It is hard to believe how quickly the 2019-20 school year is progressing! As we progress through the month of November, I am extremely excited about the opportunities our Career-Tech Center staff and community partners continue to provide for our students. Relevant hands-on learning in the classroom ties directly to real opportunities for our students to demonstrate their knowledge through experiences offered by local business and industry partners or in statewide student clubs and competitions. Every connection our students make in their learning leads to valuable experiences and references that enhance any resume, job application or college essay.

As discussions around the state focus on the skills gap, the need for skilled trades workers, and the opportunities for competitive wages, student interest in career and technical education and enrollment numbers at our center continue to grow. Our mission is to provide the best technical programs possible in order to strengthen the opportunities for students following graduation. The Career-Tech Center is committed to providing a 21 ^st century education, so that your children will leave our center with a skill set and work ethic that will open the door for post-secondary education, technical training, or an entry-level career choice if they so choose. Please feel free to check in at our office and visit your student in their program to see first-hand the great things they are accomplishing each and every day!

Respectfully,

Pat Lamb

Assistant Superintendent of Career &Technical Education and Community Outreach

Paige Stepke says helping others understand something new is inspiring. "Giving back to the students is what I enjoy most about teaching."

Ethan Davenport

Congratulations to Kiwanis Club Student of the Month, Traverse City Central High School senior Ethan Davenport. He is a second year student in the CTC Public Safety/Protective Services program and has enlisted in the US Navy following graduation.

9/11 Remembrance

Instructor Tom Lennox and his students from the Public Safety/Protective Services program participated in the Traverse City 9/11 ceremony held in remembrance of the lives lost on September 11, 2001.

A book by Penny Kittle titled Book Love inspired Jennifer Stairs a few years ago to go the extra mile for students needing encouragement to read for fun. What started with a single box of donated books is now a small library with more than 2,000 volumes located in the CTC near the front of the building, across from the Early Childhood program.

As an English language arts instructor at the CTC, one of Jennifer’s goals is to connect students with books that bring them joy. “When young people believe they ‘hate’ reading, it’s often because they haven’t yet discovered the content they enjoy,” said Ms. Stairs. “I want to change that and the CTC Literacy Library helps me do that.”

The library collection is based on student requests and recommendations. It includes both fiction and non-fiction and is geared toward the tastes of young adults. As an ELA teacher, Ms. Stairs focuses on carefully matching a book to a student’s unique interests. When the content of a book comes alive to a student, reading becomes less of a ‘chore,’ and reading skills improve.



CTC students can look for the stained glass hanging in the window and come on in to browse for a great story. To check out a book, all they need is a completed library form signed by a parent/guardian. Up to two titles may be checked out at a time and the collection is always rotating and growing. Students and staff are encouraged to visit often and share their reviews and recommendations! 

“What’s Hot” in the

CTC Literacy Library

Forged in Fire

Front Street Writers Welcomes Erica Berry

Career-Tech Center’s Front Street Writers program, in conjunction with National Writers Series, welcomes Erica Berry as teaching fellow for the 2019-2020 school year. Berry joins instructor Teresa Scollon in helping young people learn the art of expressing themselves in fiction, narrative non-fiction, essays, poetry, business writing, journalism and technical writing.

Her essays and journalism appear or are forthcoming in Gulf Coast, The New York Times Magazine, Colorado Review, National Public Radio, Literary Hub, and The Atlantic, among others, and her recent work has received the 2018 Steinberg Essay Prize, been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and been named Notable in Best American Essays 2019. Born in Oregon, she has also lived and worked in Maine, Scotland, Sicily and Minnesota, where she received her Master of Fine Arts from the University of Minnesota in 2018.

The recipient of grants and fellowships from the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Bread Loaf Writers Conference, Berry is thrilled to now have such a unique excuse to live and work in Michigan. “Front Street Writers is unlike any other program I have heard of around the country,” she said, citing both the breadth and depth of the coursework. She is intrigued by the interdisciplinary collaborations she has already witnessed between departments at the CTC and excited to help the students train as writers—not just ones who will succeed in the classroom, but in the wider world too. 

Youth Health and Wellness Center

(231) 922-6416

Follow us on Instagram @youthhealthtc

Office Hours: Monday – Friday 8:30 am – 4:30 pm

Walk-in visits are accommodated as time allows.

YHWC is a Medicaid enrollment site and can assist you with getting

healthcare coverage for children age 10-21.