Next year, Cal High will be the home of a new engineering program for incoming sophomore students.

The Engineering and Design Academy will provide up to 35 students with the opportunity to take part in a curriculum centered around engineering and robotics, said assistant principal Hilary Dito.

“It will be like a school within a school,” said robotics teacher John Korzick, who will teach the Academy’s Pre-Engineering and Design class.

Students will take a number of academy classes over the course of three years, beginning as sophomores.

Academy courses available next year include Academy English 10, Academy World History 2/3 and Academy Pre-Engineering and Design.

In addition to Korzick, history teacher John Chilcott and English teacher Evonne Rader will be involved with the program.

Academy courses must meet California Content Standards, but they will differ from regular sophomore English and history classes by putting an emphasis on technology. The Engineering and  Design Academy is classified as a California Partnership Academy and is being funded in part by the district, career grants and the Contra Costa Regional Occupation Program, said Dito. 

Other Bay Area schools offer similar academies focusing on vocational education, according to the Contra Costa Times. But Cal’s is the only one in the San Ramon Valley School District dedicated to engineering, Korzick said.

Other academies in the area include Mt. Diablo High School’s Digital Safari Multimedia Academy, College Prep in East Oakland’s Architecture Academy, and Pinole Valley High School’s Environmental Academy.

Unlike Cal’s program, all of these schools’ programs have been established for years. 

Cal’s futures Engineering and Design Academy is intended to provide a way for students to prepare themselves for a career path in a world that relies increasingly on technology and innovation.

“I don’t anticipate that all of (the participating students) will become engineers, but (the Academy) will help set them up for a 21st century career,” said Korzick.

The program will expose students to real world experiences, through guest speakers, field trips and robotic competitions. Local partners, such as Chevron, DVC and Hitachi, will serve as mentors and provide internships for participants.

Students who expressed interest in the program when choosing classes last month took part in an extensive application process. 

The final roster for the Academy was decided the week of May 10 by the Academy teachers.