troupe called“Bulls on Broadway” where they go around the community and Palm Beach County performing for many retirement centers, dinner parties, and social gatherings. While there aren’t any official certifications offered in this academy, students still get a chance to sharpen their performance skills and acquire many experiences. Some students go on to work in Broadway and even get accepted into the top performing arts schools in the country.

West Boca High School has amazing opportunities for any student in various different careers. Whether you want to be a doctor, actor, or even a chef, West Boca got you covered with all the numerous amounts of industry certifications opportunities and experiences they offer in any career you want to pursue.