Mansfield, OH (July 2, 2024) – This summer, educators from districts in Crawford County, Morrow County, and Richland County had the opportunity to participate in the second annual Teacher Boot Camps. Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center's Business Advisory Council and Workforce Development and Chamber of Commerce partners in each county organized these programs to show teachers what goes on behind the scenes in businesses and manufacturing in each county through tours of local facilities. Participants gained first-hand experience with the rewarding careers available in manufacturing and technology and the skills students need to obtain and retain these local positions.
Educators who applied for this professional development opportunity and were selected to participate in the Boot Camp received the following benefits:
· Three graduate credits from Ashland University with no out-of-pocket cost for the teacher (funded through the Lt. Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, Integrated Systems Technologies and Richland Education Foundation).
· Resources to guide classroom instruction based on information learned throughout the program.
· Instruction and guidance from top-level professionals at participating businesses, Mid-Ohio ESC and local Workforce Development and community partners.
In addition, IST in Richland County sponsored a free 3D printer for a Crawford County Bootcamp Teacher participant who designed a lesson, unit or project that best exemplified the use of 3D printing in a manufacturing setting. IST also covered the remaining costs ($125 per teacher) of the fees for teachers in Crawford and Morrow counties who completed the program to earn graduate credits from Ashland University. Mid-Ohio would like to thank IST for its generosity.
During the week-long program, educators had the opportunity to explore the workforce development needs and opportunities in their respective communities so that those educators could use the experiences to strengthen classroom career readiness connections that are embedded in core subject area instruction. All educators were required to create a project/unit to use with students during the 2024-25 school year and present this project to businesses and administrators on the final day of the Boot Camp.
Amy Wood, Mid-Ohio ESC’s Director of Grants and Special Projects, stated, “Teachers are inherently our daily career readiness advisors. Mid-Ohio's Teacher Boot Camps were a meaningful way for teachers to enhance their understanding of the current landscape of local manufacturing career opportunities and then use that knowledge to better integrate career-connected learning into their classrooms this fall.” Due to the program's success, Wood expects Teacher Boot Camps to be offered again in Summer 2025. She added, “Next year's boot camps will build on this foundation with a greater focus on advanced manufacturing and technology integration in the workplace. We aim to equip our teachers with cutting-edge knowledge and skills, ensuring they can effectively prepare students for the evolving demands of the modern workforce.”
MOESC would like to thank the following businesses, organizations and individuals for helping make this event a success: Crawford Partnership, Morrow County Development Office, Richland Area Chamber of Commerce and
Economic Development, Richland Chamber Foundation, ES Consulting, Stoneridge, DRM Productions, Schmidt Security Pro, Avita Health System, 179th Cyberspace Wing, Lubrication Specialties, Inc., Baillie Lumber, Cardington Yutaka Technologies, Adalet, Hoof Hearted Brewery, Dollar Tree Distribution Center, IB Tech, Crossroads Factory Store, Carter Machine, Covert Manufacturing, Tramec Sloan, Elliott Machine Works, OSU-Mansfield and Dr. Eric M. Anderman, Marion Technical College, Tri-Rivers Career Center, and OSU-Marion.
Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center’s Business Advisory Council represents the following school districts in Richland, Morrow and Crawford Counties: Bucyrus City Schools, Cardington-Lincoln Local Schools, Clear Fork Valley Local Schools, Crestline Exempted Village Schools, Crestview Local Schools, GOAL Digital Academy, Highland Local Schools, Lexington Local Schools, Lucas Local Schools, Madison Local Schools, Mansfield City Schools, Mount Gilead Exempted Village Schools, Northmor Local Schools, Plymouth Shiloh Local Schools and Shelby City Schools.
Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center provides specialized academic and support services, including professional development, to 13 school districts and over 20,000 students in Crawford, Morrow and Richland Counties. Client districts receive services from curriculum, gifted and special education consultants, speech pathologists, psychologists, special education teachers, occupational therapists and physical therapists.