The Center for Advanced Professional Studies is a partnership with Cedar Valley businesses to put students in a skilled career environment. They will study at a host business for about 2 1/2 hours with high school teachers and business mentors, as well as earn high school and Hawkeye Community College credit. This is an opportunity to provide career readiness skills by focusing on real-world experiences outside of the classroom. We have been looking at engineering, computer science and information technology “strands” for the courses — emphasizing career fields for which students would earn at least two- or four-year college degrees. Ethan Wiechmann will be the district’s instructor for both the engineering and computer science strands during second semester. He is a math teacher at the high school. The juniors and seniors will take on the title “associate,” exchanging homework and tests for assigned projects in which they’ll solve problems and meet deadlines. As instructor, Wiechmann, will work with students on what it means to be a professional, problem solving, interacting with clients, doing quality work, meeting deadlines and communicating effectively. Direct instruction will be limited; instead students will be guided with mentors to complete a project. Nate Clayberg, business liaison for CAPS, is working to find business support and connect education and business. The CAPS concept was created by the Blue Valley School District in Overland Park, Kan., in 2008 and now enrolls hundreds of students. Related programs have spread to more than 20 other locations in nine states. For more information, contact Ethan Wiechmann at ethan.wiechmann@cfschools.org