From Caps and Gowns to Fitting Crowns: High Schoolers Train as Dental Assistants

FRESNO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The need for dental assistants is tremendous – and California leads the nation in the most opportunities for dental assistants in both pay and career growth.¹ One hundred Central Valley students are well positioned to meet the demand thanks to a career technical education (CTE) pathway from Learn4Life High Schools.

Our schools are committed to providing a flexible, career-focused education that prepares students for life after graduation

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Six campuses throughout the valley offer students hands-on training in a clinic to become certified as dental assistants, while earning credits to graduate with a diploma. Learn4Life covers the tuition that would typically cost more than $5,500, and provides students with scrubs and transportation. After graduation, students can immediately get a job in a dental office earning more than $25 per hour.

“I like the flexibility of Learn4Life because I have so many opportunities to do more with my day, like this dental assistant program, completing credits for my diploma and helping my parents work in agriculture,” explained Angelica L., a senior who is currently enrolled in the program. “I plan to continue my education to become a dental hygienist so I can continue to support my family.”

Learn4Life partners with Kingsburg School of Dental Assisting, which trains students and helps them with job placement upon completion of the program.

Dental assistants help care for patients, schedule appointments, take X-rays and support the dentist. They are different from hygienists, who examine patients and provide preventative oral care.

The curriculum is rigorous, with students doing classroom and hands-on clinic sessions two full days a week for six weeks – all while handling their regular schoolwork in their final year.

Maribel Verduzco, CTE instructor at Learn4Life, points out that programs like these are a wonderful stepping-stone for someone who is eager to explore careers in dentistry, which has a big need for a skilled workforce.

“Our schools are committed to providing a flexible, career-focused education that prepares students for life after graduation,” Verduzco said. “They graduate with a clearer direction and employable skills that can lead to stable, well-paying careers. We’re opening the door for them to further their education in dental or other healthcare professions.”

For more information on the dental assistant pathway, visit Learn4Life.org/dental.

About Learn4Life
Learn4Life is a network of nonprofit public high schools that provide students personalized learning, career training and life skills. Each school is locally controlled, tuition free and gives students the flexibility and one-on-one attention they need to succeed. Serving more than 64,000 students through a year-round program, we help them prepare for a future beyond high school. For more information, please visit www.learn4life.org.

¹ Dentist Assistant National Board, May 2025.