Middle School visitors get a firsthand look at CTE programs

Outreach to younger students shares future opportunities available

The Career Services campus in Valhalla welcomed 217 middle school students from a half-dozen component districts this week, giving them a firsthand look at the program offerings that will be available to them in a few years.

“It’s not uncommon for students to reach freshman or sophomore year without having considered or even being exposed to the Career and Technical Education opportunities we make available to them in their junior and senior years,” Principal Evangelo Michas said. “This is a new level of outreach we have developed to give students and their families the information they need to make an informed decision about whether a CTE program is right for them.”

Over the course of four days, students from Valhalla, New Rochelle, Port Chester, Irvington, Tarrytown and SWBOCES’ own Rye Lake Campus had the opportunity to visit several different programs of their choosing. These included Pre-Engineering/AutoCAD, where Teacher Letizia Noce provided hands-on activities for them to try, and Commercial Art & Multimedia, where Teacher Damian Powers’s students presented their historical, superhero animation project.

"My students really enjoyed getting to share their growing expertise with the middle school students,” Mr. Powers said. “I believe it’s essential to give young people a sense of the options that they have before them. The workplace is constantly changing, and new skills are always in demand. These kids got a glimpse of what they can learn and how they can prepare for future careers they probably haven’t even considered yet.”

Other programs that welcomed middle school students include Culinary Arts, Cosmetology, Animal Science, Emergency Medical Services, Nurse Assistant, Architecture and & Interior Design, Construction Plumbing, Electrical Construction and Automotive Technology.

"Our students had a wonderful time and were engaged and enthusiastic," said New Rochelle school counselor Susanne Handel. "We hope to be able to participate again next year."

High School students can choose from among 21 secondary day CTE programs to attend in morning or afternoon sessions during their junior and senior years. Students participated in over 200 authentic, work-based learning experiences last school year, and 212 students received Technical Endorsements on their local district high school diploma.