Kiamichi paramedic students hailed as heroes
Oklahoma CareerTech is all about hands-on learning, and last week two paramedic instructors and their students took that learning approach to a whole new level at HOSA’s International Leadership Conference in Nashville. HOSA is the career and technical student organization aligned with health careers education.
Lisa Dyer, Emergency Medical Services director at Kiamichi Technology Center in Poteau, teaches paramedics along with her colleague, Kelly Higdon. The two recently chaperoned a group of five adult, postsecondary students to the HOSA conference. The students - three from KTC, one from Northwest Technology Center and another from Central Technology Center - are certified emergency medical technicians studying to be paramedics, the highest level of emergency caregiver pre-hospital.
The conference was one of their last major events before graduation. For 16 months, Dyer and Higdon had taught the students about autonomous decision making, empathy, leadership, and of course academic theory and technical skills. KTC’s website says the EMS field offers “the thrill of saving lives in real-world emergency situations.” Little did the Oklahoma contingency know they would actually have that experience on their way to dinner on their first day in Nashville.
Read more on the Oklahoma CareerTech website.
Aviation takes off in Oklahoma schools
Oklahoma is No. 1 in the country in number of schools teaching the You Can Fly high school curriculum, Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell announced recently.
CareerTech has helped Oklahoma lead the way in aerospace education, Pinnell said, and now 57 districts across the state will use the curriculum from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
Read more on the Oklahoma Aeronautics website.
Oklahoma CareerTech’s science, technology, engineering and math division has been involved with supporting teachers who are teaching aviation since 2018. CareerTech has created courses, syllabi and sequences that align to AOPA Pilot, UAS and aviation maintenance pathways.
This year multiple schools received Perkins Innovative Grants of up to $100,000 over two years to support aerospace curriculum, which includes AOPA and Choose Aerospace. CareerTech also awarded several school lottery grants of up to $15,000 to support aviation courses.
CareerTech awards $4.5 million in lottery grants, scholarships
The Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education has awarded more than $4.5 million in lottery funds.
CareerTech awarded $2,064,816 in grants to 26 technology centers for the 2022-23 school year and $2,056,516 in grants to K-12 school districts for the 2022-23 school year, along with 388 scholarships worth a total of $400,150 for the 2021-22 school year.
“These funds from the Oklahoma Lottery will benefit instructors and students throughout the CareerTech system and help us fulfill our mission to give students the skills they need to enter the workforce and make informed career choices,” said Lee Denney, CareerTech’s interim state director. “Through the competitive grant process, there is a direct investment in classroom and training experiences, including new equipment, technology and enhanced instructional resources.”
Read more on the Oklahoma CareerTech website.
Oklahoma FCCLA students win at national conference
More than 150 Oklahoma FCCLA students competed in 91 events at the 77th FCCLA National Leadership Conference recently and brought home more than 50 contest honors, along with other awards.
Oklahoma Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, which had a delegation of 317 people, had 10 national champions, five runners-up and three third place finishers, along with 41 top 10 qualifiers.
In addition, the state chapter received an award for its membership increase. Oklahoma FCCLA broke its membership record this year with 14,700 members. State President Aubrey Phillips of Westville FCCLA accepted the membership increase award.
Read more on the Oklahoma CareerTech website.
Useful links
Follow us on Twitter at @okcareertech and find us on Facebook at OklahomaCareerTech and on Instagram at oklahomacareertech and read our blog, Oklahoma CareerTech Delivers. Find our podcast at https://www.cthorizon.org/.
For news about Oklahoma’s CareerTech System, subscribe to CareerTech communications.
State Agency Assistance at a Glance
National Center for Research in Career and Technical Education
OK Career Guide Training Opportunities
It always seems impossible until it’s done. -- Nelson Mandela
