Cañon City High School Pathways Program
Pathways Handbook
The CCHS Pathways Program is a three-year education series designed to inject relevance and engagement to learning, and prepare students for postsecondary education and the workforce. Students may earn endorsements in particular disciplines at two graduated levels, Silver and Gold, and early college credits toward an Associate’s Degree, all while pursuing a high school diploma. Silver endorsements allow a student to explore a career field and even have time to move to another Silver endorsement within a three-year time span. Gold endorsements move a student more thoroughly into a career field and may result in specialized certifications or significant progress toward an Associate’s Degree.
Each student at CCHS begins his or her Pathways journey by completing the Freshman Base Camp. The “Camp” provides incoming sophomores a foundation in academic skills for success, culture, and knowledge to make a decision on which Pathway suits them best.
The Pathways Program at Canon City HS consists of four main Pathways and an alternative track pathway:
- Health
- Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, and Math (STEAM)
- Skilled Trades, Security, and Industry
- Arts, Hospitality, and Education
- The Tiger Open Pathway (TOP)
- Pathways in Technology Early College High School (PTECH)
Within these Pathways, students can select from numerous different careers that delve deeper into specific, yet, complementary disciplines.
Pathways students follow a curriculum that includes the following: rigorous academic coursework as well as career-oriented courses, participation in project-based learning activities, and research-oriented community projects such as a graduation Capstone. This academic structure provides students the opportunity to increase the depth and rigor of their education while giving them the freedom and flexibility to select which Pathways they choose to experience. Finally, our curriculum culminates in a community-based learning internship in each student’s the chosen career field. We have 80 community partners offering at least quarter-long internships. It is our goal that every student complete one or more internships before he or she graduates.
Finally, Pathways purposefully restructures our 1,100 student high school into smaller learning communities and creates viable lanes from high school, to college, to professional careers. The Pathways approach has taken root in an estimated 8,000 high schools across the country. In Colorado, Cañon City HS is one of a few high schools to offer a full spectrum of career options under one roof.
Attached below is the Pathways Handbook detailing the program.
For All New Inquiries, Please Refer to the 2022-2023 Pathways Handbook Listed Below
2024-25 Pathways Handbook
(Updated 1/9/24)
If you need to reference last year's pathway handbook, please use the Pathways Handbook Listed Below