Teachers Matt Spampinato and Matt Nicolo represented TJ when accepting awards celebrating TJ’s excellence within the Computer Magnet and Marketing programs.
The Colorado Association for Career and Technical Education (CACTE) held a luncheon at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities last month, inviting teachers and administrators from a list of schools across Colorado that embody the effort to prepare students for career and life success. Programs similar to the ones at TJ, at both the high school and college levels, were featured and given awards to recognize their excellence.
Computer Magnet joined the Career and Technology Education Department last year, proving that the Magnet is preparing students for dynamic careers in the high tech venue. DECA has been a CTE program for at least fifteen years. “My predecessor as the marketing teacher here at TJ was Tim McNerney. For his ten years involved with the program and also my five years, we have been a part of CTE,” said DECA Advisor and Marketing/Business Law Teacher Matt Nicolo.
Both the Marketing and Computer Magnet Programs were highly qualified to win the awards. The Magnet is unique among DPS schools and throughout the state. It provides students with an array of classes to choose from, such as Radio and TV Broadcasting, Newspaper, 3D Animation, Web Design, and more. “The Computer Magnet offers students a wide variety of media tech education that they cannot get in any other high school in Denver,” said Computer Magnet Director and Teacher Matt Spampinato.
The Marketing program was recognized for its excellence in an articulate curriculum involving real-life marketing techniques, the growth in DECA members from 63 to 119 students, their involvement in the community, and more. “The students are really the ones that make this program what it is. Without the effort and quality of work they produce in class and in DECA, we would not be where we are now,” Nicolo said.
ACTE is the largest national education association in America. Founded in 1926, it dedicates itself to an advanced curriculum specified to help students prepare for successful careers. In Colorado, CTE is delivered through 1,226 secondary programs in 166 school districts. These programs are offered at 265 high schools, eight technical centers and four area vocational school/technical colleges. These programs are endowed with both federal and state grants providing the students with a relevant learning environment that meets industry standards.
The ACTE presenting these awards to TJ Programs is an honor in itself due to the intense competition between schools. “We are obviously very proud to receive these awards. I think it is a testament to what awesome students, facilities, and teachers we have in the Magnet and the Marketing Department. Every teacher in this school is dedicated to delivering the best instruction that can be given, and I think our students are the real winners here,” said Spampinato.
