Troubleshooting & problem solving
Ross Lighthall (left) and Philip Haigh, seniors in Mr. Barber's Automotive Trades Technology class at Career & Tech's Schoharie campus, troubleshoot an electrical problem with a customer's car on a recent spring day. Solving real-life problems lets students put theory and knowledge into practice and builds valuable experience. Lighthall is also a student at Cobleskill-Richmondville H.S., and Haigh at Schoharie H.S.

Building Bridges: Building construction careers, restoring housing
More than a dozen adult students are building career skills in the construction trades through the Building Bridges program, offered by Career & Tech and the BOCES Adult Education program in partnership with the Workforce Development Institute, the Capital Region Workforce Development Center, the Adopt a Block Corporation and the Albany Housing Authority. The 16-week curriculum will teach the students marketable skills they'll apply through work with a construction contractor, repairing and rehabilitating vacant structures in the City of Albany. Read more

Minigrant-funded ProScope a hair-apparent hit
Project-based learning is nothing new to career and technical educators; in fact, hands-on, discovery-based learning has long been at the heart of daily lessons at Career & Tech. Cosmetology students at the Albany campus are learning in real-time using ProScope, a hand-held microscope that scans, magnifies, photographs, and communicates with a laptop and Smartboard. On a Friday in March, Cosmetology Teacher Patricia Gollub instructed seniors Jessica Glass and Kaitlyn Alger on how to use the ProScope to study the effects of color upon hair and scalp health. Read more

New Visions: Journalism student D.J. Eberle interviews bronze-winning Olympic medalist Andrew Weibrecht
Knowing he had to find the local angle in covering the Winter Olympics for the High School Channel on Timesunion.com, New Visions: Journalism & Media Studies student D.J. Eberle (Shenendehowa HS) decided to friend request Olympic skier and Lake Placid resident Andrew Weibrecht on Facebook a few weeks before the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Read more

It's hot, it's cool, it's green: HVAC/R class developed specifically for local business
Technicians from DeCrescente Distributing Co. are learning refrigeration technology hands-on from Career & Tech HVAC/R Teacher Frank Ando through a course developed just for them. The students include a fleet mechanic, refrigeration and operation technicians and a service department manager, and they are building their HVAC/R skills for the benefit of the Mechanicville-based beverage distributor and its customers. In the photo, Bobby Lord, service department manager at DeCrescente, learns the installation procedure for manifold gauges on refrigeration systems, while mechanic Randy Perkins (left) and Ando look on. Perkins recommended his employer contact Career & Tech for the HVAC/R training after he was pleased with training he received at the school from Medium/Heavy Duty Truck Repair Teacher Sam Frink.

Chef Rother named ACF Chef Educator of the Year
Paul Rother, C.E.C., C.C.E, a Culinary Arts & Hospitality Technology teacher at Career & Tech's Albany campus, wasn named Chef Educator of the Year by the American Culinary Federation (ACF), Capital District/Central N.Y. Said Rother, "I can't thank the students, their parents and Career & Tech enough for allowing me to do what I love every day." In the photo with Rother (left) is SCCC Chef Tanner, who won the ACF Culinarian of the Year and Liz Kraus Professionalism awards. Read the news release (.pdf)

BOCES Lobby Day another real-time experience for New Visions students
With a classroom across from the Capitol and hands-on internships, job shadowing, study trips and competitions, New Visions: Law & Government students have an unmatched opportunity to learn about their field in real time. On February 23, they took part in BOCES Lobby Day, a statewide effort to inform and educate legislators and public policymakers. In the photo, students Jorge Caicedo (RCS HS), Sara Cooper (Guilderland HS), Justin Smith (Galway HS) meet with state Deputy Secretary of Education Duffy Palmer (standing).

No February break for these students
While most high school-age students enjoyed a week off in mid-February, Career & Tech's Albany campus welcomed more than a dozen engineers from Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL) who are learning machining and welding. Career & Tech has partnered with KAPL and Bechtel Marine Propulsion Corporation since the mid-1990s, teaching engineers hands-on skills that will benefit their work with the US. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. Read more
 

Student lessons about snowmobile technology will be in Good Hands thanks to Allstate donation
Allstate Insurance Co. donated a 2005 snowmobile for student learning in the Power Sports Equipment Technician course at Career & Tech's Albany campus on Feb. 11, when representatives of the insurer presented the SkiDoo to the students. Read more

Schoharie Culinary, Management teams earn #2 ranking in NYS
Two teams of students from Chef Iannacone's Culinary Arts & Hospitality Technology class at Schoharie campus earned rankings of number two in the state at the 2010 New York ProStart Competition on Feb. 5 at the Crowne Plaza, Albany. The Culinary Team cooked their way to second against 14 other student teams from across the state, while the Management Team matched managerial wits with nine other teams to bring home their trophy. Read news release .pdf

New next fall: Power Sports Equipment Technician, Administrative & Medical Office Assistant
Students and employers have spoken, and Career & Tech has listened: two new, one-year courses will be offered beginning next fall to high school and adult students at the school's Albany campus. Power Sports Equipment Technician will teach students how to maintain, diagnose and repair vehicles and power sports equipment including four-wheelers, snowmobiles, marine/personal watercraft, outboard motors, and motorcycles. Students enrolling in Administrative & Medical Office Assistant will focus on business software, and key office skills. They'll apply their skills in real-world settings such as medical, legal and insurance businesses and prepare for nationally recognized Microsoft Certified Application Specialist certification(s).
 

Meeting rising demand for health care professionals
The Capital Region BOCES Career & Technical School is meeting the rising demand for health care professionals with several well-regarded programs. Nurse Assistant and Health Services classes for 11th and 12th grade students are offered at our Albany campus. For adult students, programs in Practical Nursing and Nurse Assistant are offered at the Health Careers Center at Rosewood Campus, located across the road from Albany campus. A new Nurse Assistant for Adult Students program will soon be offered in Schoharie as well (call 862-4709 for details). For high school seniors, classrooms for the New Visions: Health Careers program are located at Ellis and St. Peter's Hospitals, and at Wildwood School for the New Visions: Human Services & Special/Elementary Education program.
 

Snow what!
Just a reminder: In the event of inclement weather, students and their parents/guardians should follow school closing information provided by their home high schools. Students' home school districts determine whether or not to transport students, end their day early or close their high school campuses.
Adult students should watch the media for school closings; their classes are cancelled if the Capital Region BOCES Career & Technical School is closed.
When does a Career & Tech campus close for snow?
When South Colonie Schools are closed for a snow day, Albany Career & Tech campus cancels classes. When Schoharie Schools are closed for a snow day, the Schoharie Career & Tech campus cancels classes.
What about delays?
Effective 12/18/09, when South Colonie School delays two hours, Albany Career & Tech campus AM ONLY classes are canceled (PM classes are held as scheduled). When Schoharie School delays two hours, Schoharie Career & Tech AM ONLY classes are canceled (PM classes are held as scheduled). Affected faculty and staff (teachers, teaching assistants, monitors, nurse) are two hours delayed from their normal start time.

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Why study here? Read our students' Top 10!
Why do high school students choose to spend half their school day at the Capital Region Career & Technical School? Our anonymous survey gave us the Top Ten Reasons Students Choose Career & Tech!

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In the media

Log onto WAMC to hear New Visions: Law & Government students on domestic terrorism
Students in Rich Bader's New Visions: Law & Government class will discuss domestic terrorism are on the Web following their Feb. 11 appearance on the radio airwaves as participants in WAMC  Northeast Public Radio's Student Town Meeting. Read more

New Visions: Journalism & Media Studies class leads TU High School Web channel
Anne-Marie Sheehan's New Visions: Journalism & Media Studies class are blogging, shooting, writing and reporting on the Times Union's Web-based High School Channel. Check our the efforts of our intrepid journalists at http://blog.timesunion.com/highschool/

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BOCES Adult Education: Training Tech Valley Today

Free GED classes: The more you learn, the more you earn!
Capital District residents who haven’t earned a high school diploma are encouraged to take advantage of free General Equivalency Diploma (GED) courses offered by the Capital Region BOCES Adult Education program. GED classes meet on an ongoing basis, throughout the year, at various locations including Career & Tech's campuses in Albany (Colonie) and Schoharie, and at community centers and service agencies, colleges, businesses, shopping malls, and other locations. Call 862-4707 to learn more. Download news release
 

GED, ESOL, CTE, GRASP, PN, CNA:
An alphabet of learning for today's adults
Our Adult Education program offers many learning opportunities for adult students. Visit the Adult Ed Web page to learn more.

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A LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE

From likely dropout to health care professional: Alt Ed turns a life around
When Laura's family moved south in 2002, she chose to remain in the Capital Region with friends to finish her junior and senior years of high school. Not too far into the academic year, her difficulties at the large suburban school escalated. She was “two weeks away from dropping out of high school” when she was accepted into Career & Tech's Alternative Education (Alt. Ed.) program. Where is she today? Read more

Special services programs launch self-esteem, career skills, life success
Being treated as an equal among peers is important to all of us, and can particularly challenging for students with special educational needs. Kids can be cruel, and school can be frustrating. Learning disabilities can heighten the turbulence of the high school years, when students are called upon to define their future paths. Career & Tech’s courses for special needs students, or services programs as they are known, provide a safe place for individuals to learn, grow and mature while building marketable career and life skills. Read more

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This is your school: Keep it safe, healthy and clean
Silence your cells please . . .
A reminder: Cell phones should not be used during school. Parents/guardians needing to reach students should call the school office - 862-4800 for Albany, 295-3000 for Schoharie. Students' cell phones (and other electronic devices) should be silenced during class time.
And no smoking
New York State law prohibits smoking - by anyone - in schools and on school property.
Flu season is here
H1N1/Swine flu: Our school nurses are speaking with our students in their classrooms, informational letters have been sent to parents/guardians, and resources are posted on our Parents Page. Of course this will be a topic of importance discussed in detail in all of our health careers classes as well.
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Great resource: Read.gov
Read.gov, from the U.S. Library of Congress, provides free reading resources for children, teens and adults. It features online versions of out-of-copyright books for children, and features webcasts of authors, such as Twilight author Stephenie Meyer, as well as writing contests, suggested booklists, teaching resources, and more. http://www.read.gov

Accreditation process promotes student success
The Capital Region BOCES Career & Technical School is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. To earn this nationally recognized accreditation, our school successfully completed an intensive stakeholder survey, which wil be used as a tool for continuous improvement and positive change. Career & Tech is working to both maintain our accreditation and prepare for a visit by a Middle States team in 2012. Read more

Business & Education Partners are invaluable
Strong business and education partnerships enable Career & Tech to keep apprised of employment needs and trends. Hundreds of representatives of business, industry and secondary and higher education serve on our school's Advisory Committees, work closely with our faculty and staff and provide students and alumni with valuable opportunities for job exploration, shadowing, internship, apprenticeship and part- and full-time employment.
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Helping out in our community
Community service is a big part of the Career & Tech experience, with students and staff supporting many worthy causes throughout the year. Students lend a hand individually, as part of class projects and through groups such as SkillsUSA and National Technical Honor Society. Here's a small sample of what's happening now:
- Career & Tech's Albany campus SkillsUSA Club hosted their Annual Blood Drive on February 5. Statistics show that every donation made can save up to three lives and the need for blood donations is at a all-time high (particularly in light of recent Global Emergency Relief demands). SkillsUSA Advisor Gretchen McDonough reports, "More than 57 units of blood were collected, and we had 35 1st time donors. These numbers translate into 171 potential lives saved!"
- Helping Haiti: SkillsUSA is also running a spare change drive in support of Earthquake Relief in Haiti. The change jar is in the main office sign-in desk. To date, the students have collected more than $170.

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Who goes there? - Career & Tech Education by the numbers
The Capital Region BOCES Career & Technical School serves students from 25 school districts, which include 22 public high schools, private and parochial schools and home-schooled students. We also serve students from neighboring BOCES through cross-contracted enrollment and adult students both individually and through local employers. How many students are enrolled at our school? At each campus? What about adult vs. high school enrollment? Learn more at our Enrollment page. ___________________________________________________________________

21st Century Skills = a national effort and BOCES priority
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is an advocacy organization focused on infusing 21st Century skills into education by working with business, education leaders and policymakers. Here at Career & Tech and the Capital Region BOCES, we are leading the effort to build our students' capacity to excel in a 21st century, global economy - and right here at home, too. How do we do it? Download a .pdf of our PowerPoint. To learn more about the national program, visit http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/index.php

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Career & Tech on the road

Career & Tech students and staff promote career and technical education through numerous community events and working with our school and business partners. Our students also provide fun demos for younger students at middle school career days and fairs throughout the year. Staff are available all year round. Contact Monique Jacobs, Communications Coordinator, for details.

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Life is Tweets! Follow us on Twitter
What's happening at Career & Tech? Find out on Twitter.com by following us at Twitter.com\CareerTecTweets

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Downloads

View our Career & Tech Video

Read our Vision, Mission & Values Statement

Download our Course Guide course catalog (.pdf)

Download our New Visions Guide/The College Advantage (.pdf)

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Job Opportunities for students, alumni & staff
Visit our new Employment Opportunities page.

Interested in employment with the Capital Region BOCES, including the Capital Region Career & Technical School? Visit: Jobs at BOCES (www.capregboces.org/jobopenings/jobs.htm)

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It's a fact
More education and training mean higher earnings and greater job satisfaction. Where are you going? If your destination is success in career and in life, Career & Tech can help you get a great start!

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Archives & News Releases

Past home page items other than full news stories may be found on the
2009-10 School Year Home Page Archive

Older home page items: Home page archives page


For current news releases, see Latest News

For older news releases, see our News Release Archive page