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Job Shadowing Shows Blueprint for Success
Monday, February 15, 2010
Looking at blueprints and learning about soil and concrete sampling were just the first
steps for three Weslaco High School students participating in Tech Prep Job Shadowing at the engineering firm Raba-Kistner Consultants. Students Israel Gaona, Raul Martinez and Blayne O Parrish toured the firm’s McAllen office and viewed the mountains of documents and blueprints associated with individual construction projects. They also watched a thought-provoking video on the construction of an inside ski resort in Dubai.
Graduate engineer Jorge Perez, who led the Raba Kistner tour, also gave them timely advice on majoring in civil engineering at Texas A&M University-Kingsville as Israel and Raul intend to do. Kingsville provides a valuable general foundation for civil engineering, he said, and you can choose electives to explore the seven different specialties within the field. “It gives you more flexibility when are look for a job.”
After graduation, Perez explained, most engineers take certification tests to build their credentials on the way to achieving the Professional Engineer title.
“The students learned a lot just by being there. They found about all the steps that engineers must go through to make sure a project is done right,” said Weslaco High School counselor Juslissa Sandoval, who accompanied the job shadowers. Their classes in advanced math are helping prepare them for college engineering courses.
Blayne Parrish, who is heading to Texas Tech to study either civil or electrical engineering, said the Tech Prep Job Shadowing project had given him his first opportunity to visit an engineering firm and talk to young engineers.
Raul Martinez, on the other hand, has been working part-time with the Weslaco engineering firm, Sigler, Winston, Greenwood. “Raba Kistner was very different from where I work,” Raul said. “It was very interesting to see the testing they do.” He was encouraged by the enthusiasm the engineers showed for their work and surprised by the variety of work available to civil engineers.
Job shadiwing Weslaco High students Israel Gaona, Raul Martinez (striped shirt) and Blayne Parrish learn about engineering labs from engineer Jorge Perez at Raba-Kistner in McAllen
Television Welcomes Job Shadowing Students with Music and Dance
Monday, February 15, 2010
Rebecca Ramos and Malarie Wells take part in an on-air salsa exhibition with Telemundoo co-hosts of Buenas Dias and a salsa instructor while job shadowing
Dancing on a live television show! That’s the last thing Weslaco High School Tech Prep students expected to be doing when they job shadowed at Telemundo KTLM-TV on February 2.
The operations manager of the McAllen based TV station, Noel Duran, believes in students and interns having a true, hands-on experience. But the on-camera performance of Malarie Wells, Rebecca Ramos, David Garcia and Michael Gonzalez was not in the script as they watched “Buenos Dias” hosts Mariam Martinez and Dalea Garza shoot the popular morning show. Yet when a McAllen salsa dance instructor appeared to give an on-camera salsa lesson, the students were recruited to dance with him.
“After we started dancing it was fun,” said Malarie Wells, a Weslaco High senior. She has appeared in commercials for her family’s business and is taking Media Technology with teacher Gabriel Cruz. For the last three years, she is most often behind the camera, taping weddings for her business Moments by Malarie. She plans to attend Hillsong International Leadership College and study media.
Michael Gonzalez, who plans to attend UTPA before transferring to UT-Austin’s Film School, admitted he hadn’t appeared in front of a television camera before. During his Media Tech classes, he has pictured himself behind the scenes instead. “It’s been a passion of mine to work at a news station,” he said. Michael has been fascinated by news broadcast since he was a child. Michael hopes to one day work at Dallas station WFAA where one of his role models, Gloria Campos from the Valley, is a long-time personality.
David Garcia, seated, and Michael Gonzalez practiced tracking segments under the guidance of Telemundo operations manager Noel Duran while job shadowing
Rebecca Garza, a Weslaco sophomore who is still exploring career choices, has an interest in media technology. During middle school, she presented sports segments that were broadcast to the school. Her appearance on a regional Telemundo show was a surprise, but it is not going to be the deciding factor in what she chooses as a career.
David Garcia on the other hand plans a career in media. “It’s definitely a field I want to get into. Next year I should be in the Media Technology class,” he said. “The job shadowing was way more hands-on than I expected.”
Operations manager Duran told the students how a television station functions. “We run commercials all day and interrupt them for a show.” He assigned David and Rebecca the task of compiling program segment time sheets which required them watching small television monitors and tracking the length of show segments.
Telemundo’s camera operator had warned the students they might be put on the show, but the event left the four a little bit startled by its spontaneity. He told them not to worry: “People know it’s live. You added a little bit of humor, so go with the flow.”
Lower Rio Grande P-16 Council Meeting Set for February 16
Thursday, February 11, 2010 The Lower Rio Grande P-16 Council's quarterly meeting is set as follows:
Date: Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Location: Best Western Palm Aire Hotel,
415 S. International Blvd.
Weslaco, Texas
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (continental breakfast will be provided)
The agenda includes these presentations, plus other business of interest to the Council:
A presentation about 21st Century Skills and related instructional methodologies given by Paula Gama Garcia, Instructional Coach, Texas High School Project/Early College High School.
A data initiatives update given by Daria Lisa Prieto, M.A., Director of College Access and Support Programs, UTPA - Tech Prep Board, Data Committee Chair.
A presentation about a new Rio Grande Valley Regional Prospective Student Center given by Rick Margo, Senior Admissions Counselor-Texas A&M University.
Tech Prep updates provided by Patricia G. (Pat) Bubb and Dr. Belinda Torres.
P-16 updates provided by Dr. Belinda Torres and Martha Gutierrez.
The P-16 Council is chaired by three individuals who are also members of the Executive Board of Tech Prep of the Rio Grande Valley:
Pat Hobbs, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Texas State Technical College Harlingen
Gonzalo Salazar, Superintendent of Schools, Los Fresnos CISD
Dr. Norma L. Salaiz, Superintendent of Schools, La Villa ISD
P-16 Council meetings are open to the public. To assist Tech Prep staff with planning for refreshments and briefing materials, RSVPs are requested.
If YOU are planning to participate, please send in your RSVP by emailing or calling Janie Adames at janie.adames@harlingen.tstc.edu
956.364.4509 or 1.800.852.8784 ext. 4509.
After the February 16 meeting, the P-16 Council's next quarterly meeting will be held on May 4, 2010, from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. in Weslaco.
United Launch Alliance Supports Tech Prep Initiatives
Wednesday, January 27, 2010 The $5,000 check that Ernest Roybal, ULA’s Director of Harlingen Operations, presented to Tech Prep Executive Director Pat Bubb, represents the aerospace company’s long-term commitment to technical education. Given in recognition of what Tech Prep-Rio Grande Valley does by guiding students into technology courses and pathways, the donation underscores the important link between business and education.
“The things ULA (United Launch Alliance) is interested in align perfectly with the mission of Tech Prep,” said Roybal at the Harlingen facility which has been making Atlas launch vehicles for 22 years.
“Tech Prep’s success in helping increase graduation rates and directing rising numbers to colleges give young people better opportunities. We are all on the same path and excited to help Tech Prep,” Roybal said. In the long term, he hopes skilled graduates will come work at ULA.
The ULA check, which has become a tradition, is used for a ULA Engineering scholarship which is awarded as a part of the Dr. Lauro F. Cavazos Texas Tech Prep Scholarship program and to support the Academic Leadership Alliance. The ALA places high school Tech Prep teachers and counselors in local businesses to give the teachers a firsthand view of the skills students need for employment in the 21st century. In 2009, ULA hosted a teacher extern. It has also continued its hands-on support of high school engineering and rocket clubs.
Ernest Roybal, ULA’s Director of Harlingen Operations, makes donation to Tech Prep Executive Director, Pat Bubb
We're Busy Developing a New Website
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 We're working on a new website! Many thanks to Joyce Magee of Web-Magik, who is continuing to host our current site during the transition. Thanks, too, to TSTC Harlingen, which is doing the work necessary to become our new host.
While our new website is under construction, the calendar function will not be in operation. We have posted our Tech Prep calendar for the year at a link in the "Calendar" section of our current website, and you can download either a Tech Prep calendar or a P-16 calendar through our "Downloads" section.
Board meetings for the year are set as shown below. A great deal of additional information appears on the calendars described above. We will, of course, post more detailed information as meeting dates and times become available. And from time to time you'll hear from us about additional activities that don't fit into the calendars in the Downloads section.
SCHEDULE OF BOARD MEETINGS:
BOARD: Thursday, February 25, 2010 – 12 noon, Weslaco
BOARD: Thursday, May 27, 2010 – 12 noon, Weslaco
BOARD: Thursday, August 26, 2010 – 12 noon, Weslaco
Job Shadow Day Kickoff Set for February 2 at Rio Grande Valley Partnership
Tuesday, January 12, 2010 On February 2, 2010, Rio Grande Valley employers and students will focus on Groundhog Day, but not on the weather! A press conference hosted by Tech Prep of the Rio Grande Valley and the Rio Grande Valley Partnership will kick off a series of Job Shadow Day events that will continue throughout the spring. Student "shadows" from partnering school districts, with employers and community leaders, will participate in the event. The program is supported by cities, counties, school districts, colleges, universities, business and community leaders, television stations, and other media. Event details are as follows:
Who: Tech Prep of the Rio Grande Valley and the Rio Grande Valley Partnership
What: Groundhog Job Shadow Day "Kickoff" Press Conference
When: Tuesday, February 2, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Where: Board Room, Rio Grande Valley Partnership, 322 South Missouri Avenue, Weslaco
By the end of the spring, hundreds of Rio Grande Valley students will have gained valuable perspective by learning firsthand how the skills they are learning in school are applied in working life. In a Job Shadow Day experience, a student "shadows" an employer or employee as he or she works through a normal day on the job, observing actual workplace experiences in a wide variety of fields. Experiences with employers during Job Shadow Day events help Rio Grande Valley students to understand the relevance of their academic studies, so that students are motivated to excel. In addition, employers have the opportunity to showcase their businesses and emphasize the importance of education, encouraging students to pursue higher-level academics and postsecondary education.
According to Sergio Contreras, chairman of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership, “Job shadowing is a terrific way to give students exposure to professional life and help them understand how developing productive habits in school can facilitate future success.” Contreras, who serves as external affairs director for AT&T, is well-versed in the benefits of this type of program through his involvement with AT&T’s successful Aspire/Job Shadow program aimed at reducing high school dropout rates.
Tech Prep RGV, which is a partnership between education and business that prepares young people for today's skilled workforce, has been spearheading Job Shadow initiatives in this region for several years. State Representative Armando “Mando” Martinez praised the efforts of Tech Prep and the other participating organizations: “Tech Prep has done a tremendous job organizing and developing this program, and the high level of support and participation within the business community has been critical to its success. The Annual Job Shadow Day program presents an opportunity for students to gain access and insight into what could be their future careers.”
Employers and community leaders can contribute to Job Shadow Day activities in any of the following ways:
• By participating in the Groundhog Job Shadow Day "kickoff" press conference described above.
• By having a personal "student shadow" Groundhog Day or later in the spring.
• By encouraging other employers and community leaders throughout the region to host students for Job Shadow Day events on Groundhog Day or later in the spring--helping Tech Prep and the Partnership to secure additional employer placements for all Job Shadow Day activities.
Contact Martha Gutierrez at Tech Prep or Veronica Villegas at the Partnership for additional information.
Tony "Thrill" Hill to Speak at Tech Prep Employers and Education Forum on February 11
Tuesday, January 12, 2010 Want to learn more about the link between education and economic development? The opportunity will be there when Dallas Cowboys superstar Tony "Thrill" Hill speaks at the Tech Prep Employers and Education Forum beginning at noon on February 11 at the Knapp Medical Center Conference Center in Weslaco.
Individual tickets are $50, and sponsorships are available. Download a sponsorship packet through the "Downloads" section of this website, or contact the Tech Prep offices for additional information. (The sponsorship packet appears in the "Downloads" section under the name "Annual Education and Employer Forum/Sponsorship Packet.)
Leroy Anthony Hill, Jr., better known as Tony Hill, graduated from Stanford University with a 3.3 GPA in Political Science at the age of 20. Tony “Thrill” Hill then spent ten successful seasons in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys. He helped the Cowboys become “America’s Team” by leading them to Super Bowls XII & XIII and six playoff appearances. A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Hill is the second all-time leader in receiving yards with 7,998. During his ten-year career with the Cowboys, Tony led the team in both receptions and yardage for eight of those ten years. His 479 receptions are third on the Cowboys’ All-Time list behind Michael Irvin and Drew Pearson. Hill’s 51 Touchdown receptions also rank third on the All-Time Cowboy list behind Bob Hayes and Michael Irvin. He finished his career with 8,072 total yards (Rushing and Receiving), making him the team’s fourth All-Time leader in that category behind Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett and future Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin. Tony Hill was known for his quick speed and big play ability. Cowboys Coach Tom Landry had this to say about him: “[He is] our Home Run Hitter. I’ve never seen a guy who could adjust to a ball in mid-air like Tony. He is a very explosive player; the type who can turn a short play into a big play in a hurry, because he has excellent running ability and speed.” He has been inducted into the Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame.
A native of Long Beach, California, Hill resides in Dallas with his wife and four children. Tony is the CEO and President of Legends Sports Promotions, Inc., a company that raises funds for charitable organizations through celebrity basketball, softball, and football games as well as golf tournaments. Legends Sports Promotions also caters to corporate America by providing athletes for motivational and promotional events across the country.
During his tenure as a Cowboy, Tony became involved with the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, serving for nine years as Honorary Chairman for the North Texas Chapter. Hill has been a game-show contestant and has served as a color commentator for Arena Football. He has many other accomplishments in both the philanthropic arena and in business.
He and his wife are the proud parents of three daughters, Cassidy, Kelli and Leslie, as well as one son, Anthony, who plays basketball for Colgate University.
Tony Hill works closely with Tech Prep RGV Board member Rene Capistran, South Texas Vice President of SpawGlass Contractors, on philanthropic events throughout the state. It was Capistran who arranged for Hill to travel to the Valley to participate as featured speaker for the Tech Prep RGV event.
For additional information, visit either of these links:
http://ronwhitlock.com/RWREPORTS/MAIN.html
http://www.harlingen.tstc.edu/techprep/documents/Sponsorship_PacketFinal.pdf
Presentation Made to Representative Eddie Lucio III
Friday, December 18, 2009 The honorable Eddie Lucio III, Texas House of Representatives, District 38, presented keynote remarks during the opening general session of Tech Prep RGV's regional conference, which was held at South Padre Island on December 2-3. Tech Prep Executive Board member Gonzalo Salazar, was present to present awards to Tech Prep Teacher of the Year Velma Sanchez (Edinburg CISD) and Tech Prep Counselor of the Year Patti Muniz (Harlingen CISD). Dr. Steve Flores, Harlingen CISD Superintendent and also a member of the Tech Prep Board of Directors, was present for the ceremonies and spoke during the second general session later in the day.
Gonzalo Salazar, Los Fresnos CISD Superintendent; Pat Bubb, Tech Prep of the RGV Executive Director; and Dr. Steve Flores, Harlingen CISD Superintendent, presented State Representative Eddie Lucio III with a Certificate of Appreciation at the 2009 Tech Prep Regional Conference. In his keynote presentation, Representative Lucio noted that employers talk about a high-skilled workforce, not the available workforce. "Tech Prep has an impact on our quality of life."
Mission Develops College-Ready, College-Bound Students
Friday, December 11, 2009
The Mission High School College Bound crew have celebrated success with 98% of seniors applying for college
“There’s nothing like students coming to class with college acceptance letters. That includes many kids who never thought they could go to college,” said Melissa Garcia, Business Education/College Readiness teacher at Mission High School. An eager audience at the 2009 Tech Prep Regional Conference heard Garcia, Nelda Garza, Irene Saenz and Nelda Martinez describe the success the Mission CISD has had with its College Bound program.
In the 2008-2009 school year, 98 percent of Mission’s graduating seniors, including special needs students, applied to South Texas College and/or UTPA.
The Mission school district came up with the recipe for the College Bound curriculum after determining what obstacles prevented their students from entering college. The major barrier turned out to be paperwork: admission applications, scholarship applications, entrance test applications.
Intent on making every student college ready and college bound, Mission school launched the College Bound program to show students how to open the doors of colleges and universities they wanted to attend. The two semester college readiness/Business Support courses work with students until they become familiar with ACT/SAT formats and then go on to take the tests one or more times. All students complete college applications including college essays as part of the course.
The school district works closely with STC and UTPA to gives the senior class familiarity with the college application process. A college student panel at Mission High School and Veterans Memorial High School generates community awareness and builds a college going culture, Saenz said. The high schools have consistently pushed four years of math and science for all students. Over a two year period, Mission has charted a 30 percent increase in students taking the ACT.
This year, over 1,420 Mission High School and Veterans Memorial High School seniors are taking the now mandatory college readiness class which includes completing the financial aid (FAFSA) paperwork in class.
Superintendent Oscar Rodriguez Jr. spearheaded the initiative and is credited with getting everyone onboard from kinder on up. Now every child sees herself as a potential college student. Rodriguez has been named Texas Superintendent of the Year. Mission CISD is one of six districts in Texas to be recognized for its use of funds directed at college preparedness. That includes mandating two semesters of college readiness, partnering with local institutions of higher education, reducing student- teacher ratios in all core freshman classes and paying all tuition and book fees for dual enrollment courses.
Mission student Diedre Flores voiced her support of the College Bound process and it’s Tech
Prep counselors and teachers during the workshop. “They helped me step by step on each
Problem”.
Diedre Flores, accompanied by her father, told the College Bound workshop how much the program had aided her in applying for college and scholarships
Every Future Deserves a Great Plan
Tuesday, December 8, 2009 written by Eileen Mattei
In 2007, all 200 teachers at Edinburg High School became involved in a strategy to help students achieve their goals by using the Premier Planner. The organizer is designed to develop academic and college readiness and also maintain the parent’s connection to the student’s school work and the school.
At the 2009 Tech Prep Regional Conference, Danielle McCarver, Career Connections teacher, described how the students have whole-heartedly adopted the tool which instills better study habits and organizational skills. “Their planner is like their cell phone. They feel naked without it.” Even the principal tucks his planner in his back pocket and uses it constantly.
Getting students to carry and use the organizer took a carrots and stick approach. “It takes a lot of repetition to get them to use it,” McCarver admitted. But the Premier organizer also functions as hall pass and tardy pass, with the teacher signing on the date. Students soon realized they could not be without it. For admission to special events like pep rallies, the student must present the planner with a parent’s signature. Reviewing and signing the planner every week links parents to students’ homework assignments and activities.
“Now as soon as students get their planners, they personalize them,” McCarver said. Having the planner with them at all times enables students get organized by writing down assignments and noting quiz dates and report deadlines. The planner helps student develop time management skills that are essential when they move to less supervised college classes.“The planner most importantly is a tool to make them successful and prepared for college. They learn to be prepared.”
But the planner goes beyond tracking day to day activities in helping students prepare for college. The college readiness segment of the planner, with different lessons for each grade, guides students in investigating personal interests and related career choices.
“They use this to assess themselves and discover their talents,” McCarver said. From there, each student is able to pursue one of the 16 career clusters that lead a rewarding future. The students become aware of the effectiveness of making a plan and following through on it.
The Premier planner contains, besides the student handbook, an extensive reference and resource guide that includes math, political and grammar tables. Here the student can track credit hours and personal achievements as well. Edinburg High School has been cited as one of the top 1500 schools in the nation, in part, because of the high number of students taking Advanced Placement courses and exams.
DanielleMcCarver, CareerConnections teacher at Edinburg High School makes a presentation during Tech Prep's Regional Conference
21st Century FACE Program Helps Students Match Aptitudes with Careers
Tuesday, December 1, 2009 written by Eileen Mattei
Deciding what career is the right one and then figuring out how to prepare for that career is not easy. But over 70 students from Pharr, San Juan and Alamo schools have Tech Prep’s 21st Century FACE program to help guide them to a bright future.
At a November FACE presentation,educator Cindy Solis challenged the students from PSJA Memorial, PSJA North, PSJA and TAP/Option high schools to look first at their interests. Do you see yourself as a persuader or a creator? A do-er or a thinker? she asked them. Thumbing through 21st Century handouts, the students identified their personal traits, abilities and interests. Then it was simple to match aptitudes with compatible groups of career possibilities.
The six career groupings-- identified as realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising and conventional--each listed up to 75 possible careers. The organized individual might be comfortable as a customs inspector or a court reporter, while the social might gravitate to teaching or cosmetology. Those in the thinker category could consider a future in biology or pharmacy. The students who had already decided on a career field seemed pleased to find themselves classified as either enterprising, artistic, or realistic.
“You need to get a career that makes you happy,” Solis told the Tech Prep students. “You could be working in your career for the next 48 years, so choose a career that you find interesting and that will support you and your family.”
Tech Prep's Martha Gutierrez distributes career choice handouts to PSJA students in the 21st Century program
To help students determine which in-demand, well-paid career to pursue, Solis referred them to web sites that listed the amount of education required and the cost of the education for numerous jobs. Even while in high school, students can get ready for their chosen future by laying a good foundation of classes.
“The purpose of all this is to let you know there are so many things you can do. Researching from here, you might bump into something you didn’t even know existed,” she said.
“If you don’t prepare yourself for a career and acquire skills, you could be working in fast food for 48 years,” Solis warned them. She pointed out that unskilled workers, making minimum wage, earn less than half of the salary that skilled, educated individuals do.
The three major options for their futures, Solis mentioned, are going directly into the world of work after graduating from high school; second, going into the military which offers a wide range of job training; or third, going to one, two or four year colleges or certification programs.
Assistance through the College for all Texans program and financial aid departments could help them achieve their goals.
Part of a series of two-hour seminars offered by Tech Prep, the 21st Century program addresses employability skills, creating career plans, and financial aid.
PSJA Tech Prep students are ready to learn about career choices
Los Fresnos Students Develop Academic and "People" Skills
Tuesday, December 1, 2009 written by Eileen Mattei
“You have to really push yourself every day. It’s hard,” said Esmeralda Gonzalez, a student at the Los Fresnos College Career & Technology Academy. The alternative school works with 90 students between 17 to 23 who are committed to obtaining a high school diploma. Esmeralda had in fact pushed herself hard and achieved her first goal: she had just passed her TAKS test and would graduate from high school.
Esmeralda is living proof for her classmates that persistence pays off and that taking small steps enables you to accomplish larger goals. She plans to study business management first at the University of Texas at Brownsville before moving on to the University of Houston.
“I won’t settle for less,” she said. “I want to be my own boss. I’m very understanding of other people. Everyone is unique.”
Esmeralda and most of her CCTA classmates had discovered that, even for low-paying jobs, employees are expected to have a diploma or a GED or to be working toward that goal. “It’s very hard. Even What-A-Burger and Wal-Mart want to see a GED or to know that you are working on a diploma,” said one young woman.
Esmeralda and her classmate spoke while taking part in a Tech Prep Job Skills Session led by retired teacher Janie Gutierrez. As the students work on the academic foundation for their futures, Tech Prep is helping them prepare for the real world through 26 sessions that address topics such as work ethics, conflict resolution, and the November topic of navigating job interviews.
“What do you say in a job interview?” Janie Gutierrez asked the students. The retired teacher explained that employers are concerned about the job applicants who have an inability to communicate face to face. “You have to be able to tell people about yourself in an interview.” Doing this demonstrates that you have the communication skills which are essential for talking to customers, co-workers and supervisors and getting the job done.”
During the November session, the students answered a series of personal questions. Then they practiced by speaking out and identifying themselves and stating what careers interested them. While some students were very shy, others were talkative. They all voiced their goals and many mentioned the steps they were following to achieve a brighter future.
“Many people are afraid of speaking. It is necessary for you to practice for an interview,” Gutierrez said. “A friend may not tell you your faults,” such as mumbling or not looking up. On the other hand, in an interview remember to wait for the question. “You need to know when to stop talking, too.”
Firm goals were motivating many of the students. Karen, who enjoys science, is determined to become a Registered Nurse. Reynaldo Ramos intends to be a chef. Jose Mares plans to become a computer technician. Jose Hinojosa expects to become a counselor. Another will enter the Coast Guard. Greg Luna, who already has two sales jobs, plans a career in investment sales. He agreed, “You need to know how to talk to people.”
Anna Garcia, a single mom, will become an elementary teacher. Even Andrea Vargas, who plans to be a stay-at-home mom, is working for her high school diploma. “You never know,” she said.
Thanks to Tech Prep, CCTA students will know how to improve their communications skills for career success.
Esmeralda Gonzalez and Karen Camacho fill in personal profiles during a Tech Prep job skills session at Los Fresno's College, Career & Technology Academy.
2009 Tech Prep Regional Conference Held
Monday, November 16, 2009 Tech Prep of the Rio Grande Valley will be hosting the 2009 Tech Prep Regional Conference at the Sheraton Hotel and Condominiums in South Padre Island, TX on December 2-3, 2009.
The 2009 Teacher and Counselor of Year Awards will be announced during the conference on Wednesday December 2 at the opening general session. We encourage you to nominate a deserving teacher or counselor for these awards. The forms as well as the conference flyer and registration form can be found at the "Downloads" section of our website.
We are very excited to announce that our featured presenter is Victor Villaseñor. A gifted and accomplished speaker, Victor Villaseñor, in his candid and heartfelt manner, brings a fresh perspective to a number of universal themes, including pride in heritage, the strength of family, world peace, the power of the written word, and dedication to education and personal achievement.
Villaseñor’s body of works include a number of nonfiction books which are all used in schools throughout the country: The trilogy Wild Steps Of Heaven, Rain of Gold, and Thirteen Senses, Jury: The People vs Juan Corona, Macho!, and Walking Stars, a collection of short stories written especially to inspire young people. Burro Genius, the first book of the second trilogy, released July 2004, is a national bestseller, and nominated for a Pulitzer prize. Villaseñor’s acclaimed written works, as well as his inspiring lectures, have earned him numerous awards and endorsements, including the Founding John Steinbeck Chair appointment.
Visit the "Downloads" section of this website to obtain forms, or request additional information from the Tech Prep office.
Tech Prep Board Met in Weslaco on November 19
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 The regular quarterly meeting/annual meeting of the Board of Directors of Tech Prep of the Rio Grande Valley, Inc., is set as follows:
DATE: Thursday, November 19, 2009
TIME: 12 noon - 1 p.m. (with brief orientation for new Board members immediately following)
LOCATION: Conference Room, Weslaco Chamber of Commerce, 301 West Railroad Street, Weslaco
AGENDA:
1. Call to Order/Invocation/Pledge of Allegiance
2. Board Bytes
3. Consider and Approve Minutes of Last Meeting (August 20, 2009)
4. Consider and Approve Finance & Bylaws Committee Recommendations
5. Consider and Approve Nominations Committee Recommendations
6. Committee Reports:
6.A Executive and Partnerships
6.B Finance & Bylaws
6.C Lower Rio Grande P-16 Council
(Curriculum/Work-Based Learning; Professional
Development; Universities and Colleges)
6.D Marketing and Awards and Technology Initiatives
6.E Nominations
7. Staff Reports
8. Plans for Next Meeting
9. Adjourn
ORIENTATION FOR NEW BOARD MEMBERS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING
Tech Prep Board meetings are open to the public. Contact the Tech Prep office for additional information.
2009 EXPO Essay Winners Have Clear Goals
Friday, November 6, 2009
Jack Damron, Pat Bubb, Linda Garcia, Chelsea Ratliff, Nolan Rendon, Joe Vasquez, Marco Arguijo, Martha Gutierrez, and Delia Weaver at the EXPO Essay award presentation
Three San Benito High School seniors claimed the top prizes in the 2009 Education & Career EXPO Essay Contest. Nolan Rendon, Marco Arguijo and Chelsea Ratliff were awarded first, second, and third prizes, respectively, for their compositions detailing the impact the EXPO had on their career and education decisions. The prizes were presented at the Annual Tech Prep meeting by Tech Prep’s Martha Gutierrez, who co-chairs the EXPO with Kathy Wolf of the Harlingen Area Chamber of Commerce.
“You are who we do all the our work for,” Tech Prep executive director Pat Bubb told the three students. “You save money by taking advantage of high school courses that earn college credits. You have career pathways that will take you to great futures.”
San Benito High teacher Linda Garcia has all three students in her AP English class. She received 110 essays from students about attending the EXPO. When submitted to the Tech Prep judges, the San Benito students’ essays swept the awards in a triple play.
Pat Bubb and the chair pro tem Joe Vasquez discuss the agenda before the annual Tech Prep voting members' meeting.
See students' stories in the "Featured Student" section of the website.
Lower Rio Grande P-16 Council to Meet in Weslaco at 9:30 a.m. on November 10
Tuesday, November 3, 2009 The quarterly meeting of the Lower Rio Grande P-16 Council is set as follows:
Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Location: Best Western Palm Aire Hotel, 415 South International Blvd. Weslaco, Texas
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Preliminary Agenda: Featured presentations are as follows:
Presentation of P-16 data for Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy Counties by Dr. Belinda Torres, Tech Prep Coordinator
P-16 activities update by Martha Gutierrez, P-16 Council Coordinator
Plans for updates of College Tech Prep agreements by Patricia G. (Pat) Bubb, Executive Director
RSVPs are requested! For additional information, please contact Janie Adames at 956.364.4509 or 1.800.852.8784 ext. 4509.
Progreso High Students Learn and Employ Useful Technical Skills
Monday, November 2, 2009
The productivity of the Business Image Management and Multimedia class at Progreso High School is astounding. In the first semester, the 16 students taught by Career and Technical Education teacher Manuel Montemayor created a school website, progresohigh.com, complete with interviews with teachers and administrators, and spotlights on departments, sports and clubs. Each student was responsible for gathering information for a segment and putting it together using Dreamweaver software.
While many of the students in BIMM don’t intend to go into business, the teens are realizing that the skills acquired in the course will be highly useful both in college and the workforce.
Not only did the Progreso Tech Prep students learn web design through the hands-on project, they had the celebrity of creating the school’s first web site.
A recently installed counter registered over 540 hits in two weeks on the art department page. In addition to the homepage’s standard widgets of calendar, clock and local weather, the website also includes a translator and links to the student handbook and homework helpers.
Hector Medina
Senior Hector Medina mastered html codes, the computer language used to layout graphics and text on a webpage. He was my guru when it came to problems,” Montemayor said.
Ailed Garcia and Mr. Montemayor
Ailed Garcia, a senior, had the assignment of interviewing principals and administrators. “I had a hard time getting to see them, so I sent emails and faxes with questions,” she explained.
The website project gave the students confidence, according to Montemayor. At the same time, they found out first hand the importance of persistence, meeting deadlines as part of a group, and adapting to circumstances. “You get the job done no matter what it takes.”
But the website only occupied the first six weeks. The BIMM students then tackled video production. Each was responsible for producing a three to four minute video. The students learned to use Photo Story, a free Microsoft program, to edit photographs into a sequence that included transitions, quality images, and music. Montemayor’s BCIS students judged the entries. Prizes, including movie passes, backpacks, and fast food vouchers donated by local businesses were awarded to the first, second and third place videos.
Jocelyn Cantu and Mr. Montemayor
“We got to pick our own topic,” says Jocelyn Cantu. The powerful images she selected of African refugee camps for her video “World Hunger” brought her the first prize.
“Its fun stuff,” admitted Gilbert Garcia, who intends to study marketing at Texas A&M. He enjoyed the complexity of putting together the school website, he admitted. The skills he’s learning in BIMM will be useful in achieving his long-term goal: expanding his family’s Tacolandia restaurant across Texas. “My dad started the restaurant from scratch. I want to make it bigger and have more people know about it.”
Ailed enrolled in BIMM seeking a fun technology course and has now produced a video of her family. She has accepted that you make mistakes as you learn something new: you just go on from there.
Now the BIMM class is learning new skills as the students tackle the next project: a multi-media power point presentation complete with video.
Sandra Llanas
Students, Deborah Hernandez and Salvador Martinez
Tech Prep Annual Meeting Set for October 29
Monday, October 26, 2009 Notice is hereby given that the Annual Meeting of the Voting Members with the Board of Directors of Tech Prep of the Rio Grande Valley, Inc., a Texas nonprofit and federal 501(c)(3) corporation, will be held as follows:
Date and Time: 9:30 a.m. Thursday, October 29, 2009
Location: Conference Room, Weslaco Area Chamber of Commerce
301 West Railroad Street, Weslaco, Texas
The agenda for the meeting is as follows:
CALL TO ORDER : Joe Vasquez, Meeting Chair
Announcements; Public Comments; Executive Committee Remarks
GREETINGS FROM PARTNERS:
Announcement of Winners of Education & Career EXPO
Essay Competition: Martha Gutierrez, EXPO Committee Chair (Worksite Learning Specialist and P-16 Council Coordinator, Tech Prep RGV)
ACTION ITEMS:
Consider and Approve Minutes of 2008 Annual Meeting: Joe Vasquez
Ratify Board’s Actions from October 28, 2008, through
October 28, 2009
Committee Reports:
Executive and Partnerships: Richard Vaughan
Finance and Bylaws: Joe Vasquez/Teri Zamora
Lower Rio Grande P-16 Council (Curriculum/Work-Based
Learning, Professional Development, and Universities and
Colleges): Norma Salaiz, Ph.D./Gonzalo Salazar/Pat Hobbs
Marketing and Awards & Technology Initiatives: Naomi Perales
Nominations: Perry A. Vaughn
Ratification of Actions: Joe Vasquez
Elect New Members of the Board of Directors
Presentation by Perry A. Vaughn; Election by Ballot
BRIEFING ITEMS:
Executive Director’s Report: Patricia G. (Pat) Bubb
OTHER BUSINESS; ADJOURN
Tech Prep's annual meeting is open to the public. Contact the Tech Prep office for additional information.
Washington Hears Leaders Call for Emphasis on Technical-Vocational Education
Thursday, October 22, 2009 Tech Prep Program in Valley Spotlighted as Success story
When President Barack Obama and the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) meet in Washington, D.C., this week to discuss science, math and technology education and global innovation, a shining example of success from the Rio Grande Valley will be noted. Jim Brazell, of the Innovation, Creativity and Capital Institute in San Antonio, and his colleagues are presenting written testimony that includes a radical suggestion: to place technical education on equal footing with academics for high school and college students.
The current economic crisis and trends in technology and population invite comparisons to the US in1957 after the Russians launched Sputnik, as President Obama noted in April. The Sputnik surprise motivated Americans to develop a focus on sciences and innovation in the educational system. The 21st century equivalent of the curricula chosen by President Eisenhower 50 years ago is found today in Tech Prep, Career Pathways and Career and Technical Education.
Tech Prep is defined as a full academic course load plus career and technical courses–and often college courses through articulated or dual enrollment--to create today’s skilled, well-rounded students.
“Tech Prep students in the Rio Grande Valley graduate from high school and attend colleges and universities at a higher rate than general academic students in the State of Texas,” said Pat Bubb, Executive Director of the Tech Prep of the Rio Grande Valley. A contributor to the PCAST presentation, she coordinates the regional Tech Prep Consortium that brings business and education leaders together to develop relevant technical high school and community college courses. “Modern technical or vocational education is a calling to one’s passions and aligning them to the opportunities of the world. Tech Prep works,” Bubb said.
“The irony of our time is that Tech Prep, Career Pathways and modern technical education provide the innovation PCAST is seeking,” Brazell and his collaborators wrote in The PCAST report.
In the Texans’ report to PCAST, Tech Prep and CTE are described as the best pathways to college, career and life. They are held up as the new model for producing young adults capable of meeting the promises and perils of the future. “Tech Prep fulfills the hopes of students, schools and communities in achieving the American Dream....through education, work and perseverance.”
Currently over 17,000 Valley high school students (21 percent of those eligible) are enrolled in Tech Prep sequence plans that guide them through high school and on to higher education and certifications.
2009 Tech Prep Regional Conference to Be at South Padre Island on December 2-3
Thursday, October 22, 2009 Tech Prep of the Rio Grande Valley will be hosting the 2009 Tech Prep Regional Conference at the Sheraton Hotel and Condominiums in South Padre Island, TX on December 2-3, 2009.
The 2009 Teacher and Counselor of Year Awards will be announced during the conference on Wednesday December 2 at the opening general session. We encourage you to nominate a deserving teacher or counselor for these awards. The forms as well as the conference flyer and registration form can be found at the "Downloads" section of our website.
We are very excited to announce that our featured presenter is Victor Villaseñor. A gifted and accomplished speaker, Victor Villaseñor, in his candid and heartfelt manner, brings a fresh perspective to a number of universal themes, including pride in heritage, the strength of family, world peace, the power of the written word, and dedication to education and personal achievement.
Villaseñor’s body of works include a number of nonfiction books which are all used in schools throughout the country: The trilogy Wild Steps Of Heaven, Rain of Gold, and Thirteen Senses, Jury: The People vs Juan Corona, Macho!, and Walking Stars, a collection of short stories written especially to inspire young people. Burro Genius, the first book of the second trilogy, released July 2004, is a national bestseller, and nominated for a Pulitzer prize. Villaseñor’s acclaimed written works, as well as his inspiring lectures, have earned him numerous awards and endorsements, including the Founding John Steinbeck Chair appointment.
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