Middle school students from across Dutchess County came to the Career & Technical Institute the week of July 13 to try out some of the trade programs it offers.
Basic courses in automotive technology, cosmetology, culinary arts, nursing and trade electric were taught to around 75 students in sixth through eighth grade. CTI Principal Jason Lloyd presented about the program to families on the first day, finding that some did not have background knowledge of career and technical education. Once families were shown the classrooms, they were sold on CTI.
“The parents didn’t want to leave, they wanted to stay and learn how to change oil,” Lloyd recalled once the tour reached Automotive Technology Teacher Ron Strollo’s classroom. “They were very excited about the opportunities that their kids could possibly have once they reach high school.”
The program is free of charge, which Lloyd said is possible thanks to his predecessor Nick Millas, now BOCES’ Director of Career and Technical Education and Adult Education, allotting some of CTI’s budget toward it.
Lloyd noted that the program is an excellent opportunity to expose students to trades they may not have realized they enjoyed, adding that one of the students was initially supposed to be in trade electric, but found his passion in cooking.
“It helps to develop an interest that will hopefully become a passion for them,” Lloyd said. “Every student can learn something, and it’s our job to help them find what they’re good at – summer CTI is doing just that.”
In Teacher Chef Amanda Scoca’s class, students were chopping butter, cracking eggs, measuring flour and pouring in just the right amount of chocolate chips, sugar and vanilla to make homemade cookies. Jaliyah Rodriguez, a soon to be seventh grader in the Wappingers Central School District, became excited once she learned that her mother signed her up for program as she is a budding cook.
“I just wanted to learn how to cook,” Rodriguez said. “It’s fun and very creative.”
In the automotive class, Strollo showed aspiring mechanics how to lift cars with machines and work on engines, but also gave priceless advice applicable to any career – do not claim to know how to do a job if unequipped to do so and learn from mistakes, as people improve because of them.
Everett DiGiacomio, a soon to be seventh grader in the Hyde Park Central School District, signed up for the program because he enjoys seeing his dad work on cars. It inspired DiGiacomio to be part of the automotive technology program when he gets older.
“It’s really good, I like it,” DiGiacomio said of the program. “I like how everything comes together to make a car move.”
Soon to be seventh grader Ugonna Onyeche, also from Hyde Park, enjoyed fixing wires and outlets in James Hayes’ trade electric class, adding that this program encouraged him to potentially sign up for the class.
“I thought it was a nice thing to do because I can figure out stuff,” Onyeche said. “It’s a new experience.”
