CNA at Red Mountain will open in July for any students in the EVIT Career Technical Education District to attend
Media contact for EVIT: CeCe Todd, ctodd@evit.edu
Media contact for Mesa Public Schools: Jennifer Snyder, jjsnyder@mpsaz.org
In collaboration with Mesa Public Schools, the East Valley Institute of Technology will now have a fourth central campus. At EVIT CNA at Red Mountain, high school students will train to become certified nursing assistants and receive preferential seating to continue their education in EVIT’s nursing associate degree program.
The EVIT Governing Board approved the new campus at Monday night’s meeting. Any student residing in the EVIT Career Technical Education District (CTED) will be able to enroll in the program housed at Red Mountain High School, 7301 E. Brown Road, in northeast Mesa.
“There are many benefits for students in this partnership between Mesa Public Schools and EVIT,” said EVIT Superintendent Dr. Chad Wilson. “First, it gives Red Mountain students the opportunity to enroll in an EVIT program without having to travel to one of our other central campuses, and it gives all students in the EVIT CTED another location to consider for training to become CNAs. In addition, all students who complete the program will be given first consideration to enroll in EVIT’s associate degree program if they choose to continue their education to become registered nurses.”
Mesa Superintendent Dr. Matt Strom said, “Former longtime Mesa Public Schools superintendent Dr. Jim Zaharis was well known to say 'Every scholar needs a skill.' We know this is still true in today's environment and we also know that every skilled worker needs to be trained to be a constant learner. EVIT has been a great partner to Mesa Public Schools for many decades in this arena and we are excited to continue this partnership with students front and center."
The program has been approved by the Arizona State Board of Nursing and will follow EVIT curriculum and be taught by EVIT instructors in a two and a half hour block schedule. Students can enroll in the morning or afternoon session.
The EVIT CTED also funds satellite career and technical education (CTE) courses at Red Mountain and other Mesa schools. Now Red Mountain will have both central campus and satellite programs.
This year, EVIT opened a third central campus, the Fire Science Academy, at Scottsdale Unified School District’s Coronado High School. Like Red Mountain, Coronado now has both central and satellite programs.
High school enrollment at EVIT’s 65-acre Main Campus in west Mesa and 11-acre Power Campus in southeast Mesa is booming, having more than doubled since 2018. EVIT’s adult programs at the Main Campus are also growing.
“As EVIT continues to grow, we will need to find additional space for central campus programming without asking our taxpayers for additional dollars,” Wilson said. “Coronado and Red Mountain are examples of how we can do that.”
The Coronado and Red Mountain programs came about through intergovernmental agreement (IGA) negotiations between the two districts and the EVIT CTED. Among other things, the IGA outlines how EVIT will oversee satellite programs and how school districts will ensure their students have the opportunity to attend EVIT central campuses.
“By sitting down together and discussing Mesa’s needs and EVIT’s needs, we were able to create the EVIT CNA at Red Mountain campus. This not only benefits Mesa and EVIT, but it puts the best interests of students first by giving them another option for quality career training,” Wilson said. “We thank Mesa for their willingness to work together to change the lives of our mutual students.”
Strom said, “Mesa Public Schools, with a collaborative partnership with EVIT, is committed to providing diverse pathways that prepare students to contribute meaningfully to their communities and our broader society. Career readiness is a vital component of that commitment, and this program exemplifies how we integrate industry-recognized certifications across the student learning experience."
Red Mountain students may enroll in the program by contacting their school counselor. Other students in the EVIT CTED should enroll at www.evit.edu/enrollnow.
ABOUT MESA PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Mesa Public Schools (Mesa Unified School District #4) is Arizona’s largest school district, serving more than 50,000 students across 78 schools from preschool through 12th grade. The district offers a wide range of programs, including College & Career Academies, International Baccalaureate, accelerated learning, STEM-focused instruction, dual-language immersion, Montessori, and Advanced Placement. Guided by its Promise, “Every student is known by name, served by strength and need, and graduates ready for college, career and community,” Mesa Public Schools is committed to meeting every student’s unique strengths and needs.
ABOUT EVIT: The East Valley Institute of Technology is one of 14 CTEDs in Arizona, funding and overseeing central campuses in Mesa and Scottsdale and satellite programs in 11 school districts and American Leadership Academy charter school. EVIT central campus options include certificate programs in healthcare, industrial trades, cosmetology and much more, five-semester associate degree programs in nursing and surgical technology, paid apprenticeships, high school equivalency programs, and an on-campus residential center for students transitioning out of foster care. For more information, visit www.evit.edu.