Thanks to a School-to-Careers mini-grant from Clark County Community Education, students at Phoenix Academy are getting hands-on experience in the world health and wellness.

Phoenix Academy is utilizing the grant to research careers in the health and wellness field by partnering with Winchester-Clark County Parks and Recreation.

“We’re going to use it as an opportunity to learn about health and wellness career options,” Martha Lopresti, a teacher at Phoenix Academy, said.

Teachers, counselors or Family Resource Center coordinators can apply for School-to-Careers grants to fund projects focused on career development.

Every third Friday of the month, students from Phoenix visit the Parks and Recreation facility on Wheeler Avenue next to College Park. There they take part in physical activities, such as basketball and swimming, and also learn about the various jobs the people surrounding those activities perform, such as sports management or physical therapy.

“We’re even learning about the jobs of people who work in the building,” Lopresti said.

The grant money pays for a membership for the students involved through the end of the school year, as well as a bus that brings the class to and from the facility.

Lopresti said the membership offers affordable access to the parks and rec facility to Phoenix students, many of whom live within walking distance of the building.

She added that the program also enhances the individual learning plans each student has to assist them in finding the right career.

Seth Littrell can be reached at seth.littrell@winchestersun.com