VUSD AT THE DEVVIES
Vista Unified School District is celebrating its recent success in ‘The Devvies’ awards. The Devvies are curated by the San Diego North Economic Development Council (SDNEDC) and recognize outstanding contributions to North County’s economic development. More than 300 local community and business leaders congregated at the Seabird Resort in Oceanside on December 19, 2024, for the awards lunch.
The awards highlighted several of VUSD’s trailblazing programs, as well as its partnerships with North County organizations and businesses that provide valuable career pathway opportunities for students. The awards also served to spotlight the district’s role as a vital partner in economic and workforce development for North County. VUSD participated in the following awards:
The Velocity Intern Program
VUSD’s collaboration with the Vista Chamber of Commerce gained particular recognition. The program, now in its third year, provides high school students with paid summer internships in a diverse range of industries including marketing, manufacturing, accounting, real estate, welding, event management, the fire department, and public service.
In a recent episode of the Vista: Unified Podcast, VUSD Superintendent, Dr. Matthew Doyle, and Vista Chamber of Commerce President Rachel Beld, explained how the program came about. The two leaders realized an opportunity to meet local workforce needs while providing hands-on, real-world work to VUSD students who are seeking those experiences, with the possibility that they may be able to continue after graduation.
After finding out which industries students were interested in exploring, the Chamber sought out paid internship opportunities with local businesses. “It was a hit. It really took off,” says Beld. VUSD became an official partner, and the summer of 2024 saw 74 VUSD students secure paid internships at 30 different local businesses.
The program emphasizes practical skills and teamwork, and provides high schoolers with valuable industry connections to help them gain employment upon graduation. An average of 25% of participants have been offered long-term opportunities because of the internships.
Dr. Doyle said on the podcast: “One of our biggest areas of focus is to make sure that as we expand internship opportunities for students, we focus on the local community because many of our students are going to stick around here, whether they go to college or they go directly from high school into a job.”
SWIFT Health Dual-Enrollment with California State University at San Marcos
Another program highlighted by The Devvies was Vista Unified’s SWIFT Health (Scholars in Wellness and Innovation Fast-Track Health) course. SWIFT Health allows students at Rancho Buena Vista High School to be officially enrolled at CSUSM and take classes at RBV. The innovative program is designed to meet the area’s need for healthcare workers.
SWIFT Health enables students to take college courses, earning credits toward two new undergraduate degrees at CSUSM, providing an early start toward a bachelor’s degree. The pathway is designed for students to obtain a degree in as little as three years. One is in public health and the other is in human development with a concentration in counseling.
Both degrees focus on the mental and behavioral health industry, which is heavily understaffed in San Diego, so the dual enrollment program provides a vital educational pipeline to a workforce in urgent need of help. It also helps set up graduates to become certified for advanced work and higher salaries after graduation.
The program has seen 22 students from Rancho Buena Vista High School welcomed to CSUSM as enrolled students in the College of Education, Health and Human Services at the university.
Cal State San Marcos Summer Workshops
VUSD was also recognized at The Devvies as a participating district in the comprehensive summer program offered to local high schools by Cal State San Marcos’s College of Business Administration in 2024. The program consisted of a series of free 5-day workshops covering Financial Literacy, Supply Chain, Entrepreneurship, and AI & Cybersecurity Literacy, with all participants earning a certificate of completion.
All of these programs and initiatives illustrate VUSD’s commitment to its students’ educational opportunities and their future beyond graduation. As the district continues to grow its partnerships and participation with organizations and businesses across North County, that framework is expanding, including a popular Pre-Apprenticeship program in partnership with the San Diego Workforce Partnership and the San Diego Building and Trades Council.
As Dr. Doyle concludes: “Ultimately, our goal is for students to graduate high school knowing where they want to go and having the support they need to be successful in their careers in the future.”