Kylie Gines, a student at South Summit High School, participated in a job shadow at KSL during her senior year. Kylie’s job shadow was in the news studio. “I got to listen in on a morning newscaster meeting where all the reporters shared their stories. I watched Amy Iverson do a morning television show and I learned how she does her radio show,” said Kylie. During the job shadow Kylie learned, “Broadcast journalists have a different workday every day and that most reporters do both radio and TV every day.”

What was the best part about Kylie’s job shadow experience? “I liked that I got to see everything that was in the studio and meet a lot of reporters and talk to them. I also had the opportunity to be on TV and get interviewed. It was a very personalized day, said Kylie.”

Kylie offers this advice to students who are thinking about participating in a job shadow, “I would say do it! It will help you with your whole future and realize what you may want to do.”

Kylie will be attending BYU-Idaho in the fall to purse a degree in Communications. She hopes to complete her education in Broadcast Communications.

Each year hundreds of Career and Technical Education students participate in job shadow. If you’re interested in participating in a job shadow contact the Work-Based Learning Coordinator at your school.

Cody Bohin, a student at Bingham High School, recently received a CTE Scholarship and Tuition Award to Salt Lake Community College. Cody will be studying for a career in business. “My goal out of college is to become an accountant. I hope that with all of my experiences and hard work it will help me to achieve my goal. I have worked hard and I will have that upper edge on any other accountant that I will be up against, says Cody.”

During Cody’s senior year he participated in the Business Leadership Training program at Canyons Technical Education Center. “Some of the things that make [the] class so special is that I have completed many prestigious seminars that make me more prepared than many adults in life, says Cody.”

Cody describes how Career and Technical Education prepared him for college and a career. “These programs that I have taken have furthered my skills not only for college but for my whole life. I have taken complete control of my life and face my life in a very professional way. The most impressive skill that I have been able to achieve is my work ethic. I have learned to work hard and always set and achieve goals above what is expected. I have really taken CTE classes to heart. [CTE has] taught me what I know today. With CTE programs you can choose a path and work towards it.”

Abby Knighton, a student at Layton High School, recently received a CTE Scholarship and Tuition Award to Weber State University. Abby will be studying for a career in education. “I want to be an influential and inspiring Family and Consumer Sciences teacher. I plan on going to Weber State University for an estimation of two years, or until I can no longer use their resources. This will begin my education, meaning Weber State does not provide my major, as such, I will continue on to Utah State University to conclude my bachelor’s in Family and Consumer Sciences, Secondary Education, says Abby.”

In high school, Abby was a member of FCCLA and was the chapter president during her senior year. She participated in the Power of One, an FCCLA program that helps students find and use their personal power.  Members set their own goals, work to achieve them, and enjoy the results. The skills members learn in Power of One help them now and in the future—in school, with friends and family, in college, and on the job. “I have been able to recognize the Power of One. I know that every single person on this planet is worth something, though they may not feel that way. They have ideas, input, feelings, and influence in this world and need to be recognized for all that they are worth. I have gained the knowledge of my own individual strength and influence to help others succeed. All my life I have not known what I am capable of but, through the support and care of teachers I have had, I now know. These reasons are some of the many that gave me the drive and ambition to become a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher, says Abby.”

Abby describes how Career and Technical Education prepared her for life after high school—college and career. “The CTE courses I have taken in high school have forever changed my life. I feel more confident in my abilities and talents, which helps me to realize I can succeed. I have a great love for [the FACS] department and cannot wait to be a part of it. I focused on every FACS course possible and I enjoyed each one. I just simply cannot wait to be able to teach these courses.”

Courtnee Marthe, a student at South Summit High School, participated in a job shadow at Park City Medical Center during her senior year. Courtnee’s job shadow was in the radiology department. “I interacted and communicated with patients who were receiving scans or test. I watched x-rays, MRIs, CTs, ultrasounds, and mammograms performed. I was able to ask questions and have them answered. The people I shadowed were very kind and informative,” said Courtnee. During the job shadow Courtnee learned, “The elements of radiology tests or scans and how different body parts look during different scans.”

Courtnee offers this advice to students who are thinking about participating in a job shadow, “Do it! It will let you know if this is a career you really want to pursue.”

Courtnee will be attending Utah Valley University in the fall to purse a bachelor’s degree in Spanish. She then plans to continue her education at Weber State University to pursue a degree in Radiation Therapy.

Each year hundreds of Career and Technical Education students participate in a job shadow. If you’re interested in participating in a job shadow contact the Work-Based Learning Coordinator at your school.

Congratulations to the 160 Utah high school students who competed in the Digital Media Arts Festival held at Utah Valley University. Students from 19 high schools throughout Utah entered a digital media project in one of twelve categories. Entries were judged on technical and artistic value. Students spent hours working on their projects in order to compete against their peers in this final digital media competition.

 Below are the 2013 winners:

View some of the winning projects:

Information Technology occupations are high skill, high wage, and are in high demand, especially in Utah. In Utah, tech companies employ about 140,000 people, paying approximately 57 percent higher salaries than the statewide average. Check out the Career and Technical Education Information Technology Digital Media Pathway.

If your interested in participating in the Digital Media Arts Festival next year talk to your school counselor or Career and Technical Education teacher for details on how to enter.

SAVE THE DATE:
The 2014 Utah Digital Media Arts Festival will be held the first week of May at Utah Valley University.

By Jeannie Johnson
CTE Pathways Coordinator, Bear River Region

The thought of over 3,000 students in two days coming to the Bridgerland Applied Technology Center (BATC) campus might be overwhelming to some, but we LOVE IT!! It means Career Days is here.

The Career Days event includes interactive exhibits, trade and industry displays, and demonstration projects requiring student involvement. The event creates career awareness for opportunities for those students who have the right skills. Our task is to convert student’s enthusiasm to a career path and to assist them in obtaining skills to successfully compete in a global economy.

With 47 “hands-on” booths for students to explore covering everything from cosmetology to robotics to computerized wind velocity tracking to the content of sugar in your favorite Coke® product, there was definitely something for everyone. Students from Cache, Box Elder, Rich, and Logan School Districts attended Career Days. We also had two schools from Idaho and two from Wyoming attend.

As students got off the bus, they were divided into three areas—heavy equipment, automotive, and clean fingernails. The heavy equipment area had 26 pieces of equipment with operators there to instruct the students. Operators answered hundreds of questions about how they liked their job and what they needed to do to become an operator.

In the automotive area students were able to participate in many hands-on activities. They learned about the different types of brakes on cars and how to take them apart. In the painting booth students learned how to use smooth motions to paint a car. Students learned how to bend copper pipe for plumbing, how to recycle, and where recycled materials are used. Students spent time in handcuffs, with the Cache County Sheriff officer, learning how it feels to be a prisoner. Hopefully this is not something they want to be, but they got some good ideas of what the day in the life of a police officer is like.

In the clean fingernails area students were exposed to careers in cosmetology, dental, nursing information technology, agriculture, television production, and many more. Students painted fingernails, learned about cleaning teeth, guessed how much sugar was in a particular drink, learned about what is inside a computer and how it works, matched cuts of meat with where they come from on the body of a cow, and how a green screen works on television. These are just a few of the fun booths students could visit.

The weather was wonderful and students had a great time learning about careers. Thank you to all of our sponsors for helping make Career Days at BATC a huge success! We already have schools asking when Career Days will be next year! So. . .

SAVE THE DATE
April 30-May 1, 2014
Career Days at BATC

Watch students participating in Career Days activities at BATC.
We appreciate the Logan High School Video Production class who produced the Career Days video. Thank you to each student and to their instructor Scott Harris!

“Like” BATC on Facebook to see more pictures of Career Days at BATC. We hope to see you next year!

By Kim Durfee
Technology and Engineering Teacher and TSA Advisor at Herriman High School

Have you ever had an idea that would make a task easier? What can a talented and motivated learner achieve in a true 21st century learning environment? How about creating a mechanical prosthetic hand for his niece? Tanner Day, a senior at Herriman High School, will tell you that all he needed was the right idea, the right resources and a place in his school where he was free to be creative and express his passion for building things. Tanner and many other students find this perfect combination within the SmartLab^™. In Tanner’s case, having a supportive mentor/SmartLab^™ facilitator to encourage him and a beautiful little niece for inspiration didn’t hurt.

In my 30 plus years of teaching, the most rewarding years have been the last 20 as a SmartLab^™ facilitator watching kids achieve more than they ever imaged they could. Every year we have students like Tanner who catch on fire with an inspiring project idea that causes them to stretch and grow in ways that makes you proud to be a part of their growing experience. We can motive and inspire hundreds students like Tanner by providing them with access to state of the art technology, equipment, curriculum and the space and freedom to be creative. I have personally watched my SmartLab^™ students and many others in SmartLabs all around the country, develop engineering skills, but more importantly the 21st century learning skills they need to be career and college ready. Whether it’s a TSA robotics competition championship or one of my students taking first place at the Utah Film Festival, the method, the story of how they got there is the same…student-centered, project based learning. SmartLabs are 21st century learning environments, custom designed and supported by Creative Learning Systems.

Read the success stories of Tanner Day and other Herriman High School students:
> 3-year-old’s uncle builds prosthetic hand
> Herriman High TSA highlights

See what other SmartLab^™ students from around the country are doing at Student Project Showcase.

Nationally, engineering is the second largest of all professions. According to the Utah Department of Workforce Services, by the year 2020 Utah’s workforce is expected to include a total of 25,670 people working as engineers, drafters, engineering technicians, and mapping technicians.

The Technology Student Association (TSA) is the only student organization dedicated exclusively to students enrolled in Technology and Engineering classes in grades 7-12. TSA fosters personal growth, leadership training, career development, teamwork, community service, competitive events, and student recognition to supplement the curriculum in Technology and Engineering. To become a member of Utah TSA contact the TSA advisor in your school.

If you have an idea that would make a task easier and would like to participate in a Technology and Engineering Pathway talk to your school counselor. Your school counselor can assist you with registering for a Career and Technical Education class in the Technology and Engineering Pathway that will give you the opportunity to work in a SmartLab^™.

During June and July CTE students who are members of a Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) will compete in a variety of national skill competitions. Students have worked hard throughout the year preparing for each competition and UtahCTE.org wishes each student success.

SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference
June 24-28, 2013 — Kansas City, MO
SkillsUSA – An Association of Skilled and Technical Sciences Education Students
Conference theme: Champions At Work
Keynote speaker: Mike Rowe
Watch: SkillsUSA National Conference Promotional Video
View: Conference Schedule

The SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference will showcase Career and Technical Education students. Quality Career and Technical Education will be the centerpiece of the conference. More than 15,000 students, teachers, education leaders, and representatives from more than 1,100 national corporations, trade associations, businesses and labor unions will participate in the event. Over 5,900 students will compete in 98 hands-on skill and leadership competitions.

HOSA National Leadership Conference
June 26-29, 2013 — Nashville, TN
HOSA – Health Occupations Students of America
Conference theme: Build a Better You
Keynote speaker: Dr. Ben Carson
Watch: HOSA National Conference Promotional Video
View: Conference Schedule

The highlight of every year for HOSA members is the HOSA National Leadership Conference. This year, thousands of future health professionals from 50 states and territories will take over Nashville in the largest National Leadership Conference in HOSA history. HOSA student members and leaders from the United States and Puerto Rico join together to build knowledge, build experience, build confidence, and build a better you. HOSA members will participate in educational and social learning activities, tour healthcare facilities, visit exhibits presented by professional healthcare associations, and compete in events. Join the convention by watching a live stream of the opening, recognition, and awards sessions.

FBLA National Leadership Conference
June 27-June 30, 2013 — Anaheim, CA
FBLA – Future Business Leaders of America
Conference theme: Igniting Innovation
Keynote speaker: Clint Pardoe
Watch: FBLA Conference Promotional Video
View: Conference Schedule

FBLA members have the competitive edge, as the best and brightest of FBLA convene to compete in leadership events, share their successes, and learn new ideas about shaping their career future through workshops and exhibits. This four-day conference is considered the pinnacle of the FBLA experience, especially for those running for national office. FBLA has forged partnerships with industry leaders to underwrite competitive events and scholarships for students achieving national ranking. FBLA student members are Igniting Innovation in Service, Igniting Innovation in Education, and Igniting Innovation in Progress.

TSA National Leadership Conference
June 28-July 2, 2013 — Orlando, FL
TSA – Technology Student Association
Conference theme: A Tradition of Excellence
Keynote speaker: Steven A. Barbato
Watch: TSA National Conference Promotional Video
View: Conference Schedule

Technology Student Association (TSA) members nationwide are expected to attend the National TSA Conference in Orlando, Florida. Middle and high school student members are preparing to compete in more than 60 competitive events based on principles and concepts learned through projects during the school year in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects. The conference will celebrate the contributions of advanced technology to our society and TSA’s 35th anniversary.

FCCLA National Leadership Conference
July 7-11, 2013 — Nashville, TN
FCCLA – Family, Career and Community Leaders of America
Conference theme: Discover Your Voice
Keynote speaker: Doc Hendley
Watch: FCCLA National Conference Promotional Video
View: Conference Schedule

The FCCLA National Leadership Conference will empower members to build courage, take initiative, and be the change. The voice of youth has never been as important as it is in today’s ever changing society. By strengthening self-confidence and determination, FCCLA members will discover their own voice and also realize the power of their generation as one. Through competitive events, dynamic workshops, and youth networking, students will partake in The Ultimate Leadership Experience.

We want to hear about the national conference you attended and the skill competition you participated in. Send your stories to utahcte@schools.utah.gov.

Over 31,700 Utah secondary Career and Technical Education students are members of a Career and Technical Student Organization. CTSO members are doing great things and are having a positive impact in schools and communities throughout the state.

If you are not a member of a CTSO, and would like to become a member, talk to your school counselor to get connected with the CTSO advisor in your school.

It all began on a hot summer day, on August 21, 2012, when twenty high school students in Alpine School District met on an empty lot in Lehi, Utah. It was the first day of class and the beginning of a project each student would never forget. This was the day they would start building a house from the ground up. The project continued throughout the school year with students working in the heat and the cold. Students participating in this project are part of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Skilled and Technical Sciences (STS) program. Kris Johnson, the project manager and an STS teacher, tells UtahCTE.org about the project.

Question: How many schools in Alpine School District are involved in this building project?
Answer: There are two construction programs in Alpine School District. The schools that attend my project are American Fork, Lehi, Lone Peak and Westlake High Schools.

Question: Would you explain the step-by-step process of building the house?
Answer: It all began in August with the excavation for the house. We use a typical construction schedule which means everything under the drywall needs to be done by the end of the calendar year so we can have a four-way inspection the first of January. The last half of the school year is finalizing the finish materials including: drywall, hand rails, finish carpentry, exterior concrete, shingles, painting, tile, cabinets and counter tops.

Question: How does each class begin?
Answer: At the beginning of each class, we spend twenty minutes talking about what we are going to do and the rest of the class time is spent working on that task.

Question: How are assignments given to each student?
Answer: In the beginning, we work as a team through framing the house and then areas are assigned to each student. Students are then responsible for the area in which they have been assigned. This is how we have accountability and I know by looking at the different areas if I was clear in my expectations.

Question: How did students obtain the materials to build the house?
Answer: The suppliers bid from our drawings like any other job. And then some suppliers go the extra mile by coming to the school and sharing their expertise with the students.

Question: What have been the challenges this year?
Answer: This year we are building a house with materials “Made in America”. This has limited our selection and slightly increased the cost of the house, but it has been a great learning experience.

Question: Who does the interior of the house?
Answer: The interior design classes from the four high schools take turns choosing the colors and making design decisions. Last year it was American Fork High School and this year it is Lehi High School. They do a great job and we appreciate their attention to detail.

Question: Who does the landscaping?
Answer: The landscaping will be left up to the buyer.

Question: What is the involvement of other CTE classes?
Answer: In years past; the sewing class has made drapes, the cabinet class has built cabinets, the business class has made brochures for the open house, the landscape class has landscaped it, and the art class has painted murals on the walls. This year we only have the cabinet, drafting, and interior design classes involved.

Kris told UtahCTE.org about a secret feature in the house, “We built a secret storage closet where no one knows how to get to it except the home owner and a few hundred high school students and their friends.”

The house is located at 640 West North Lake Drive in Lehi, Utah and has already been sold. The proceeds will go to Alpine School District. A ribbon cutting ceremony took place on May 16. Visit Mr. Johnson’s Building Construction Class to view a series of photos showing the progression of the house.

Photo courtesy of James Roh, Daily Herald

There are several homes being built throughout the state by students under the supervision of qualified instructors. These projects provide great learning experiences for students, provide them real skills in the world of construction, and these experiences allows the students to grow through extending their education to our Applied Technology Centers (ATCs), community colleges, or university programs.

If you’re interested in being involved in a similar project at your high school contact your school counselor about registering for a Skilled and Technical Sciences (STS) class. Participating in one of the following STS Career Pathways will give you the hands-on experience to advance to a well-paying career in the building industry.

Carpentry                      Electrician                      HVAC                      Plumbing

Related story:
High school students build all-American house

Sarah Draper, a member of FCCLA and a student at Bingham High School, was recently awarded the FCCLA Japanese Exchange Scholarship. She is one of fourteen FCCLA student members in the U.S. to receive this prestigious scholarship, funded by the Kikkoman Corporation and administered by Youth for Understanding USA.

Japanese Exchange is a scholarship opportunity for FCCLA student members to travel to Japan for four-to-six weeks as an exchange student. Sarah will live with a Japanese host family and learn about the culture and traditions of Japan. It will be a summer Sarah will never forget!

Sarah tells UtahCTE.org about her decision to apply for the Japanese Exchange Scholarship and how FCCLA has influenced her life.

“I first heard about the opportunity to become an exchange student from my mom. She went to Japan as an exchange student the summer after her sophomore year of high school through a FHA/Kikkoman scholarship. I have read journal entries from her time in Japan and have seen the souvenirs that she brought home over 25 years ago.

“I was born in Okinawa, Japan while my dad was serving active-duty in the U.S. Air Force; however, we moved back to the states when I was just two years old. I don’t remember a thing [about living in Japan]. Ever since I was young I have wanted to return to Japan, and when my mom told me about her exchange experience I knew this was something I wanted to do!

“In ninth grade I had a history teacher who spent two years in Japan. When he taught the Japanese unit he was so excited. We spent a lot of time learning about the culture, traditions, celebrations, and people of Japan. He showed us pictures of the food they eat and a movie of people being shoved onto trains in the morning rush hour. We learned to write the different Japanese alphabets. During this unit about Japan I began to love their way of life.

“FCCLA teaches that everyone is unique and we need to accept everyone. Going to Japan is a chance for me to immerse myself in another culture and learn to love it and accept their differences. I once heard a quote referring to different cultures around the world, ‘It’s not good, it’s not bad, it’s just different.’ I think this is so true.

“I hope I can take what I have learned in FCCLA, and from other people in my life, and make my time in Japan an incredible experience. Thank you FCCLA for making it possible for me to experience a life-long dream!”

If you’re interested in becoming a member of Utah FCCLA contact the FCCLA adviser in your school.