Cisco Academy is a two-year curriculum that helps students become proficient in information technology. School officials said students can get jobs straight out of high school or they can use the information to further their college careers. Burnham is the technology coordinator for the Gulfport School District. This is Gulfport's first year for the academy, but Long Beach High School started it last year.
Long Beach is a regional academy, which means it can provide teachers for local academies.
Gulfport High School and Harrison Central High School are local academies. Donna Ladner teaches the program at Long Beach High School. She said the school wanted to train students in this area because many jobs will be available in information technology in the future. But Ladner warned that students can't enroll just because of the money. This is a hard course, and you have to be dedicated.