Chinle Launches Free College and Career Series for Families This Spring

A free seven-week college and career series launching at Chinle High School on April 6 will bring university representatives, trade school counselors, military recruiters, and big tech industry panelists directly to Apache County families, with dinner and childcare provided at every session.

The program, the College & Career Academy for Parents & Students, opens with a gala and kickoff in the Chinle High School Auditorium from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. and runs weekly through May 18. Subsequent sessions carry focused themes: Community College & Trade Schools Night on April 13, University Life 101 on April 20, Military Careers on April 27, an Industry Panel Discussion on May 4, and a Big Tech Industry Panel on May 11. The series closes with a CCAPS Graduation Celebration on May 18.

Every session includes a meal and free childcare, and STEM activities are scheduled for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Those provisions address a practical reality: families who might consider an evening program worthwhile often cannot arrange childcare or afford dinner on a school night, and organizers built the supports in from the start.

The series targets a persistent gap in Apache County, where high school students and families often have limited direct contact with the colleges, employers, and military branches that shape post-secondary decisions. CCAPS brings those representatives into Chinle itself, giving families a chance to ask specific questions about tuition, scholarships, trade apprenticeships, and job prospects without leaving the community.

Registration is available through an online form, with local CCAPS staff also reachable by phone at numbers listed in the program announcement. Advance signups help organizers estimate meals, childcare capacity, and materials for each session.

The May 18 graduation celebration will mark students and families who engaged across the full seven-week run, a milestone tied to the series' broader aim of strengthening Chinle Unified School District's college-going culture and deepening connections between graduating students and regional employers.