Career Technical Education is a catalyst for discovery, growth, and achievement. Access to future-ready facilities and invaluable industry connections prepare students to apply core curriculum through new lenses and embrace hands-on learning.
Most importantly, CTE programs create pathways for students to explore future educational and career development opportunities. As one of the largest comprehensive high schools in Oregon, David Douglas High School (DDHS) is home to 11 different CTE programs—each with a rich history of student empowerment and exceptional outcomes.
Following the passage of the District’s 2022 bond, this foundational commitment to transformative, career-ready education became the driving force at the heart of the new Career & Technical Education Center.
Designed to underscore David Douglas High School’s motto, “A place where connections are made,” the new CTE Center is the culmination of meaningful partnerships between District leaders, design team members, industry partners, students, educators, and community stakeholders. Robust outreach, inclusive engagement strategies, and recurring collaborations with the project’s Design Equity Committee inspired a set of unique North Stars and Design Implications; these value-driven project objectives served as a framework for true design accountability. As a result, the CTE Center is a genuine reflection of the identities and aspirations of DDHS’s diverse community.
The new 44,500 SF state-of-the-art building features dedicated spaces for programs like automotive, business, computer information systems, engineering, health sciences, and manufacturing. From central, light-filled gathering places to innovative technical spaces, the CTE Center mirrors real-world industry environments through flexible labs, specialized equipment areas, and collaborative learning zones. With an emphasis on transparency and thoughtful adjacencies, the new CTE Center puts learning on display and makes career and technical education more accessible, equitable, and welcoming for all DDHS students.
