Director's Memo 2023-8-21

Oklahoma FFA’s membership has increased almost 5% over last year to 29,207 students, a record high.

FFA is one of seven co-curricular CareerTech student organizations. It is affiliated with agricultural education.

The increase is related to new agricultural education programs in schools, Scott Nemecek, state FFA adviser at Oklahoma CareerTech, told KOSU, but it’s also due to expanded existing programs. Oklahoma CareerTech has added 38 new ag ed teachers across Oklahoma in the last three years, he said. Three are at new programs, and the rest are in expanded programs.

A new Oklahoma CareerTech video shows how the system fills the critical occupations skills gap and powers Oklahoma.

The work starts by inspiring students early in their educational careers and continuing by supporting them along their chosen career paths while they serve thousands of companies that fuel Oklahoma’s economy.

Watch the video on the Oklahoma CareerTech YouTube channel.

Crystle Mize had a lot to overcome after dropping out of high school before the start of her senior year. Throughout her life, the Sallisaw woman had very few positive role models, which only served to compound her struggles. Even finding a safe place to live was fraught with challenge after challenge.

A lifetime of abuse, drug use, incarceration, toxic relationships and continuous heartbreak left Mize broken and lost. Ironically, it was her addiction to drugs that ultimately saved her life. After being accepted into the drug court program in Sequoyah County, Mize wound up in the Sallisaw Adult Learning Center. A high school diploma was one of the requirements of her rehabilitation, and she began working toward her GED.

Central Technology Center held a grand opening Friday for the new south wing of its Drumright campus.

The expansion houses the Cimarron Conference Center and the Biomedical Sciences Academy.

Central Tech students study biomedical sciences through the Project Lead The Way curriculum. Central Tech is expanding the program capacity from 30 students to 60 and extending the program’s length from two years to three.