Middle Schoolers Get Hands-On with Career Technical Education at SRTC Summer Programs

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Rowan Conaboy shows off the toolbox he made in the Carpentry Exploration Program this past week at SRTC

Photo: Deanna Farrell

By Deanna Farrell, SRTC Student Services Counselor

It’s never too early for students to learn about opportunities available through the Sanford Regional Technical Center. Hence, we offered two different events for middle school students in June.

As current students were wrapping up, SRTC was busting at the seams hosting nearly 1400 8th grade students from all nine partner districts (including Acton, Kennebunk, Kittery, Marshwood, Massabesic, Noble, Sanford, Wells, and York) for what has been coined “TECHSPLORATION.”

In advance of their visit, all students were asked to complete an Interest Inventory and do research related to SRTC and our 25 programs. During the visit, they were able to visit and experience three different programs for 15 minutes each. The timing of this event is purposeful in that these students are about to embark on a new leg of their educational journey with high school starting in the fall. We, along with our school partners, believe in this event so that these students will know that SRTC may be an option for them and they get a “visual” of what Career and Technical looks like. The students are hopefully encouraged by the introductory message of “getting a fresh start” in high school as far as their academic and attendance record (which are part of the admission consideration process when they can choose to apply… typically as a sophomore).

Then, during the week of June 23, we hosted our 5th Annual Middle School Camp for over 70 students rising into grades 6-8 from all 9 partner schools. It was a fun packed week with lots of icebreaker activities where the campers could get to know each other but also get a motor output! The campers were able to cool down by running under the fire truck sprinkler. Firefighting Instructor, Captain Harold Smith, shared that this is actually used for fighting basement fires, which can be very dangerous. The technique is to cut a hole in the first floor and stick the cellar nozzle down the hole to get control of the fire before committing firefighters into the basement. This particular model was produced before any of the camp leaders were likely born. Cool reuse! They also were given free ice from Kona Ice of York County on Tuesday when the temperature outside topped 100 degrees!

Most importantly, the campers spent a lot of time in their program learning from SRTC instructors, as well as several SRTC Student volunteers, by doing the following:

Carpentry Exploration: Students learned basic carpentry skills such as measurement, gluing, layout and various tools while building several take home projects including a toolbox and a planter.

Cosmetology: Demonstrated different hairstyles, up-do’s, manicure and make-up techniques and ended the week with a nail art competition, where they had to work with a random theme.

Firefighting worked with hoses and extinguishers, including some relay races, as well as practiced search and rescue, wildland fire basics.

Law Enforcement: Perfected their two step facing movements, explored Maine criminal laws, practiced defusing techniques through scenarios, learned how to complete a police report, worked a crime scene with evidence collection and got to drive the very popular cruiser driving simulator!

Manufacturing: Learned how to make things for the manufacturing industry by learning measurement, safety and machine operations and put their knowledge to the test by machining take home brain teaser games.

Video Production: learned about different roles in TV and film production followed by brainstorming an idea and writing/editing/producing their very own unique original movie in one week.

The campers’ faces all week seem to indicate success. At one point, they were asked to share positive things about a new peer they had met this week and almost all shared attributes that included, “kind, fun, helpful and cool.” They seemed to be in awe of what they had learned, and from whom, in our awesome facility. Hopefully some will return to be students at SRTC down the line and take away a positive experience of Career and Technical Education.