In a continuing effort to innovate and enrich the educational experience at Brophy, the Fine Arts and Technology-Business Departments will merge into the “Art and Innovation Department.” This combines the creativity of Fine Arts with the practical application of what can be defined as Career and Technical Education courses to foster holistic education.
The Arizona State Board of Education requires 1 credit of “Fine Arts or Career and Technical Education.” According to the Arizona Department of Education, “Career Technical Education (CTE) provides students with the academic and technical skills, and with the knowledge and training necessary to succeed in future careers and to become lifelong learners.” This shift far exceeds the state’s minimum requirements, maintaining the value of arts education and also allowing students to receive more appropriate credit for courses that have significant educational value. This creates a department that not only adheres to the Jesuit tradition of comprehensive education and means of universal communication, but also prepares students for the evolving demands of the modern world.
Throughout this expanded academic department and course offerings, students will follow an intentional design process and learn to creatively solve problems in order to produce something out of imagination and ideas.
3 Graduation Credits: Combines the previous 2.5 Fine Arts and .5 Introduction to Innovative Technologies credits.
Students must take at least 1.5 credits of visual and/or musical & performing arts courses, such as Drawing, Mixed Media, Painting, Sculpture, Ceramics, and advanced and AP level courses, or vocal and music arts courses. This far exceeds the state’s minimum requirement of 1 “Fine Arts or CTE.”
Students must take at least .5 credits of an introductory level Innovation courses, such as Introduction to Robotics, Design and Technology Foundations, Coding, Digital Media Production, Graphic Design, 3D Industrial Arts, AI Frontiers, and advanced levels. This includes a required course during students’ freshmen year.
These adjustments will allow for an expanded curriculum in the Innovation Commons and related areas. Introductory level classes will be open to all grade levels and courses such as Robotics, Coding and Digital Media Production will have advanced or AP levels. Electives such as Journalism, Consumer and Business Finance, and Industry and Entrepreneurialism will also now count for Art & Innovation credit.