Special Education Learning Facility

Porter County Career and Technical Education began in 1971, when four school corporations joined forces to coordinate vocational programs across the county. Today 11th and 12th graders from 10 partner high schools spend half the day at their home school and half in one of more than 30 career courses, and most programs carry dual credit through Ivy Tech Community College or Vincennes University. Our Valparaiso center on North Franklin Street houses automotive technology, CAD and animation, construction trades, cosmetology, electrical maintenance technology, health science education, marketing and sales, precision machining, and radio and television. Other programs meet at partner sites, from culinary arts and early childhood education at Boone Grove to welding and HVAC at Ivy Tech, dental careers and diesel technology at Portage, and fire and rescue services at the MAAC Foundation. Coursework prepares students for industry certifications such as ASE, CNA, Certified Dental Assistant and the Indiana cosmetology license, and students can work toward the Indiana Core 40 with Technical Honors diploma. Most partner schools run buses to the center, and two counselors and two student success coordinators work on site.