SPOKANE, Wash. — NEWTech Prep started taking applications yesterday for next school year and has already received more than 1,000 applications from students looking for a more career-focused high school experience for their junior and senior years.
The school offers 18 different hands-on learning programs. Students mainly come from 11 different districts around the Spokane area and spend half their day at NEWTech in a program that focuses on a skilled trade, professional services, or a healthcare career.
Several students were being tested for the nursing assisting program, which is taught by a local nurse. Students in the nursing program get the chance to practice their skills in class and also get a chance to work in care homes and hospitals.
“I definitely believe that any student that’s interested in nursing, this is a good opportunity to take because it gives you all of your certificates and makes you feel like you accomplished something,” said Chasity Waialeale, a first-year NEWTech student.
The school offers other programs including welding, construction and auto repair. There are nearly 1,000 students at NEWTech getting experience with the various programs.
“The opportunity here is ‘do I want to do nursing?’ and some will say nope, it’s not for me, which is a good thing because then they don’t start into college and think, ‘what the heck am I doing? I don’t want to do this,'” said Michele Perisho, nursing instructor at NEWTech.
The school also offers programs like culinary arts where students work in a professional-grade kitchen. There’s also a digital media program that focuses on film-making and marketing. Students get access to a digital wall and new technology that’s used on many Hollywood productions.
NEWTech says applications for next year will stay open through the spring.
COPYRIGHT 2025 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
