Engineering Pathway

Do you like to tinker, tear things apart, and find out what makes them tick? Do you excel in math, science, and technology?

Inspire Is Transforming the High School Experience.

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About Engineering Pathway

Does a well-paid career in a high demand area interest you? Inspire invites you to invest in your future and accept the challenge presented by our four-year engineering program using the internationally acclaimed Project Lead the Way™ curriculum. Learn design principles and 3D solid modeling software, solve problems in applied sciences, build and program robots, and actually use your math skills in hands-on, technologically rich classes and projects. Whether you are interested in a career in STEM or just want to be engaged and challenged in school, join us in Engineering at Inspire.

Advisor

Hannah Metzger
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Pathway Profile

  • Engineering Essentials
  • Principles of Engineering
  • STEM Capstone

A Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathway is a series of classes within a subject area designed to provide high school students with the skills and knowledge to be successful in college and careers in their chosen field. 

Students who take CTE courses learn hands-on skills, explore careers, and gain experiences that will help pave the way for life beyond high school. Studies have shown that CTE participation is linked to better high school graduation rates, increased likelihood of enrollment in college, and higher pay. 

Students can take introductory CTE courses at Inspire to explore their interests and discover what they might like to pursue in life. Or, if they already have a passion for their subject area, students can take advanced courses in their pathway, learn from teachers and mentors who inspire them, and do what they love to do in classes with peers who share their interests.

To be a CTE Completer, students must take each of the two or three courses offered within a CTE Pathway in sequence (this does not include the Capstone course). Inspire students will earn a pin for every pathway completed to wear at graduation. 

Why should students complete a CTE Pathway? Inspire graduates share that their CTE classes gave them real-world opportunities that helped them succeed in college and careers beyond

high school. CTE programs help students gain industry connections and envision their futures in their chosen field. Even students who have not gone on to pursue their CTE pathways say that the skills they learned helped them become creative, connected, critical thinkers in other areas.

Engineering Technology

  • Engineering Essentials
  • Principles of Engineering
  • STEM Capstone

To be an Inspire Capstone Student, students must take each of the two or three courses offered within a CTE Pathway in sequence, plus the Inspire Capstone course. Inspire Capstone Students will earn a cord to wear at graduation acknowledging their efforts and excellence. 

Why should students choose to pursue an Inspire Capstone? Capstone courses encourage students to be self-directed learners, researching and developing projects that demonstrate their advanced knowledge and skills in their discipline. Capstone Students have the opportunity to lead and teach others within their program, and learn how to give back to their communities. Students often work independently, under the direction of excellent teachers who know and trust what they can do (and understand what support they might need).

What Our Students Have To Say...

Alisa Tousey

Class of 2015
Inspire was my happy place. Most people dread their high school years but for me, it was a time when I felt safe to dream big and push myself past my comfort zone. The teachers believe in the students and the students believe in the school. The passion is unmatched and produces talented artists, scientists, writers, and above all kind and compassionate individuals.
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Allegra Taylor

2015
I started freshman year at a different high school in Chico and switched to Inspire partway through the year. The smaller school size and the students and teachers I met there helped me deal with a lot of the anxiety I was facing entering high school and I immediately felt so much more at home at Inspire than my previous school. Because of the biology and history classes I took at Inspire, and the amazing teachers I had for those classes, I decided to study biology and history in college and now work in a related field that I'm very passionate about. I worked on the yearbook at Inspire as well, and the camera I used for yearbook photos was the first real camera I had access to and helped me discover my love for photography.

Today, I live in Chicago, Illinois and work at Northwestern University, supervising the care and health of the laboratory animals for the university's medical research. I love working with animals everyday and contributing to research that saves lives. In my free time, I take photos of nature and sometimes other things!
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Amanda Pasilis

Class of 2014
As a timid and shy middle schooler, you would be shocked to think I would make a bold move in high school. At Inspire they encouraged us to think outside the box and step outside our comfort zone. I took all sorts of classes; guitar, creative writing, fiber arts, songwriting, art, dance, geography, and more. I thrived in my science classes and found new passions. A new love of dance. I went to dance in a company for 6 years after that single Inspire dance class. I expressed myself freely and with guidance and support in my art classes. I made creations I never thought possible. I made new friends and strengthened older bonds. I was moved by the advice and voice of my advisor Mr. Pope. However, the biggest challenge came with my language class. A class centered on full Spanish immersion and conversation combined with presentations. Never did I fear the teacher calling on me more than I did in Spanish 1 my freshman year. My final presentation was quiet and lukewarm. I lacked confidence even though I excelled in that class. Tests and written work was no problem. Senor Isern wasn't pushy but yet gentle. Slowly forcing me to speak more in front of the class. Inspiring me with his teaching methods and stories. He cared about his students. That's how it is at Inspire. Eventually come my junior year I had found a new sense of self. My final presentation that year was confident and loud. It was passionate and well thought out. My fear of speaking in Spanish had diminished. Sr. Isern was proud too. His class gave me more self esteem going forth into college and life. Thank you Inspire. You nurture stronger human beings. 
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Andrea Azevedo

Class of 2012
Danielle Alexich was the English and Creative Writing teacher when I attended Inspire. Looking back, she had the biggest impact on my life. Not only was she an amazing person but a great teacher. I never liked reading OR writing until taking classes with her. She made things interesting in a way no other English teacher had. I went on to college loving reading and especially writing, which led me to a major in Communication studies.  It’s hard to pick one favorite part of Inspire, but I would say the connections teachers created. You really could tell they wanted students to succeed. They would go out of their way to help a student and that is something you don’t often see at other schools. Inspire definitely prepared me for life after high school. I came out of high school a well rounded person who could juggle getting good grades, being in musicals, and having fun whilst creating connections. Students at Inspire have a lot on their plates and learning how to do that in high school sets you up for an easier transition into college and a career.
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Anna Lenaker

Class of 2015
It has been over five years since I graduated from Inspire. Since graduating, I obtained both my bachelor’s in religious studies and my master’s in public affairs from Brown University. I’ve traveled to ten different countries on three different continents. I spent a year of undergrad studying abroad at Oxford where I spent countless hours studying monastic-like in library enclaves and exploring the alleyways that inspired C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkein, and Lewis Carroll. I’ve practiced Zen Buddhism in monasteries throughout Japan, marveled at giraffes and elephants as they stroll across the plains of Kenya, and worked in a skyscraper in Manhattan. I am unbelievably blessed to have had all of these opportunities. Especially to have had them as a first-generation and low-income student. I credit Inspire for building in me the confidence that I can do the improbable, for teaching me that failure is only possible when one refuses to try again, and for showing me that a caring community is an important part of learning and growth. In these exciting years of change and of travel, I have found myself missing Inspire. More particularly, the sense of community I felt while a student there. Inspire is undeniably special. I learned many things, both from my peers and my teachers, that I carry with me each day. While a student, I often found myself humbled by the sheer diversity of talent that surrounded me. I was also humbled by the fact that I owed much of my success and my inspiration to the community of friends––both peers and teachers––who supported, helped, and encouraged me as I struggled through APUSH, memorized derivatives for Calculus, sought to qualify as a mediocre ceramics student, and applied to colleges. Inspire, to me, is special because it constitutes a community whose ethos is one of mutual support, collaboration, and concern. Inspire is a place that encourages and embraces a diversity of expression: artistic, scientific, funky, fun, poetic, musical…the list could go on. My experiences at Inspire have dictated how I have sought to build a sense of community while away from home and will dictate how I hope to build community in the future. Going to Inspire never felt like a chore nor a requirement, but, rather, a privilege and a joy. Anna Lenaker has written a book titled "Able To Be Otherwise" [button link="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/able-to-be-otherwise-by-anna-lenaker#/" color="purple" newwindow="yes"] PURCHASE ANNA'S BOOK[/button]
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Ben Anderson

Class of 2016
A teacher who made a tremendously positive impact on my life was Mr. Hopkins. He taught English and was my advisor as well. I still talk about literature and plays with him whenever I visit.  My favorite part of Inspire were the performance opportunities. I took advantage of all the opportunities I got to be on stage and it worked out well for me.  Inspire definitely prepared me for my particular career path. I was ready for the expectations of a conservatory style training after high school, and every job I get builds on the last one all the way back to “White Christmas” at Inspire in 2013.
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Beyoncee Saetern

Class of 2019
Inspire is home to some of the most dedicated, funny, and loving teachers I have ever come across. It jump-started my passion to create and solve problems, while showing me that I can enjoy things outside of engineering, like the arts. Inspire was a pivotal point in my life, and it has led me to where I am today. As a first-gen student, I've continued my studies at UC Davis, and am now pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering.
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Courtney German

Class of 2016
If I had to describe my time at Inspire in three words, those three words would be; knowledgeable, interesting, and satisfying. What really makes Inspire a unique school is the fact that they really care about the students and give them every opportunity to express themselves in amazing ways. Whether it’s through dance, music, art, or science, students can explore new talents and really grow into the amazing individuals they’re destined to be.  Since 2016 when I graduated I’ve been continuing my education at Butte College. I had no idea what I wanted to work towards at first but I finally decided to pursue a job in the medical field as an X-ray tech. I’m actually moving to Klamath Falls, Oregon in like 2 weeks to go to the Oregon Institute of Technology. I’m going to miss Chico, but I’ll be back as much as possible to visit.  Inspire was truly a blessing for me because at my other high school I felt so alone and misunderstood. Our music classes were a joke and there wasn’t much else there for art. I didn’t even know Inspire existed until my grandmother took me to a musical they performed at PV High. I couldn’t believe what skill they had and that apparently they came from a school with students just like me, kids who appreciated the fine arts and longed to bring joy to other through their talents. I knew I had to go there to survive high school, and Inspire helped my thrive. I will always be grateful to the amazing teachers and kind classmates I had and I can’t wait for our first reunion.
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