Choosing an active start to the summer, more than a dozen Niskayuna and Schalmont middle schoolers recently came together for a week of learning at our inaugural Career and Technical School Summer Camp.
During the camp, students explored careers such as nursing, culinary, carpentry, automotive and internet application design—five of the approximately two dozen careers paths our BOCES offers students—and learned how science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) are integral parts of each of them.
“I really enjoy all of the activities and hands-on things we did,” said attendee Peter Barcomb of Niskayuna.
“This was fun,” added fellow Niskayuna student Anya Afridi. “I didn’t want to spend my summer just sitting home on my phone and social media. I wanted to learn new things.”
For teachers and organizers, the camp served as a valuable means of reaching younger students, sharing some valuable skills and helping them better understand about jobs available to them.
“It may not be something they do for a career, but cooking is a life skill—an important one. No matter what program they are in, they are learning a life skill and gaining some valuable knowledge while also having fun,” said chef and teacher Mark Brucker.
“This was a great opportunity for these students to undertake career exploration and to see what really exists out there and how they can pursue those paths,” added Denise Fernandez Pallozzi, assistant director for curriculum and instruction.