DEARBORN — High school students enrolled in Dearborn Public Schools have an opportunity to get a head start on their career goals with a free summer program.

The Michael Berry Career Center (MBCC) will be offering courses during its free summer program that will help students explore career-oriented classes, earn high school credit and possibly even earn a certification.

Classes available for students include hands-on classes in health sciences, information technology and computer programming, graphic design technology, business and marketing, culinary arts and hospitality, and criminal justice and law careers.

Some of the certifications the students can receive include CPR certification, first aid certification and Microsoft Office certification.

The sessions will run from June 28 to July 30 at the MBCC, 22586 Ann Arbor Trail in Dearborn Heights.

Classes will be in-person Mondays through Thursdays, with asynchronous work from home on Fridays.

Students will have a choice between a morning session that runs from 8 a.m. until 10:30 a.m., an afternoon session that runs from 11 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. or they can opt to enroll in both.

The courses will begin with a half hour lesson on career and college readiness topics and then the remaining two hours will be in that class. Students are not limited and can pick one career area to focus on, or they can explore and pick and choose from different topics each week.

“We feel this summer program is a great way for students to sample different career-technical education options, get to know our teachers and our program and pick up a high school credit,” said John Bayerl, director of career and technical education in the district.

No homework will be assigned outside of the Friday at-home lesson.

Students who complete the courses will earn a half of an elective credit per session and up to a full credit if they attend both sessions as the courses will be graded as a pass or fail.

To participate, students must be enrolled in the Dearborn Public School District.

Students who are interested can get more information or sign up at the MBCC website at https://berry.dearbornschools.org/. 

The high schools are also offering both core subject and elective classes for credit to students from June 28 to July 30, which will be free as long as the student passes the class.

The MBCC program is being funded through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Act and is free to all students who will be enrolled at one of the Dearborn high schools next school year.