Career and Enrichment Programs at Morris County School of Technology

Morris County School of Technology in Denville, NJ, is an outstanding public high school. Niche ranks schools based on student and parent feedback, state test scores, and academic performance metrics.

MCST students can choose from an extensive array of career pathways. Some examples are auto mechanics, telecom technicians, and plumbing/pipe fitting technicians.

Vocational and Enrichment Programs

MCST provides career and enrichment programs designed to prepare students for success in today’s world and open doors for tomorrow. Programs available to high school Career Academies, Share Time programs, and adult education options.

Morris County School of Technology (MCST), located in Denville, offers high school students a unique educational opportunity that allows them to focus on their talents and interests while earning credit toward completing their diploma. Academy courses are integral to the curriculum and prepare them for postsecondary placement opportunities.

Our school’s unique academic curriculum is tailored to allow every child to explore his or her passions and interests through courses spanning academic disciplines like science, math, social studies, health, and language arts literacy. Students also participate in particular interests and co-curricular experiences like music, art, theatre, and STEM/computers.

As part of MHS STEM Academy, this program provides professional mentors and speakers to connect students to postsecondary programs and career avenues. Furthermore, industry leaders in various fields partner with this academy program so academy students gain real-world experiences.

In addition to our Academies, MCST provides various shared time programs – half-day career and technical education training programs designed for high school students – during all four years of high school. Programs include Auto Body and Collision Repair, Carpentry, Cosmetology, Electrical Trades Exercise Science, Fundamentals of Building Ground Maintenance, Plumbing, Pipefitting, and Welding Technologies.

MCST also offers various hands-on STEM enrichment programs tailored specifically for homeschooled students within their communities. These flexible learning opportunities give homeschool students access to classes with flexible times and dates to select their courses of interest.

Recently, the district has expanded its course offerings in response to industry needs and student interests. This has included new animation and virtual reality programs, cyber security, and other emerging technologies. Furthermore, renovation of college facilities was undertaken, adding LEED-certified Landscape Horticultural Technology Center and Music Technology Center facilities.

Academy Programs

Morris County School of Technology’s Academy Programs offer full-time, comprehensive high school programs that combine academics with Career and Technical Education (CTE). Students in these programs can select an area of focus during their junior and senior years; each Academy program features rigorous instruction tailored to the chosen field – offering skills necessary for future success in that industry.

Academy programs are open to students from all four sending districts. New freshmen who wish to apply must complete an application during the 8th-grade year and undergo a competitive selection process; once selected, they must meet all requirements to remain enrolled.

Under the School Choice process, out-of-district students can access limited seats available through School Choice. Students in their eighth-grade year who meet or surpass the minimum requirements for their academy of choice will be considered. Students must also participate in a group interview where general questions regarding goals and motivations for attending that academy will be posed to them.

This Academy is a four-year honors program that offers an engaging curriculum, internship opportunities, and college credits at the community college level. Students will explore career pathways such as carpentry, telecommunications technician, electrical trades, metal fabrication machining engineering, and more. They may take additional specialized series courses or complete a research-based analysis/AP Capstone course for extra academic credit at the end of their four years.

Students enrolled in this academy have the unique opportunity to simultaneously earn a state-recognized high school diploma and up to 30 college credits simultaneously! It is an exceptional alternative to traditional graduation. This academy partners with the County College of Morris, the International Brotherhood of Electric Workers, and Johnson Technical Institute.

Awards and Honors

MCST students were honored for their academic and community service achievements during an Awards Recognition Ceremony on June 13. Additionally, this year’s event acknowledged business partners like Marsha Armstrong of NewarkWorks/Newark One-Stop Career Center and Michael Woodward from Mountainside Mechanical in Williamstown, who provide culinary students with work experience.

The 200 Club of Morris County awards scholarships to high school seniors who are children, siblings, or parents of first responders, such as police officers, firefighters, or EMS workers. Over 15 students received five-thousand-dollar college scholarships this year from this philanthropy that will assist them in paying for higher education at colleges and universities nationwide.

Academy for Visual and Performing Arts Dance Academy students won several state honors this year, including the Governor’s Award for Artistic Excellence. Serena Brown of Mount Olive from their Dance Academy was selected as a New Jersey State Honoree for her creative essay writing skills during performance and choreographic creativity.

According to recent state performance reports, MCTS students also were among the state’s top performers for academic achievement in mathematics and reading, as evidenced by state test scores for overall test scores; specifically, the Math Academy was within the top 5% while Reading/Language Arts Academy pupils achieved 10% or above on overall tests scores.

One MCTS Academy for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering senior won a national Siemens STEM Scholarship of $12,000 to finance his university engineering studies.

District operates fifteen academy programs at both MCST in Denville and several of its local high schools to allow students to explore potential career paths while still in high school, take college classes, participate in an internship experience, and earn dual college credit.

County College of Morris (CCM) Honors Study is an academic program created to meet the academic demands of high-achieving students, offering a rigorous curriculum, personalized instruction, and a closer connection with professors and advisors. CCM Honors students have been accepted into prestigious universities such as Columbia, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Princeton, and Rutgers.

Career Pathways Night

It offers high school students, their parents, teachers, trade schools, and the industry a unique chance to connect and explore career options together – much like a job fair! Participants of all ages are invited to learn more about Morris County School of Technology’s academy programs and opportunities across various industries and careers.

Five academies at each district’s five locations provide college-prep academic and career technical education – including ServSafe certifications – for high school students. Its program allows high schoolers to develop specific pathways within a pathway while still taking a full range of college-prep academic subjects. Furthermore, students may further specialize in their career field via advanced electives or work experience and continue their education by enrolling at their local county college or four-year university.

National and state publications and organizations have recognized District Academy programs, earning several national accolades like US News & World Report’s Best High Schools designation and three receiving National Blue Ribbon Schools status.

District 784 also offers career pathways through a partnership with the County College of Morris. Career Pathways Night, first held in 2016, gives students, parents, educators, and businesses the chance to learn about programs available that may help fulfill future career plans.

County College is expanding its offerings beyond academies by increasing business entrepreneurship and culinary science programs, which will be funded through the Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act. A business entrepreneurship center will open near CCM’s Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Center by November of 2020; later that same year, an Entrepreneurship and Culinary Science Center will join it to form an integrated career and technical education program at the CCM campus.