College offers media courses via VACTE

Thanks to two of the Verde Valley’s educational heavy hitters, area high school students will soon get an education in movie-making.
On Monday, July 11, Valley Academy for Career and Technology Education officially partnered with Yavapai College to allow students to take film and media arts program courses at Yavapai College at no cost. The event, hosted by Yavapai College Verde Valley Campus, included an informational address and a question and answer session.
“It went quite well, with about 13 interested people attending,” Yavapai College film and media arts director Helen Stephenson said following the event. “We need a minimum of eight students to launch the program. I think this will be extremely popular as the word gets out … It’s a fantastic opportunity for students, and a huge financial bonus for parents.”
According to Stephenson, even if students do not plan on majoring in film in college, the program is an opportunity to take electives toward degrees at no charge. In addition, students will gain a “fantastic and useful” skill set.
“The advance of the digital world in the last decade has brought with it a proliferation of content providers,” Stephenson added. “The growing need for digital content — on websites, in marketing and for online film distributors like Netflix and Amazon — has created a demand for media-savvy graduates.”
The opportunity will be open to public Verde Valley high school students, Verde Valley charter high school students and Verde Valley home-schooled high school students. Camp Verde High School has arranged to bus its students to Yavapai College Verde Valley Campus for afternoon classes.
Yavapai college is providing all instructors, facilities and filmmaking equipment. Tuition will be paid by VACTE.
“The people attending felt the film and television program was exciting and a great opportunity for their children and the Verde Valley,” VACTE Superintendent Bob Weir said. “We’re working on getting the information out to other prospective students. VACTE is excited to work with Yavapai College to increase opportunities for the youth in the Verde Valley.
“This is an opportunity for the youth of the Verde Valley to work together, learn from talented Yavapai College staff and receive a certification from the program, paid for by VACTE. It’s the first of several other joint classes and programs to be offered by VACTE and Yavapai College.”
According to Weir, students who start the program in their junior year have the chance to graduate high school with their film and media arts production certificates, become Avid- editing-program certified and be well on their way to obtaining animation certificates in the program.

Classes taken by high school students on a college campus are known as concurrent enrollment classes, Stephenson added. When concurrent enrollment is practiced, the funding amount that VACTE receives is tripled, and is then available for students in the community.

For more information about VACTE, visit vacte.com. To learn more about the film and media arts program at Yavapai College, visit yc.edu/fma.

Zachary Jernigan