Public Service
Public Service Pathway Description
The El Modenda High School Public Service Pathway provides an informative and relavant curriculum that educates students about a variety of public service careers, including Elected Officials, Armed Forces, Legal Clerk, Crime Scene Technician, Police Officer, Social Worker, Attorney, FBA Agent, and more.
Students will explore criminal justice history, the criminal justice system, modern-day policing issues, community policing, criminal law, investigations, crime scene investigation, the court system, and corrections. Students will get the opportunity to learn from industry professionals through guest speakers, field trips and more!
Courses in the Public Service Pathway
Criminal Justice
Explores criminal justice history, modern-day policing issues, community policing, criminal law, investigations, crime scene investigation, case law, and corrections. Students will also learn about the court system and trial while developing employability and soft skills.
Crime Scene Investigation
Students will learn methods and protocols for the collection, preservation and analysis of evidence. Students research blood, DNA, bones, time of death, ballistics, fingerprints, forgery, as well as other forms of evidence. Students analyze mock crime scenes, including searching for and collection of evidence, as well as recreating the crime scene and possible motives. Students practice communication skills, report writing and presentations skills.
Professional Internship
Allows students to apply academic knowledge and demonstrate technical 21st-century skills in a workplace setting. Students will prepare job readiness documents and will interview at an assigned site before interning with a local El Modena Business Partner.
All About El Modena's Public Service Pathway Teacher
Mr. Richard Pena
Mr. Pena was a California Highway Patrolman for 31 years, working in Los Angeles, South Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange County. He retired as a captain and worked for three years as a social worker in the trauma unit at UCI Medical Center, as a psychotherapist at a drug and alcohol clinic, and at the Orange County Child Abuse Center in Santa Ana. He was seeing a client at Elmo when Ms. Preciado approached him and asked if he would be interested in teaching Criminal Justice classes here in Elmo. This is his ninth year at Elmo.
Mr. Charles Wilcox
For the past six years I have been teaching emergency medical classes and am now currently teaching Criminal Justice and CSI-Forensics. A little about me- I attended Santa Ana College’s fire technology program and later attended Cal State Fullerton where I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies and later. Additionally, I worked as a firefighter and EMT for several years and loved every minute of it. These experiences qualified me to teach classes in the Public Services Pathway.
El Modena's Public Service Pathway Flyer
Public Service Pathway.pdf