NEW PHILADELPHIA, Ohio — More than 1,000 sophomores from Tuscarawas, Carroll and Holmes counties are expected at Buckeye Career Center from Nov. 2 through Nov. 6 for the school’s annual Sophomore Visitation Days, according to a community announcement reported by The Times-Reporter. The week is designed to give tenth-graders a first, hands-on look at career-technical education before they decide what to study for the rest of high school.
During each visit, students will tour the New Philadelphia campus and try activities in five of the center’s more than 30 high school programs, according to the announcement in The Times-Reporter. Students will take part in hands-on work in each lab they visit and will receive a complimentary lunch as part of the day.
The visits cap a month of preparation in the students’ home districts. Throughout October, Buckeye Career Center marketing representatives have been visiting partner schools to introduce the programs and prepare sophomores for what they will see, according to The Times-Reporter. “We begin introducing the idea of Buckeye and career exploration in elementary and middle school,” BCC marketing coordinator Shyanne Carroll said in the community announcement reported by The Times-Reporter. “By the time they visit as sophomores, they’re starting to think seriously about what comes next. Seeing our students in action, meeting instructors, and exploring our labs helps them make an informed decision and get a head start on their future,” Carroll told The Times-Reporter.
The range of options is deliberately broad, spanning skilled trades, health care, public safety and creative fields. Programs available for exploration include agriculture and diesel technology, auto collision repair, business and marketing, computer-aided design, commercial truck technology, construction, cosmetology and culinary arts, as well as dental assisting, electrical systems technology, fire and EMS technology, graphic arts, heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration, law enforcement, manufacturing technician, masonry, meat cutting, medical assisting, pharmacy technician, utility line worker and welding, according to The Times-Reporter.
Thirteen districts are taking part in this year’s visitation. Participating districts are Newcomerstown, Conotton Valley, Claymont, Hiland, Indian Valley, New Philadelphia, Strasburg, Garaway, Dover, Tuscarawas Central Catholic, Carrollton and Tusky Valley, according to the announcement reported by The Times-Reporter. Together, those districts account for the more than 1,000 sophomores expected on campus during the week.
Sophomores who want to attend should contact their school counselor to register, according to The Times-Reporter. Homeschooled and digital students can reserve a spot by calling 330-339-2288 or emailing [email protected], the announcement said. Families who want a look at the campus on their own schedule will also have a separate chance later in the same week.
Buckeye Career Center will hold its fall open house from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 5, during visitation week, according to The Times-Reporter. Prospective students and their families can tour the facility, meet instructors and apply for the next school year at the open house, giving students who liked what they saw during the day a next step to act on while the experience is still fresh.
Photo: Tim Kiser, CC BY-SA