Prospective Students

Sophomore tours will be held during the school day the weeks of November 20th and November 27th. 

• Blue Springs High School
  • Date TBD
• Blue Springs South High School
  • Monday, November 20th
  • 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
• Fort Osage High School
  • Date TBD
• Grain Valley High School
  • Date TBD
• Homeschool 
  • Please email Mrs. Brown at rbrown@fortosage.net to select a date you would like to participate in tours.
• Private Schools (Plaza Heights Christian Academy, St. Michael's of the Archangel)
  • Please email Mrs. Brown at rbrown@fortosage.net to select a date you would like to participate in tours.
• Oak Grove High School
  • Date TBD

Join us on Tuesday, December 5th!

Drop in anytime between 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at our CTC Main Campus and/or Entrepreneurial Studies at Campus Grounds. Explore a variety of trade and vocational programs with hands-on activities like a firefighter bunker gear challenge, tire rotation race, and prepping food in our state-of-the-art kitchen!

This event is free to attend and open to all ages.

• CTC Main Campus Address: 2019 N. Twyman Road, Independence, MO 64058
• Campus Grounds Address: 26911 E US Hwy 24, Buckner, MO 64016
• CTC Main Campus Programs:
  • Agriculture & Animal Science
  • Advanced Computer Engineering
  • Automotive Technology I & II
  • Construction Trades
  • CSI/Law Enforcement
  • Culinary Arts
  • Cybersecurity
  • HVAC Technologies
  • Fire Science & EMT
  • Marketing
  • Welding

If the Fort Osage School District is closed on December 5th for inclement weather, our make-up date will be Tuesday, December 12th from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Join us on Thursday, December 7th!

Drop in anytime between 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Blue Springs Career Innovation Center and/or Nail Tech at Hall-McCarter Education Center. Explore a variety of health and technical programs with hands-on activities like a firefighter bunker gear challenge, tire rotation race, and prepping food in our state-of-the-art kitchen!

This event is free to attend and open to all ages.

• Blue Springs Career Innovation Center: 2101 NW Vesper St., Blue Springs, MO 64015
• Nail Tech: 5000 NW Valley View Road, Blue Springs, MO 64015
• Programs at Blue Springs Career Innovation Center:
  • Aviation (CIC)
  • Aviation Institute of Maintenance (CIC)
  • Computer Animation (CTC)
  • Health Science Accelerated (CTC)
  • Health Science Advanced (CTC)
  • Hospitality & Tourism Management (CIC)
  • Intro to Teaching (CIC)
  • Pharmacy Technician (CIC)
  • Sports Medicine & Physical Therapy (CTC)
  • Surgical Technology (CIC)
  • Video Game Design (CTC)

Make sure to check out the Blue Springs CIC on social media!

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BSSDCIC
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bssd_cic/
• Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/BSSD_CIC
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BSSD_CIC
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/career-innovation-center/about/

If the Blue Springs School District is closed on December 7th for inclement weather, our make-up date will be Thursday, December 14th from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

CTC Main Campus & Campus Grounds Coffee Shop

Private tours of the CTC Main Campus and the Campus Grounds Coffee Shop are available Monday through Thursday. Tours are available from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. by appointment. Tours can be arranged by emailing Rebecca Brown with the CTC at rbrown@fortosage.net.

CTC at Blue Springs & Blue Springs Career Innovation Center

Private tours of CTC at Blue Springs or Blue Springs Career Innovation (CIC) programs can be requested by emailing CIC Director Andy Mayfield at amayfield@bssd.net.

Nail Tech at Hall-McCarter Education Center

Private tours of Nail Tech at Hall-McCarter Education Center can be requested by emailing the Nail Tech instructor, Lola Webb, at lwebb@fortosage.net. 

Complete the first part of the application at CTC & BSSD Application: Part One.

Check below for some tips on completing the application:

PART ONE

1. Complete the “CTC & BSSD Application: Part One” form.
2. This part’s easy; just five easy questions!
3. Once you hit “Submit,” make sure to click the link for Step Two or save the link to complete Step Two later.

Application: Step Two

Thanks for completing Step One of the CTC & Blue Springs Application!

INSTRUCTIONS

Ready to complete Step Two? We highly recommend completing Step Two on a computer! This part takes between 10 and 15 minutes to complete, and includes several "mini" essay questions. We're looking for several well-constructed sentences, between 250 and 500 words. Remember, you cannot save your progress and return later! Plan to complete the entire Step Two in one sitting.

• 1. You can access Step Two at CTC & CIC Application Part Two.
  2. Click on the application assigned to your high school.
  3. Section 1: Demographics
     1. This section is easy! Name, address, basic demographic information.
  4. Section 2: High School Information
     1. We confirm which high school you’re attending. This is where you can share any factors that might have impacted grades or attendance, such as illness or family emergency.
  5. Section 3: Programs & Career Interest Questions
     1. Pick the top two programs that you’re interested in.
     2. Complete the mini essay questions. We’re looking for three to five thoughtful sentences for each question, so make this part count! Use resources like Grammarly or Word to double-check spelling and grammar. You can view the questions below and start thinking about how you want to answer:
        1. Describe your interest in the career field for your 1^st choice.
        2. Describe your interest in the career field for your 2^nd choice.
  • Describe your knowledge of the career field through personal research, related high school coursework, or through any previous work, extracurricular activities or volunteer experience.
  1. Explain why you believe you’re a good candidate for the program of your interest at CTC.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

Our priority deadline is Tuesday, December 12th at 11:59 p.m. We will be reaching out to notify students if they were selected for an interview at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, January 10th. Interviews will take place in-person at your high school during the school day the week of January 16th. Interview dates for each school are included below. Please email Mrs. Brown with the CTC at rbrown@fortosage.net with any questions.

We'll notify students selected to continue on with the application process by 3 p.m. on Wednesday, January 10th. Students will be interview at their high school during the school day. They will receive a pass or another type of notification from their counseling office with their specific date and time.

Interviews will take place the week of January 16th. Make-up interviews due to student excused absences or school closures for inclement weather will take place the week of January 22nd.

• Blue Springs High School
  • Date TBD
• Blue Springs South High School
  • Date TBD
• Fort Osage High School
  • Date TBD
• Grain Valley High School
  • Date TBD
• Oak Grove High School
  • Date TBD
• Homeschool and Private Schools
  • Date TBD

Students will be notified if they are selected, placed on a waitlist or asked to re-apply next year by Friday, February 23rd by 3 p.m.

INTERVIEW QUESTION PREPARATION

We know for many students this may be the first interview they're participating in, which is why we keep our interviews to just 10 minutes. We'll ask between 5 and 10 questions. See some of the most commonly asked questions below, practice with a friend and, most importantly, know that it's okay to be a little nervous! 

1. Tell me about yourself. We want to get to know you a little more! We're looking for a 30-second introduction into who you are. What classes do you enjoy? Do you hold down a part-time job? Participate in any extracurricular activities? Check out Indeed's recommendations on how to answer one of the most commonly asked interview questions.

2. What is your greatest strength/weakness? Another popular question. For greatest strength, this is your time to shine! What makes you stand out? Conversely, what's something you struggle with (time management, perfectionism, etc.) and how are you working to overcome it? Indeed has not only suggestions on how to answer, but some great examples in this article.  

3. What do you want to do after high school? Hint: you don't have to everything planned out! We just want to know what your current plans or dreams are. It's okay if that's one thing you've wanted your whole life, or if you're still narrowing it down. We especially love hearing how participating in CTC or CIC is going to help you further your dreams or achieve your goals.

4. Why are you a good fit for CTC/CIC? We've been taught to be humble, which is a great trait to have. However, we don't want humbleness for this question! We truly want to know why you're a good fit for the program you applied for. Do you have a passion for the subject? Is this what you've always wanted to do, or is it something recent that you really want to explore in-depth before you graduate because something sparked your interest? What was that something that pushed you into applying? Are you a team player who's great at supporting others? A leader who can take charge? We want to know everything about you and how well you'd fit into the CTC/CIC family. 

INTERVIEW ATTIRE

We encourage students to dress professionally for their CTC or CIC interview as it pertains to their industry. Most students find that they have great options already in their closet. Remember, we're not looking for a three-piece suit. Dark pants and a nice tucked-in shirt works well, as does borrowing a sweater or blazer from a family member or friend.

For students wanting to put together a new outfit, we've put together a list of stores previous applicants have sourced outfits from in the past. Email Mrs. Brown (rbrown@fortosage.net) with any questions. 

Blue Springs

• Goodwill, 926 MO-7, Blue Springs, MO 64014
• Salvation Army Family Store, 1833 MO-7, Blue Springs, MO 64015
• Red Racks, 922 MO-7, Blue Springs, MO 64014
• Target, 1040 NE Coronado Drive, Blue Springs, MO 64014
• Maurice's, 1032 NE Coronado Drive, Blue Springs, MO 64014
• T.J. Maxx, 1310 NE Coronado Drive, Blue Springs, MO 64014
• Kohl's, 1280 NE Coronado Dr. #1350, Blue Springs, MO 64014

Independence

• Red Racks DAV Thrift Store, 16813 E 23rd St. S, Independence, MO 64055
• Target, 17810 E 39th St. S, Independence, MO 64055
• Kohl's, 18800 E 39th St. S, Independence, MO 64057
• Marshall's, 18920 E 39th St. S, Independence, MO 64057
• Wal-Mart, 4000 S Bolger Road, Independence, MO 64055
• Maurice's (inside Independence Center), 18801 E 39th St., Suite Do9c, Independence, MO 64057
• Old Navy (inside Independence Center), 18801 E 39th St., Suite 2072, Independence, MO 64057

Oak Grove

• Wal-Mart, 201 SE Salem St., Oak Grove, MO 64075