Students interested in animation related careers heard from the CEO and lead designer at Ghost Productions, a company that creates animated medical device training videos for doctors.
Last week, the entire student body (nearly 2,000) participated in Career Exploration Day. Students were able to select from 85 career information sessions ranging from animation to structural engineering, to dog grooming, to teaching, to physical therapy, to banking, and much more!
Leah Streff- Nursing
After passing the CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) exam last spring, I was hired as a CNA at Cherrywood Pointe in their memory care unit. Although I often deal with challenging situations, I love my job. Each time I work, I have the opportunity to provide important personal care and gain exposure to the medical side of my goals. - Leah Streff
Leah has been focused on her goal to become a nurse for quite awhile. She has intentionally selected both courses and opportunities for herself that lead her closer to her goals. Next year, Leah will pursue her B.S. Nursing degree at Northern Michigan University. After completing the program, she plans to begin their Nurse Practioner program (for two additional years). Leah credits her Intro to Health Care class for thoroughly preparing her for the CNA exam, which has afforded her the opportunity to gain valuable work experience while still a high school student.
Kelly Nicholls - Industrial Technology Teacher
Our students are designing solutions for challenges and opportunities in our building. Through inter-departmental collaboration, our teachers and students in other departments become our customers. They express a problem, and we design and engineer the solution. Both teachers and students are gaining a better understanding of what happens in other departments. - Kelly Nicholls
Kelly has reached out to a variety of departments in our building to provide his students authentic design and engineering experiences. Recently, Laura Davison, a ceramics teacher asked for Kelly's help. Her ceramics students wanted their own individualized stamp to emboss on the bottom of their pottery pieces. After Laura's students drew their stamps, Dan Ward (on left) got to work designing the stamps in SOLIDWORKS. Once the part was designed, students were able to use our 3-D printers to produce the stamps.
What's up next? Advanced Design and Engineering students from the Industrial Technology Department will soon design, engineer, and prototype projects for the Science and Health Science Departments. Students will utilize 3D modeling software along with precision measuring instruments, a CNC laser cutter, and vinyl cutter to aid designs such as a new test tube holder. Once the final design is produced, students will see that their test tube holders and other products were designed and produced by their fellow classmates taking CAD and Engineering courses.
Turf Grass Management & Golf Course Superintendent Field Trip
Many students may not realize the career opportunities that exist in turf grass management. We are in need of future golf course superintendents. If students have the interest and commitment, we can provide them with the education and training to be successful golf course superintendents. -Jack Mackenzie (Executive Director of the MN Golf Course Superintendents Association)
In October, students had a very unique career field trip opportunity. In partnership with the MN Association for Golf Course Superintendents, we planned a field trip that included stops at the University of MN's Turf Science Center and TPC Golf Course in Blaine. Students who attend career field trips express how meaningful the experience is to their career goal development process. Through these experiences, students are able to actually see and experience different aspects of a career field.
Success of our Advisory Boards
At Forest Lake Area High School, we currently have Advisory Boards to help determine programming needs in a variety of areas. Whether new curriculum, new equipment, or a new process is being considered, the guidance of our Advisory Boards is crucial to our decision making process. The following Advisory Boards are helping to provide that guidance:
- Career Launch
- Agriculture
- Automotive
- Healthcare
- Manufacturing & Engineering
New: Using an Employability Skills Tool to assess student performance in class.
Several Advisory Boards expressed the high value placed on employability skills in the workforce. What could FLAHS do to help our students understand the importance of these skills? An assessment tool was created that several teachers are now piloting in their classrooms. So far, teachers using the tool have noticed increased engagement, effort, teamwork, collaboration, and problem solving. Skills being assessed include:
- Adaptability
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Independence
- Initiative
- Perseverance
- Problem Solving
- Professionalism
- Team Work
- Time Management