With so many unique opportunities available to SHS students, it may come as a surprise that an educational tool as beneficial as Youth Options goes unnoticed by such a large proportion of the student body.

Youth Options is a state-level government program that allows qualified high school students to take classes at a college or technical school. However, the school district is responsible for paying for the course taken. There are multiple reasons why students choose to take classes through Youth Options.

“Some [students] have gone through everything at Shorewood, and some think they can get college credit for free,” said Amy Hook, guidance counselor.  Other students choose to take a class through Youth Options because it fits into their career path.

“I’ve always liked cars,” said Jarred Jackson, senior. “My uncle used to race them when he was younger, and that probably got me the most interested in that stuff.” Jackson is no novice to taking classes through Youth Options.  He has already taken an Automotive-electrical class at MATC, and is now enrolled in an Automotive-chassis course.  The hands-on experience of the class is extremely beneficial—the students work on customers’ cars on a nearly daily basis.  Overall, Jackson is ahead of the curve in terms of career preparation.  Much of this advantage comes from the opportunities presented by Youth Options.

Nonetheless, there is a perceived lack of knowledge about the program among the student body. The administration has begun attempting to make all students and parents aware of the Youth Options program.  All students except seniors received an informational brochure explaining the program along with their report cards at the end of first semester. Although applications are available in the guidance office, ignorance still runs high among the student body.

“Nobody knows about it,” Jackson said.  While it is difficult to pin down the reasons behind the lack of advertisement for the Youth Options program, there are several possibilities.  “For the district its hard because we have to pay for it,” Hook said. “The more you encourage it, the more money you have to pay out for it.”

This is not a failure on the administration’s part—all public high schools in Wisconsin are required to participate in the Youth Options program.  However, it would appear that the state made a serious oversight when developing the legislation that created Youth Options.

“It’s a great idea for the state to have it, but the state should help pay for it,” said Hook.  Although a scholarship fund is available to help students take classes through Youth Options, it does not cover everything.