Do you ever see a bunch of kids leaving school during 5A lunch? You might be thinking, “They are going to get into trouble for skipping.” Those kids are actually going to a career academy for the second half of their school day. Juniors and Seniors at EPG have the opportunity to attend Bloomington Career Academy (Formerly Bloomington Area Career Center). The academy offers many programs, such as CNA, Cosmetology, Culinary Arts, Welding, Graphic Design, Criminal Justice, Fire Science, EMT, Robotics, Cybersecurity, Foundations of Teaching, Automotive, Trucking, Computer Technology, Construction, Esthetics, Health Careers & Medical Terminology, and Heavy Equipment Repair & Operation. Many of these programs have secondary levels to the class, so if you take the first one as a junior, you can take the second year course in your senior year.
A false misconception is that many people stereotype the program as only for blue-collar kids, when in reality, there is much more than blue-collar careers. Last year, 63% of graduating seniors graduated and went into a two or four-year college. The academy used to be hosted in a part of Bloomington High School. Since then, they have expanded to an old State Farm building on Oakland Avenue.
I spoke to Mr. Hansen, the director and principal of the academy. He was formally the 7th grade social studies and history teacher here at EPG, as well as the track coach from 2009 to 2020. Mr. Hansen expressed pride regarding how the program has grown. He explained that the name changed to Bloomington Career Academy, “to convey the leveled-up opportunities that we give to kids,” as well as the fact that “There is also an opportunity with the new space to do a bunch of rebranding.” The new space is a massive upgrade from the one hallway the program used to have in BHS. When asked about his favorite thing about BCA, Hansen responded, “It’s hard to pick from because there is a lot. I think my favorite thing is that everybody who’s here wants to be here… It’s not like when I taught history at EPG and kids would come into the classroom and be like, ‘Oh, Mr. Hansen, I hate history.‘” Hansen stated, “There are a lot of new things and a bunch of support for our program, which is great.”
Succeeding at BCA has many important factors that play into it. “Students must have good attendance. It’s really difficult to be successful in our program if you’re not here since many of our classes have lab-based in-person instruction,” said Hansen. Any kid from any walk of life and any background can succeed here. You just have to be excited about the opportunities, and consider thinking to what you want to do in the future.
Students should consider going here for many reasons. I spoke to an anonymous current BCA student about their favorite thing about the program: “I really like how going to it [BCA] introduces me to a more diverse population of people, not just the same people I’ve known all my life. It creates a lot more new friendships.” Why else should students consider BCA? Mr. Hansen responded, “I always talk about the four goals we have for kids: we help you explore a career, we help you determine your best post-secondary path, we give you marketable skills, and we put something in your pocket [certifications and dual credit].” Most students love going to BCA, and you should try it. Applications for the 26-27 school year open in November. See Mrs. Hiles if you’re interested!
