Riley high teaches students tech through Project Lead The Way

Students at Riley High School in South Bend are getting a rare opportunity; the chance to dive into computer science and app technology. And they are learning more than technical skills in the process.

The school is one of only 30 schools in the country doing this special magnet program. It teaches kids how to build the software and apps that power our smartphones.

It's an AP course through Project Lead The Way. Students have to be accepted into the program their freshmen year. They build games, simulations and apps. They also dive into cyber security, a hot topic right now with recent stories of hacks. 

RHS tapped one of their math teachers with computer science experience to take charge. She attends nationwide curriculum conferences with Project Lead The Way. And she's happy to bring those lessons to her students. Especially the lessons that aren't technical.

"They are just learning good soft skills that they are going to need in life whether they become a computer scientist or anything else," said teacher Kristen Haubald. "They are going to need to communicate, work with someone else, collaborate, be professional."

This all comes as job site Glassdoor has released their rankings of the 50 highest paying college majors. Computer Science is number one on that list.

Once students finish, they can receive college credit. That way when they can skip a few of the intro classes and lectures designed for their major.