Host Ryan Lufkin and co-host Jody Sailor are joined by Steven Olinger and Joe Godsey, faculty in the Business, Engineering, and Industrial Technology division at Southwest Virginia Community College. Earlier this year, the college won a nearly $500,000 SPARK grant from the Virginia Department of Energy, and this summer Olinger and Godsey ran its first five-week energy career camp for students ages 14 to 17. They talk with Ryan and Jody about fitting eight certifications into one summer, holding teenagers’ attention in the middle of summer break, and why the snack cart made it into their advice for any other colleges trying to spin up similar programs.
In this episode:
- Olinger’s path from a family of machinists to the classroom, and Godsey’s 10 years as a design engineer
- Why the camp teaches one certification at a time
- Making safety training stick with a 15-year-old, using harnesses, ladders, and safety data sheets
- Jobs students didn’t know existed, and didn’t know they could do without leaving home
- Working lunches with local employers and the college’s advisory committees
- Credit for prior learning and what five weeks on campus means for first-generation students
- What they’d change next summer, and their advice for colleges building something similar
For further reading:
What is Educast 3000?
Ah, education…a world filled with mysterious marvels. From K12 to Higher Ed, educational change and innovation are everywhere. And with that comes a few lessons, too.
Each episode, EduCast3000 hosts, Melissa Loble and Ryan Lufkin, will break down the fourth wall and reflect on what’s happening in education – the good, the bad, and, in some cases, the just plain chaotic. This is the most transformative time in the history of education, so if you’re passionate about the educational system and want some timely and honest commentary on what’s happening in the industry, this is your show.
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