Article and photos by SCPS
On Tuesday, April 16 the Shelbyville Welcome and Conference Center was buzzing with high school students, teachers, and community members. Students in the culinary programs at MLCHS and SCHS prepared a dinner for those who had participated in Career and Technical Education learning opportunities throughout the school year and this night celebrated the hard work and dedication of the students, teachers, and community members who work symbiotically to prepare a future workforce for our community.
Steve Coleman, Director of Career and Technical Education, saic, “Within Shelby County Public Schools, we have 16 Career and Technical Education programs, with over 20 pathways and 25 instructors, that serve over 1400 students. Our pathways prepare students for high-demand and high-wage careers and post-secondary opportunities. Because of our wonderful business and industry partnerships, we currently have nearly 170 students participating in work-based learning opportunities. The hard work of our students, teachers, and partners has a greater purpose. We provide an opportunity for the next generation of employees, moms and dads, business and government leaders, and philanthropists within our community. Career and Technical Education provides these opportunities through relevant curriculum, caring and supporting instructors that bring real-world experiences, and partners that allow our students to learn by exposing them to learning in non-traditional classrooms through work-based learning.”
Kelly McNew, Work Based Learning Liaison said, “This is our third annual event. It was a time to come together and celebrate students, student organizations, teachers, families, and our partners. This is a great event where we can reflect on all of the amazing opportunities that students have in our school system and community.”
The Profile of a Graduate was developed by our community to outline competencies that we want to see our students master. The Career and Technical Education team created awards based on the Profile of a Graduate to say thank you to community partners.
The following community partners were recognized at the event:
Inspired Innovator: Republic Bank
Effective Communicator: Pegasus Industries
Responsible Collaborator: KCC Companies HVAC
Critical Thinker: German American Bank
Global Citizen: Spray-Tec, Inc.
Lifelong Learner: Shelby County Cooperative Extension Service
Students were given awards based on the Shelby County Public Schools Core Values. Congratulations to the following students who received this year’s Core Value awards:
Growth Mindset: Hosanna Elliott
Empathy: Brayden Lacer
Accountability: Neveah Acklin
Integrity: Dulce Hernandez
Professionalism: Alexis Lorenzana and Abbey Hammond
Teamwork: Garrett Thompson
This night of celebration was the vision of Dr. Sally Sugg. She understands the value and importance of CTE, the students who are enrolled, the instructors who teach, and the importance of community involvement. In 2021, the event could not take place because of the remnants of COVID. However, the inaugural celebration in the Spring of 2022 was at the Blair Center with over 130 people attending.
Since then, the celebration has grown to over 200 and we will continue to annually come together and celebrate all aspects of Career and Technical Education.
