Nurses are needed!
On June 25 at Proctor’s Theatre, nearly 100 adults celebrated their graduation from the Capital Region BOCES Career & Technical School Practical Nursing program. Some studied full time for 10 months, while others studied part time for a year and a half to complete 1,100 hours of classroom and clinical instruction required by New York State to become eligible to test for licensure. Pins, certificates and numerous special awards were bestowed upon the graduates amidst clapping and cheers from an audience full of families, friends, community and business partners and BOCES staff and board members. [In the photo above, Practical Nursing graduate Iris Baker receives her certificate from Capital Region BOCES District Superintendent Chuck Dedrick and Director of Career & Technical Education Dr. Hank Stopinski.]

Like Career & Tech’s high school-age student body, the adult Practical Nursing class of 2008 represented a diversity of cultural backgrounds, interests and talents, and hopes for the future. The travels of Career & Tech’s students along educational and career pathways have brought many to exciting, new destinations. As they graduate, their journeys have just begun.

Schoharie campus Auto Trades Tech teams up with Wheels for Work; agency seeks car donations
Schoharie Career & Tech's Automotive Trades Technology program, taught by Randy Barber, has teamed up with the Fulmont Community Action Agency to help support its Wheels for Work program. Wheels for Work provides people in need with reliable vehicles so they may travel to work. Next school year, Schoharie Career & Tech will assist by repairing vehicles donated to Wheels for Work to make them serviceable. Right now, Fulmont Community Action Agency is seeking cars in good and repairable condition for Wheels for Work. Interested? ALL potential donors and anyone with questions should call Fulmont/Wheels for Work at 853-3011 for more details.

Assemblyman Lopez tells Career & Tech students: “The skills you are learning are lifesaving”
On June 16, nearly 100 juniors and seniors from Career & Tech's Schoharie campus marched across the stage at the Holiday Inn Express to accept a variety of awards and certificates for a job well done. As they did, they were greeted by Assemblyman Pete Lopez, who congratulated them for their “accomplishments and personal growth.”

A big supporter of BOCES Career and Technical programs, Lopez told the students in a keynote address, “The skills you are learning are lifesaving.”

Lopez spoke about the value of education from deep personal experience. The son of a working class family who moved from Schenectady to Schoharie in 1972, he recalled some lean times in his growing up years. Through it all, his parents remained “fiercely dedicated” to helping their children get ahead. “Life had taught them the hard way just how important education is,” he said.

He also spoke about “reaching your full potential.” In doing so, he recounted his own efforts to earn a black belt in karate. “It took me 17 years to accomplish that achievement,” he explained, noting that for seven of those years he was “stuck at the green belt level.” All the while, his teacher supported him and even gave him three consecutive awards as the student with the most potential. Then suddenly, one day it occurred to Lopez that he was the only one who could turn that potential into something real.

“You have potential, all of you. We as a society want to harness that potential,” he said, noting that is why “we make an investment” in programs like Career & Tech – “because when you reach your full potential, our communities and our families are stronger.”

Above: Assemblyman Pete Lopez, Career & Tech Consultant Teacher Denise Capece, '08 Fuchs Award winner and Building & Grounds Maintenance grad Robert Chrysler and Capital Region BOCES Board of Education President Lynne Lenhardt

Congratulations to our Outstanding Students for 2008 and Joseph N. Fuchs Award winners!
Albany campus:
Students and staff at Career & Tech's Albany campus celebrated their annual Awards & Recognition Ceremony at Proctors Theatre on June 4. Electrical Trades student Josh Culhane (Scotia-Glenville H.S.) was named the campus' 2008 Faculty Association Outstanding Student, while Culinary Arts student Bryan Gannon (Schenectady H.S.) was named the 2008 Joseph N. Fuchs Award winner.  Read the news release

Pictured from the Awards Ceremony, below left: Josh Culhane is congratulated by Building Trades Teacher and Faculty Association Officer Doug Harple. Below right: Director of Career & Technical Education Dr. Hank Stopinski shakes hands with Bryan Gannon.

Schoharie campus:
At the Schoharie campus Awards & Recognition Ceremony on June 16, Automotive Trades Technology student Joshua Euler (Sharon Springs HS) was named 2008 Faculty Association Outstanding Student, while Building & Grounds Maintenance student Robert Chrysler (Berne-Knox-Westerlo H.S.) was honored with that campus's 2008 Joseph N. Fuchs Award. Read the news release

Joshua Euler, Outstanding Student of the Year, and Randy Barber, his Automotive Trades Technology teacher at the Schoharie campus Awards & Recognition Ceremony

Wellness Park will refresh, inspire
Career & Tech's Albany campus has a new Wellness Park where staff can reflect and refresh. Funded by a BOCES mini grant and spearheaded by Guidance Secretary Diane Ogren, the park is located in a quiet, treed area formerly used as a playground. A number of staff worked with Diane to create seating areas, a bench glider, platform table, ornamental plantings, and more.

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 includes self-study by staff, students, parents, component school district representatives. Such self-assessments are comprehensive and provide data to be used as a tool for continuous improvement and positive change. Indeed, to maintain our accreditation and prepare for a visit by a Middle States team in the spring of 2012, Career and Technical Education (CTE) staff, students, business partners and other stakeholders are involved in ongoing accreditation activities. 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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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.
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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. Some good deeds:
- Students from the Albany campus Culinary Arts & Hospitality Technology program cooked up lots of good will (and hot dogs!) for a Make-A-Wish Fishing Contest on Sunday, June 1, at the 6 Mile Waterworks Park in Albany. The event was a fund raiser/fishing derby to raise money for vacations for children served by Make-A-Wish. Volunteers included Ryan McLoughlin, Robert Ryan, Ashia Valente, Mke Fazio, Charles Nadler and Alex Carusone.
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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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GET AHEAD THROUGH ADULT ED

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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Downloads

Download the 2007-2008 Career & Tech Student & Parent Handbook

View our Career & Tech Video

Read our Vision, Mission & Values Statement

Download our Course Guide course catalog for '08-'09

Download our New Visions Guide/The College Advantage

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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 2008-09 School Year Home Page Archive, 2007-08 school year home page archive, 2006-07 school year home page archive or the 2005-06 school year home page archive.

For current news releases, see Latest News