We are excited to release our Fall Adult CTE course line-up! It is a good one!
Registration is now open! We will be highlighting each program over the next few days.
Visit our website for additional information and registration forms.
https://www.alleganaesa.org/page/adult-education
Reminder...
2024-25 Students and Parents...
Coming soon and very popular! Contact your local high school counselors to ask about enrolling!
Tech Camp is busy with fun and education! Half of our Self-Sufficient Kids 101 program are downtown Allegan today hiding painted rocks that they created! Keep a look out!
Summer Tech Camps are in full swing! Students are exploring pathways in art, healthcare, culinary, construction, computers and much more!
The end of the 2023-24 school year has the Tech Center saying goodbye to some long-standing and amazing colleagues.
**Rich Okoniewski, Associate Director/Principal, will be relocating to Jackson to be closer to his family. He has been with us for ten years.
**Bill Baker, Criminal Justice Instructor, is retiring after ten years.
**Mark Hoffman, Small Business Instructor, is retiring after 25 years.
**Cindy Walker, Veterinary Technical Sciences Instructor, is retiring after 36 years.
Although we are sad to see these amazing collegues leave us, we are excited for them and wish them the best. We are so grateful to have worked alongside them!
Congratulations to all of our Adult Education students from Plainwell and Allegan for completing their high school diploma or GED! We are so happy we could be a part of your story and offer our CTE courses for free. Your commitment to completing the requirements of the Special Programs Grant including Work Ready Workshops with West Michigan Works should be celebrated! Big shout out to our Career Navigator, Allsyon Salmon for guiding these students through the program!
Last year, the Building Trades and Welding students worked together to design, fabricate, and install a Story Walk feature on the nature trail at Alamo Elementary. This project was in partnership with the Otsego Public Schools Foundation.
This year, Dix Street Elementary received their own Story Walk! This week, the students traveled to Dix Street for installation. Story Walk installation! This is a fun way for kids and families to enjoy the outdoors and a story at the same time!
Each year, the AIS Heavy Equipment morning and afternoon sessions participate in a community service project. This year, had a competition between the two sessions. It was a close race, with our morning class squeaking out the win! They won a hearty breakfast prepared for them by their very own teacher, Mr. Dennany.
The students collected a combined total of 659 personal care and food items. These will be donated to a local food bank who will distribute throughout Allegan County. We continue to be surprised by our students' generosity and eagerness to help those in need.
Allegan Area ESA is hiring.
The Teacher Consultant - Visually Impaired position serves students identified as having a visual impairment and will have a caseload of no more than 30.
To apply go to: https://jobs.redroverk12.com/org/AlleganAreaESA/opening/102096
Hopkins Memorial Crosses: The Manufacturing Careers Technology program, along with the Welding Technology program, were commissioned to create 20 memorial crosses for fallen soldiers by the village of Hopkins. The two classes collaborated to create the crosses that represent each Hopkins soldier that perished in a war during the history of our country. The crosses will be a part of a memorial located in Hopkins Village Park, next to the fire station. A special thanks to ToughCoat PowderCoat of Kalamazoo and Fabricated Components and Assemblies, Inc. (FC&A) of Allegan for their willingness to help with this project.
The Tech Center Employability Skills staff and a few students took advantage of the nice weather last week to help clean up the courtyard at Kauhale Otsego. What a great way to give back to the community!
Employability Skills Student Spotlight....Elizabeth Thompson.
It is Rabbit Dressing Day in Culinary Arts! Today, the students learned how to fabricate a rabbit. They will use the meat to make stock as well as delicious food to feast on in class. The rabbits were provided by the Vet Tech program. We are always sharing and collaborating!
Student Spotlight!
We love it when our community and industry partners come to class! Allied Mechanical Services and 43Forty Fabrication visited the welding program this past February. Four employees took the time to educate students about the company and about their apprenticeship program. They also stayed to work alongside them and offer pointers. One of the employees was a former welding student and graduate of Otsego, Ethan Thrasher (pictured on the left in the photo with the two gentleman).
For 'March is Reading Month,' we once again had students volunteer to read in 5th grade classrooms across the county. The students were given Tech Center pencils and stickers designed and printed by our own Graphic Art & Design students! The Skilled to Build Michigan Foundation donated two books to each classroom that we were able to provide: "Billy the Builder Bear Builds a House" and "Catie the Contractor Leads the Crew."
We are thankful for our volunteers! Pictured: Nora Spreitzer (Allegan Online)/EMS, James Colwell (PHS)/EMS, Gracie Brower (FHS)/EMS, Jesse Smith (AHS)/Teacher Education, Dakota Berneis-Goodyke (PHS)/Teacher Education, and Isabelle Meeker (PHS)/Teacher Education. Not Pictured: Adison Barrett (AHS)/EMS, who read to Mr. Ouellete's class at Dawson Elementary; Cameron Kay (AHS)/Graphic Art & Design, who read to Mrs. Godwin's class at West Ward Elementary; and John Cork (PHS)/Graphic Art & Design, who read to Mrs. Cotter's class at West Ward Elementary.
Spring classes are starting soon. It is not too late to register! Call today 269-512-7800 or stop into the Allegan Tech Center to register in person.
"Community On Deck for Education," known as C.O.D.E. Orange, is an event sponsored by the Educational Foundation of APS to generate school spirit and help support education in Allegan. Each year, the Tech Center's Graphic Art and Design program works with the foundation as part of their community service project and creates hundreds of designs. The students present their work in front of the client with PowerPoint. This year's winning design is pictured here and was created by Madi Dendel, a junior at Otsego High School.
