Kennedy George
There is a unique program offered here at Homer High School, called New Visions. New Visions is a program for seniors only that can either be an experience in the healthcare field or the environmental science field.
If a student chooses to participate in the program dealing with health care, he or she will spend three to four hours every school day at Cortland Memorial Hospital. The program requires participants to complete essays, technical writing, textbook questions, oral presentations, group projects, quizzes, tests, packets, and daily journal entries. Students who participate in this program receive four high school credits, which may include anatomy and physiology, English 12, government and economics, and health career classes. There are many fields students can explore through this program, including physical and occupational therapy, emergency medicine, cardiology, radiology, nuclear medicine, ultrasound, CT scans, MRI, recreational therapy, nursing, nutrition, pharmacy, and biomedical engineering.
If a student chooses to participate in the Environmental Science program, he or she will spend three hours every school day at the Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science. The program consists of six required modules. These are forestry, fish and wildlife, environmental issues, soil and water, land use, and outdoor recreation. This course involves canoeing, backpacking, overnight camping, fishing, cross-country skiing, college visits, and snowshoeing. This program offers up to four credits, which are English, science, government, and economics. In every module, a student is required to have knowledge and skills pertaining to the activity, a daily journal, book reports, essays, interviews, a research project, and poems. All of these assignments are compiled into a portfolio.
There are seven slots for New Vision every year that are divided between the two programs. Students must fill out an application for New Visions. Acceptance is also based on grades, attendance, and teacher recommendation. The programs are only offered to seniors, but students must apply as juniors. This is a very rigorous and competitive program that can be a great step for students interested in careers in health care or environmental science.
