BALLSTON SPA — Ballston Spa Central School District, along with its higher education and business partners, currently operates the Clean Technologies & Sustainable Industries Early College High School (ECHS), a program that prepares students for college and careers in the fields of energy efficiency, renewable energy and advanced technology including semi-conductor manufacturing.
The mission of the program is to develop and support pathways to higher education that lead to careers in STEM fields through rigorous academic programming and a collaborative approach to learning. Starting over a decade ago in 2011, the Clean Technologies & Sustainable Industries ECHS is a NYS P-TECH program that provides students a distinct opportunity to earn an associate’s degree while preparing them to seamlessly transition into key industry sectors within our economic region.
This week, juniors at ECHS begun their “water quality testing week,” a week devoted to good scientific practices and how to identify possible contaminants in water supplies. Using technology not readily available in most regular high school labs, the local ECHS students are continuing the advanced curriculum offered in hopes of driving students to a career path of STEM related career paths. Importantly, the Clean Technologies & Sustainable Industries ECHS boasts a 100% college acceptance rate, with 256 participating students in 21 different districts.
