TMCC and the Academy for Career Education (ACE) High School have maintained a longtime partnership in providing ACE students with access to programs at TMCC’s William N. Pennington Applied Technology Center during their 10th–12th grade school years. This progressive partnership allows high school students the opportunity to take college courses at TMCC while in high school. Many students graduate from ACE with both a high school diploma along with college credits, a certificate or Associates degree.
One long-term barrier to attending ACE for some potential students has been a lack of transportation to school. Unlike traditional schools, transportation is not provided to charter schools. With this new collaboration, ACE students will have a new, free transportation option starting this fall thanks to Tesla, the William N. Pennington Foundation and My Ride to Work. Four shuttles will make approximately 20 stops throughout Reno and Sparks to transport students to school.
Gretchen Sawyer, Executive Director of the TMCC Foundation said, “TMCC greatly appreciates the opportunity to collaborate with Tesla, My Ride to Work, and ACE High School to provide students with greater access to career education and workforce training at TMCC’s William N. Pennington Applied Technology Center. It is great to see these high school students obtaining industry recognized career credentials so they can be prepared to enter the workforce upon graduation from high school.”
ACE High School students may earn TMCC certificates in Advanced Machining and Manufacturing, Production Technology, Diesel Equipment Technology, HVAC/R (heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration), Welding, and Drafting and Design. In fact, the 2019 graduating class of ACE High School earned a total of 560 TMCC credits with 15 students earning Certificates of Achievement, two earning Skills Certificates in welding and other students earning college credits in middle college courses including, drafting, print reading and more.