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Students can also graduate from the Academy with a high school diploma
and Cisco certification.
 Many
Tulsa businesses partner with the Academy, which is part of the
Technology 20/20 Program, providing supplies and equipment, internship
and mentoring services. The Technology 20/20 program introduces
students to careers such as telecommunications, multimedia design,
video editing and e-commerce.
Those partners include MCIWorldCom, Southwestern Bell, Sabre,
Williams, American Airlines, Cox Communications, York Electronics,
Sunco, Tulsa Technology Center, Tulsa Community College, Oklahoma
State University, PSO, TV Guide, Bluebell, EDS, AFN Communications,
Avis, Lucent, the Tulsa World, Video Revolution, CC Digital,
Bank of Oklahoma, the Tulsa Metropolitan Chamber and Tulsa television
stations KTUL, KOTV and KJRH.
These companies are being recognized as Oklahoma CareerTech
Business Champions.
CareerTech Business Champions are those businesses that
attribute much of their economic success to the partnerships
they have formed with the local technology center or high school
CareerTech programs.
Business and information technology instructor
Mitchell Ober said the Cisco Academy currently has 15 students
in the class and eight more on the waiting list.
 "The
Tulsa area has a big demand for workers with technical skills
such as networking, telecommunications and computer repair,"
Ober said.
Carol McGowen, senior manager for Workforce Development with
the Tulsa Chamber, said the businesses see partnering with Daniel
Webster as a long-term commitment.
"Businesses see this as an opportunity to develop a future
work force," McGowen said.
"Being directly involved in the education process, businesses
increase the likelihood of high school students having a better
insight into the world of work."
Business partners serve on an advisory board, which meets with
students monthly to design and evaluate project-based activities.
The interaction between business people and students benefits
both parties, Ober said.
"The interaction lets the students see where academics comes
into play with the skill they have learned," he said. "They
can also use their skills in the real world."
 Many
of the business partners are introduced to students through mentoring,
sometimes done through e-mail and videoconferencing. This gives
the students an advantage when they are entering the work force.
"The firms get to hire someone they have already worked
with," Ober said. According to Ober, pay for students graduating
from the Business and Information Technology Education program
can range from minimum wage to up to $12 hour.
Also, cooperative agreements between Daniel Webster and Tulsa
Community College allow students taking Business and Information
Technology classes to transfer up to 24 credit hours toward an
associate's degree.
Graduating from high school with an industry certification can
open a world of opportunities to young people.
"Students who are exposed to Cisco or telecommunications
concepts are more marketable than those who are not," she
said. "And, those skills cut across several industries."
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