Prepare Your Student for a Rewarding Career
Homeschooling families have the flexibility to help their students graduate from high school with solid career skills. Students can begin with career exploration, learn specific technology and business skills, and top off their knowledge with general interpersonal skills. Including those courses in the high school plan sets students up for success whether they go directly into employment, further education, or entrepreneurship.
For the 2025-2026 school year, Mid-Metro Academy offers the following classes to help students prepare for rewarding careers.
(Teacher and recommended age range follow course title.)
Career Exploration (Chris Paschen, 8-12)
Students will learn more about themselves while learning what types of careers might be a good match for them. Students will match careers with their interests, temperaments, and experience and learn what qualifications are necessary for each. The class also explores the role of Artificial Intelligence in various careers and how to find human-centric jobs that are least likely to be automated.
SciGirls (Leslie Kleppe, 5-8)
This interactive class helps girls become more comfortable with STEM careers. In addition to conducting hands-on projects and experiments, students learn about careers in the sciences.
Programming 101 (Chris Paschen, 7-12)
Despite the impact of AI, the demand for programmers will continue to outpace the growth in most occupations. Employers will be looking for team members who have tech skills and soft skills who can work effectively and ethically with AI. This course teaches basic programming and helps young people decide if they like working with information technology.
Bookkeeping (Chris Paschen, 8-adult)
Students learn how to manage financial records for a business. Bookkeeping is a marketable skill that they can use to get an entry-level job (directly after this class) or build on as a knowledge base for business or financial careers. This class is also open to adults.
Introduction to Business (Chris Paschen, 7-12)
This class helps students understand what businesses are and how they work by teaching them about the primary functions of business – financial, marketing / advertising, operational, and leadership. Taking this course will help point students toward the areas of business they are most likely to enjoy.
Entrepreneurship 101 (Chris Paschen, 7-12)
Students will learn the various steps needed to start and run their own small business, even while still in high school. The work done in class will prepare students to launch their own business if they choose to in our follow-up Entrepreneurship 201 class, where they will put into action everything they learn in this course. Owning a business can be rewarding both financially and emotionally, but it's not for everyone. This class will help students decide whether they're cut out to be an entrepreneur.
Video Production 1 and 2 (Andrew Thoreen, 7-12)
In these small, hands-on video production classes, students will learn how to create and edit short-form video content. Students will learn the basics of video production and editing with a focus on storytelling and technical skills. The second level covers more advanced techniques such as color grading and visual effects, offering a deeper dive into the world of video production and giving students experience and know-how they can use in real jobs.
Photography 1.0 and 2.0 (Josh Cisewski, 7-12)
These two courses teach students the fundamentals of photography--knowledge which will enhance their personal and professional lives. We live in a visual age, and understanding how to communicate through photographs provides an advantage in many fields, even if students don't pursue photography itself as a field.
Public Speaking (Lund, 7-12)
Cap off the hard skills above with the soft skill of interpersonal communication. This course helps students become poised and confident in a variety of situations. The public speaking skills they gain will contribute to their success in any field.
Find complete course descriptions and register HERE.