If you’ve never visited PTECH before, you’re in for a real treat. Hidden in Newark’s TK Tech Park is a lively, colorful space for students who have chosen an alternative high school experience.

Amidst the bright tangerine, turquoise, and lime green walls, you’ll find more than 130 students, eight of them from Bloomfield, spending their days in glass-walled classrooms pursuing their educational interests and career goals at PTECH.

One of them is Bloomfield senior Olivia, who offers tours of the facility with cheerfulness and optimism. Olivia has been attending classes at PTECH since her freshman year, focusing on the Networking and Cybersecurity pathway. Upon meeting her, Olivia gushes about PTECH.

“I love it here,” she said. “It’s amazing! I like it more than traditional classrooms. The program offers more freedom, but in a structured way.”

PTECH stands for Pathways Technology Early College High School, offered through Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES. The program accelerates students’ time in high school to three years, then launches them into a two-year program in the adjacent Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC) satellite campus. 

Students at PTECH can choose one of three pathways: SMART Systems Technology, Web and Mobile Development, or Networking and Cybersecurity. Many classes are structured like college courses with a balance of in-class discussion and free time to work on assignments independently. Other classes span anything from traditional high school to hybrid-online classes.

Part of PTECH’s goal is gently easing students into college, providing the tools and framework they’ll need in the future. Problem-solving and critical thinking skills are the foundation of the program. Students are encouraged to work out their problems, both academic and interpersonal, and find their own solutions. 

“Students have to be problem solvers,” said PTECH Principal Kathi McGuigan. “We try to treat it like work.” When problems arise, students are asked how they would handle it, as if they were on the job. The aim is to help students empower themselves.

“The more they can put in their backpack, the more they can make themselves marketable in the workplace,” said McGuigan. 

It’s not just the workplace that matters. It’s also who the students are becoming in their time at PTECH. 

“To see their growth is truly amazing,” said McGuigan. “Each [student] is individual and every story is unique.” She says that students take a chance when they choose PTECH, leaving their home districts to pursue a different educational journey. 

The ties to their home districts aren’t completely erased though, and students still return to participate in afterschool activities and sports. Olivia has played softball and volleyball for Bloomfield during her high school career, and she’s grateful to return to Bloomfield early enough for extracurriculars.

“I like to keep my connections with my friends back in my home district,” Olivia said. 

For her, going to PTECH is “not separating yourself from your home district, but expanding your world.” 

One of the best parts of the program for Olivia is that there are no cliques. Because they are all pursuing STEM fields at PTECH, similar interests and connections are built in. 

“We’re just a big group of kids who all share the same interests,” Olivia said. “It’s a breath of fresh air. I don’t want to lose connections with these people.” She is already brainstorming ways to keep in touch with her classmates in the future.

Students come to PTECH with what McGuigan calls “a wish and a dream.” It’s not important to have the entire future mapped out as to be curious and open to what the program will bring. 

Whatever that may be, McGuigan said, “we will design a curriculum to help you get there.”

“You can come [to PTECH] and explore in a safe place,” said Bloomfield Superintendent Andy Doell. “You can find your passion and explore that passion.” 

Thanks to the program’s unique combination of structure and freedom, “there’s thoughtfulness in creating a space where there’s something for everyone,” Doell continued.

For Olivia, whose enthusiasm for PTECH is boundless, she is grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of this program.

“Coming to PTECH made me realize it’s not that important to know right away [exactly what you’re doing],” Olivia said. “One of the best decisions of my life was coming here freshman year. It’s a great school!”