AmTech Career Academy Principal Wins Innovative Leader Award

Posted Date: 01/28/2022

January 28, 2022 – The Orlando Tech & Learning Innovative Leader Awards named Jay Barrett, AmTech Career Academy Principal, the winner in the category of Most Innovative Learning Spaces. This honor recognizes exceptional administrators in select regions around the country who are leading innovation in their school districts.

“AmTech is just a wonderful space with the tools and resources that our exceptional staff and eager students can utilize every day through Amarillo ISD’s mission of graduating every student prepared for life and success beyond high school,” said Barrett. “We’re partnering within our student body through collaborative projects between the different schools and pathways of study, partnering with community entities and individuals, and we are just excited for the continued growth and future successes of our students.”

AmTech Career Academy is a brand new, state-of-the-art, 235,000-square-foot learning space with nine different schools and more than 35 different career pathways, all under one roof. The Academy has an esports arena, a robot/drone coliseum, and hands-on labs that include everything from three flight simulators to a VR simulation for their law and public service students.

The academy has 1,900 students who come from five different AISD high schools for two to five periods per day to take courses that lead to industry-based certifications.