M-DCPS Holds Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Medical Assisting and Avionics Programs at Miami Springs Senior High School

Pictured left to right, counterclockwise: medical training room featuring exam tables and tools, School Superintendent Dr. Jose L. Dotres with

M-DCPS administrators and staff, Avionics lab with diagnostic equipment.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) hosted a ribbon cutting yesterday at Miami Springs Senior High School, celebrating the start of the school’s Career Dual Enrollment Medical Assisting and Avionics Programs for the 2025-2026 school year.  

“We saw that there was an interest in these programs and we knew we had to do this for our students,” said Dr. Cadian Collman-Perez, District Director for the Office of Postsecondary Career and Technical Education. “These programs give our students access to high wage, high demand careers in the health and avionics industries.” 

These programs are a partnership with Miami Lakes Educational Center and Technical College and George T. Baker Aviation Technical College. It allows students to earn industry certifications and gain hands-on experience in the fields of medical assisting and dental care while still attending high school.

When school begins, 90 students will be enrolled in the Medical Assisting Program. From 9th grade through their senior year, they will take specialized courses each semester focused on medical assisting. Students will gain hands-on experience by practicing real-world skills such as taking patients’ vital signs, drawing blood, performing electrocardiograms (EKGs), administering injections and medications, and assisting physicians with advanced medical procedures. 

In the Avionics Program, students will learn to install, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair electronic systems in aircraft. These systems include navigation, communication, radar, and flight control technologies—critical components that ensure aircraft safety. The avionics training area has been renovated and retrofitted with two flight simulators and advanced diagnostic equipment, allowing students to practice identifying and resolving technical issues. 

At the end of the school year, students in both the medical assisting and avionics programs take a state exam to earn their respective certificates. After that, they are ready to get a job in that field.

Miami Springs Senior High School Assistant Principal Liliana Suarez said that George T. Baker Aviation Technical College will be collaborating with Miami International Airport to give their students opportunities to visit the airport, work alongside with technicians and make connections that could lead to job opportunities even before they graduate.  

“Our students will give presentations and participate in various field trips — including visits to places like the airport — where they will explore real-world business opportunities,” added Suarez. 

Currently, Miami Springs Senior High School is pursuing the same kind of arrangement with Jackson Memorial Hospital for their medical assisting students.

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