Two Joe T. Robinson High School teachers led by example this summer. They showed that learning does not have to stop when classes let out.
As part of the Academies of Central Arkansas partnership, connecting classroom learning with real-world industry experience, engineering teacher Ahmann Love and industrial technology and advanced manufacturing teacher Wesley Waddell spent a day shadowing Entergy Arkansas crews.
Mr. Love and Mr. Waddel learned the ins and outs of the utility industry. They began the day shadowing Entergy Arkansas lineworkers as they relocated a power line for a customer. The trip provided an up-close look at day-to-day utility operations, teamwork and safety protocols.
“It gives us an opportunity to learn a little bit more to take back to our students and allows our students to get a peek into what could be a future for them,” Love said.
In the afternoon, Love and Waddell moved indoors, sitting in on engineering and planning distribution discussions. The behind-the-scenes look offered insights into the critical thinking and collaboration involved in maintaining and expanding Arkansas’s energy infrastructure. Waddell said he hopes his new knowledge will spark his students’ interest in the utility sector, giving them better insight into what jobs are available to them after graduation.
“There are other career fields my students may not think about,” Waddell said. “Companies like Entergy encompass a lot of different styles and types of careers.”
Several teachers completed externships and/or job shadowing this summer to learn more about the Career and Technical Education career pathways. As part of the program, Entergy Arkansas is partnering with the Pulaski County Special School District. Two teachers from Joe T. Robinson High School.
“Our partnership with Joe T. Robinson is rooted in our commitment to investing in the next generation,” Entergy Arkansas Existing Business Project Manager Katherine Holmstrom said. “By bringing our team into the classrooms and welcoming students and teachers to our facilities, we hope to spark curiosity, share the real-world applications of what they’re learning and open doors to career paths they may not have considered.”
This partnership plays a critical role in The Academies of Central Arkansas model of teaching and learning, blending core academics with career and technical education. The program is a community-wide transformation of the public high school experience for students in the Jacksonville North Pulaski , Little Rock, North Little Rock and Pulaski County Special School districts.
“At Entergy we believe that strong public schools are the foundation of a strong community,” Holmstrom said. “Our goal is to inspire students, support educators and help build a skilled future workforce for Central Arkansas.”
The Academies of Central Arkansas also provides curriculum, including energy lessons, career exposure events, and guest speakers from Entergy in freshman seminar courses, as well as mock interviews with students.
The partnership began in 2023. Since then, Entergy Arkansas employees have volunteered almost 800 hours. During the 2024-2025 school year, approximately 70 employees volunteered nearly 400 hours on more than 21 occasions for both Joe T. Robinson and Hall High School.
