Watch fire science students rappel from the top of a fire tower. Take a trolley tour. Check out a radio station and recording studio. Get a chair massage. There will be plenty for East Valley students and families to experience during EVIT Expo, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Jan. 28 at the East Valley Institute of Technology.
Admission is free to this annual open house at the EVIT Main Campus, 1601 W. Main St., that also includes activities for the whole family. A variety of games and food trucks will be available and the Culinary Arts program will also be selling food prepared by students. Trolleys will give tours of the 65-acre campus throughout the day, including a drive-through of the Automotive program’s auto bays.
EVIT provides tuition-free career training for high school students and tuition-based programs for adults at the Main Campus, Power Campus at 6625 S. Power Road in Mesa, and a branch campus at Apache Junction High School. Options range from 3D Animation and Criminal Justice to Construction and Welding, a wide range of Health Care programs and much more. Instructors from all three campuses will be at EVIT Expo to answer questions about their programs.
“The Expo is a great one-stop event for students and parents to meet our teachers, see the labs, kitchens and bays where our students are training to be health-care professionals, chefs, automotive techs and just about every occupation you can think of,” said Superintendent Dr. Chad Wilson.
The Main Campus is home to radio station 88.7FM The Pulse, Bistro 13 restaurant, the Academy of Cosmetic Arts and much more. During Expo, programs unique to EVIT’s Power Campus – Aviation, Future Engineers and Veterinary Assistant – will also be on hand with special demonstrations and exhibits.
Admissions staff will be available to answer questions and assist those who are interested in enrolling. In addition to high school programs, EVIT also offers a dozen career training programs for adults, including: Aesthetics, Collision Repair, Cosmetology, George Brazil Plumbing Service & Repair Technician, Emergency Medical Technician, Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVACR), Massage Therapy, Nursing Assistant, Practical Nurse, Sterile Processing Technician, Surgical Technology and Welding. Adults may also enroll in high school programs if space is available.
While adults do pay tuition, recent changes in state law have created opportunities for some of this year’s graduating high school seniors to attend EVIT as adults next year tuition-free. Admissions staff will be able to provide more information at Expo.
In 2023-24, Heritage Academy will be opening a charter high school at the Main Campus, where foster care youth will be given preferential placement. EVIT also was allocated $10 million in the last legislative session to build a residential center for foster care youth at the Main Campus. Expo guests will be able to see where the new charter high school, Paul Revere Academy, and the foster residential center will be built.
“At EVIT, we truly believe that we change lives every day by loving our students and serving our community,” Wilson said. “EVIT Expo is a great opportunity for East Valley families to come see that first-hand.”
In 2022, EVIT students earned over 1,000 professional certifications and licenses, 95% of students said they would recommend EVIT to a friend and 98% of parents said they would recommend EVIT to other families.
Enrollment in high school programs for 2023-24 is under way and enrollment in adult programs is ongoing throughout the year. To start the process, visit: www.evit.com/enrollnow.
