MEXICO — The Region 9 School of Applied Technology on Wednesday received updates on two vocational programs and heard from several students on a recent leadership conference in Bangor.

Attending a board meeting for the first time was newly hired RSU 10 Superintendent Craig King. Students from two of the three sending high schools attend Region 9 programs.

Stephannie Robinson, Tiffany Lake and Lori Brown, students at Mountain Valley High School and Region 9, were among 60 vocational students statewide who attended the two-day leadership conference in October.

The women described the opportunities they had to meet students from schools throughout the state, spoke about topics that teach fundraising and other leadership skills and some of the methods taught to identify who they are and what they stand for.

Jen Barlow, instructor for Skills U.S.A. and for Employability Skills, said about 20 students, including one or more of the students who spoke to the board, will attend the annual vocational competition in the spring.

Barlow, along with co-instructor of Employability Skills Norm Jamison, also reported on the program.

“We made a lot of changes to adapt to student credits,” Jamison said.

Among them was offering half-day vocational classes for some students rather than the full-day program so students are better able to enroll in necessary classes at their sending high schools.

He said the half-day program is available for students from Dirigo and Mountain Valley high schools in Dixfield and Rumford, respectively, but not from Telstar High School in Bethel because of the distance. Director Brenda Gammon said she has applied to the Department of Education for the half-day program for approval as an exploratory program.

Employability Skills offers students a chance to sample each of Region 9’s vocational programs during a semester or during a full school year.

Also updating the board on her program was Ruth Brown, instructor of computer technology.

She said her students take part in several national or international computer-related programs, including one that grants a certification upon successful completion.

She said a recent major grant to Central Maine Community College will benefit some of the computer technology students at Region 9 because it likely will open up new programs for students.

Also Wednesday, the board learned that fire science instructor Jon Longley has successfully earned a bus driving license so he can transport students to learning sites. They also delayed the annual evaluation of the director until January, and learned that the Finance Committee will begin working on a 2014-15 operating budget after the first of the year.

The next board meeting is Jan. 8.

Copy the Story Link