New CNA training campus at Red Mountain HS in Mesa opens in July

In collaboration with Mesa Public Schools, the East Valley Institute of Technology will have a fourth central campus beginning in July.

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 a meeting Jan. 26. Any student residing in the EVIT Career Technical Education District will be able to enroll in the program housed at Red Mountain High School, 7301 E. Brown Road in northeast Mesa, according to a release.

“There are many benefits for students in this partnership between Mesa Public Schools and EVIT,” EVIT Superintendent Dr. Chad Wilson said in the release. “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.”

MPS 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 2.5-hour block schedule. Students can enroll in the morning or afternoon session.

The EVIT CTED also funds satellite career and technical education 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 has 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 in the release. “Coronado and Red Mountain are examples of how we can do that.”

The Coronado and Red Mountain programs came about through intergovernmental agreement 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.