Saturday, January 17, 2026

PUSD Academy Showcase Offers Families Final Look at Career Pathways Before Enrollment Deadline

Event on January 21 highlights nine-plus programs with paid internships; lottery applications close January 28

A week before the enrollment lottery closes, Pasadena Unified School District will open the doors of McKinley School Gymnasium so families can see what its career academies actually look like from the inside.

The Academy Showcase on Wednesday, January 21, at 4:30 p.m. gives families a chance to meet representatives from more than nine specialized programs—health careers, engineering, law, storytelling, arts and media—before they decide where to submit their lottery applications. Many of the academies, according to the district, offer paid summer internships for students between their junior and senior years.

The timing matters. PUSD’s open enrollment lottery window runs from January 14 through January 28 at 4 p.m., with results posted online February 11. Families who attend the showcase will have one week to apply for the academies they’ve just explored.

PUSD’s College & Career Academies are four-year programs housed at the district’s four comprehensive high schools. Each pathway aligns coursework with college entrance requirements and industry standards, according to the district. Freshmen attend career exploration conferences with professionals from multiple fields; juniors shadow workers in their areas of interest; and rising seniors can apply for paid internships at local businesses.

“Our goal is to prepare students for college, and, ultimately, to go after their dream jobs,” said Dr. Kristina Turley, coordinator of PUSD’s College and Career Pathways. “Through summer internships, students get a good look into what future careers are actually like so that they can make timely, informed decisions and discover their true passions.”

The showcase will feature representatives from Blair High School’s Health Careers Academy, the district’s oldest career pathway, where students can pursue the International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme and compete in HOSA events including CPR/First Aid and Sports Medicine. Pasadena High School’s Law and Public Service Academy, a four-year college preparatory program, will also be represented, along with John Muir High School’s three academies: Engineering and Environmental Science, which uses Project Lead the Way curriculum; Arts, Entertainment and Media; and Business and Entrepreneurship.

McKinley School itself is home to the Immersive Storytelling Academy, which welcomed its first cohort of middle school students in Fall 2025. That program integrates virtual reality, 360-degree video production, and digital music into core math, English, and history courses.

Applications for the open enrollment lottery can be submitted at pusd.schoolmint.com. Families who receive a placement must accept by February 25.

The Academy Showcase is free and open to current and prospective PUSD families. McKinley School Gymnasium is located at 325 S. Oak Knoll Ave., Pasadena. For enrollment questions, contact the Office of Enrollment at (626) 396-3639 or visit pusd.us/Enroll. School tour information is available at pusd.us/Tours.