APPLE VALLEY Pat Schlosser is an alumnus of Apple Valley High School and taught there before becoming principal five years ago. He proudly showed off the programs that are better preparing students for college and careers, now with the active support of business leaders through Apple Valley Unified School District's new Steam 20-20 Program.

Schlosser described the schools comprehensive nature of both college-preparatory programs and the huge variety of career-technical programs. He emphasized that the career programs are classes from which all students can benefit.

We have a former student at Stanford in medical school who is in biodesign, Schlosser said. For the first couple of years, they would use grinders and drill presses, and he didnt know what he was doing. He told us he wished he had taken shop.

All the feedback, according to the principal, from colleges, businesses and alumni indicates that its critical to give students hands-on experience to augment book learning. The school is teaching students the core curriculum standards in a theoretical and academic way, but also in a practical and applied way. And many of them have internships at businesses.

We have a medical and health sciences academy, Schlosser said. We wrote another grant and started a computer and media pathway. We have welding, auto shop and wood shop. We are opening precision machining next. And this is a shop with some visionary decisions by school leadership.

The principal spoke about some of the aerospace and other manufacturers in the High Desert that arent able to hire many local machinists.

They are hiring folks who are driving long distances up the hill to take very good paying jobs because we are not producing any qualified machinists, Schlosser said.

The principal showed off the two new, state-of-the art computer-operated Haas lathe machines the school purchased.

Its exactly the machines youd see if you went to Scott Turbine Mixer, Schlosser said. We had a $95,000 grant from the county board of supervisors because this is absolutely what the industry needs so they are not hiring machinists from another county.

Schlosser said the great benefit of Steam 20-20 is the community connections with the businesses, which are central to each of the academies. Theyre forming partnerships with Victor Valley College as well.

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AV students let off some steam