SHOWING SKILLS — Indian Creek High School student Colton Giusto demonstrates the FANUC robotic arm in Barbara Turner’s engineering classroom for business advisory committee member Andrew Viglianco. (Contributed photo)

WINTERSVILLE — Indian Creek High School Career Technical Education Advisory Board committees met Nov. 7 to view programs initiated to spur careers for students.

Groups representing natural resources, interactive media, engineering, business and more presented updates on what students were learning at a combined meeting at the high school, where more than 30 people gathered for dinner and discussion to review each of the school’s CTE offerings. Among the business groups were West Virginia Northern Community College and the Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District as well as local trade organizations and financial planners.

Julie Robinson, family and consumer sciences instructor, welcomed attendants, led introductions and said the CTE program has grown since beginning with interactive media. Since then, students could earn a variety of certifications and work-based learning.

Crystal Fluharty and her students gave an overview of what has been occurring in the natural resources program, which included the latest on the new hellbender pilot program in conjunction with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Columbus Zoo. As of now, one adolescent and nearly 20 juvenile salamanders are being cared for with the younger set to eventually be released back into the wild to repopulate the endangered species.

Fluharty said members were currently undertaking the Bags to Benches program in which plastic bags would be recycled to create benches around the area. For now, they may be placed at the softball field but can be added in the community. Her students took turns discussing the pathway, with Grasyn Danielson saying they need a total of 250 hours to work in their path to earn points toward graduation while classmate Aiden McMahon said they work independently and complete apprenticeships to gain hours. He added that students work in the biosecure room prior to classes to feed the juvenile hellbenders, clean the tank and record measurements and data to submit to the state and zoo as part of the pilot project. Student Nandhana Ranjith continued that she and others care for hellbender ambassador Chief and record her data for officials. Elijah Gilman interjected that they can earn credentials for OSHA, GIS mapping and drone piloting. Other highlights included pathway classes for environmental science, wildlife and forestry.

Interactive media instructor Taylor Scott led a presentation on offerings in her class, including multimedia, digital photography and web design. Scott said the media lab was student run and projects have ranged from flyers to creating social media promotions. Students learn digital design techniques such as Photoshop, complete work-based hours and learn multimedia management to video editing.

CTE Department Head Dave Moffat said his tech support services program included the Creek Squad, which involved students performing information technology services on systems in each school building and the addition of the FANUC robotic arms to perform tasks designed by the pupils.

“Last year, we received a state CTE grant for roughly $150,000 for equipment. We came up with the idea to have students work on equipment and we created the Creek Squad so our students would fix technological issues inside the buildings,” Moffat continued. “They have stepped up and have academics in the morning and go to the schools in the afternoon. They have hardware, software and networking (projects.)”

Additionally, students work with two large FANUC robotic arms along with the engineering class and learn programming to operate the systems. His class also offers CompTA, A+ and networking certifications. Moffat also earned his drone pilot’s license and partners with Kent State University to give students college credit and certification.

Engineering instructor Barb Turner said her program has evolved through time and students learn about the impact of engineering in the workplace. Activities included visiting TIMET Corp. in Toronto to shadow engineers and working to obtain work-based hours.

“I initially taught a pre-engineering class and then taught how engineering applied to manufacturing,” she said, adding that she has a robotics class with a team that has competed in Ohio and Pennsylvania. “I am hoping the team goes to the signature competition at Kalahari in January.”

Meanwhile, business instructor Johnna Provenzano said there were plenty of technical and professional level careers and her 70 students learn business foundations, operations management and strategic entrepreneurship, among other subjects. Provenzano said weekly entrepreneurship podcasts are created featuring local business leaders and guests were lined up to February, with her students interviewing the guests while the interactive media pupils overseeing the editing. Students also operate the Spear-It Store, create business plans and conduct service projects with activities eyed for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Instructor Bobby Zinsmeister then gave an overview of the performing arts program, saying his theater students have a unique opportunity to earn credit and experience.

“I believe we’ve really opened students’ eyes to options such as corporate theatricality, which is stage lighting to sound. There are two performance-based classes and two tech-based classes,” he commented. “Ninety percent of the kids have never performed and a lot have never operated a tool. We do have a fully functioning scene shop and are building a costume library.”

Zinsmeister said the Creek Kids Playhouse was launched this fall and children’s productions are performed which go toward work-based learning hours. Another installment is set for February, and it will be student-led with positions from artistic director to box office manager with other duties to direct, market and build sets for the show. More activities include the upcoming student-directed production of “Night of January 16th” in December and the radio play performance of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” He noted that the tech support and interactive media programs have also aided with programs while robotics students were creating projects for performances.

Jennifer Belt discussed career-based intervention and said it helped students at risk of not graduating. Students attend school for half a day and then work in the community, while CBI graduation rates have been at 100 percent. Robinson then said her consumer science program taught financial literacy to freshmen and a leadership and community engagement class. This spring, it will lead a college and career readiness event and will help students prepare financing and FAFSA information.

“We get to know kids more than any other teacher can,” Moffat added. “We look at the state’s highest paying jobs without degrees and last year we had a senior with an internship that led to a job. Your impact helped a new generation go to work.”

Robinson said the CTE instructors met weekly with district CTE Coordinator Dan Hartman and they were looking to add more pathways in the future. Superintendent T.C. Chappelear thanked the people for supporting the levy to construct new school buildings, saying the updated facilities only enhanced learning for students.

“With the building, we have new programs,” he said. “All of our programs were either non-existent or limited and the things they are doing is providing opportunities for kids beyond high school.”

The committees broke down into individual sessions with their respective programs and approvals were later given for Future Career and Community Leaders of America club business with mock interviews on Dec. 18-19 and a CTE Career Kickstart Learning Fair on March 25. Another advisory board session is eyed for spring.