School News: Saline County Career Center offers students useful knowledge, college credit

If you were told that your son or daughter could attain skills in leadership, employability and job readiness, while applying and strengthening their academic knowledge to real life situations, would you want them involved?

If they could do all of this and earn free college credit, would you be interested? Of course you would! All of this is possible at Saline County Career Center!

The mission of SCCC is "Training students to pursue excellence in scholastics, work, and life." Career and Technical Education is designed to be practical and relevant to our students. Students see the relationship between what they are learning and how it will be used in their future. Did you know that the No. 1 reason students become disconnected with their education is that they don't see the relevance of what they're learning? Probably so; we can all remember a time in our education that we said, "Why do I need to know this?"

We believe that making our curriculum relevant to students will make them successful not only in scholastics, but later in work and life.

Students from Malta Bend, Marshall, Slater and Sweet Springs are enrolled at the Saline County Career Center.

Through the recommendation of our advisory committees, SCCC keeps the offered courses, curriculum and equipment for these students up to industry standards.

Students can also earn embedded academic credit in the areas of math, science and English. This enables them to take the elective credits at SCCC and still fulfill their academic core requirements.

Students have the opportunity to get involved in Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSO's) such as FFA, DECA and Skills USA. These extra-curricular organizations help the student strengthen their essential skills while enhancing their leadership skills as well.

Career and Technical Education (CTE) often fights the old perception that classes are just for vocational training.

This may have been largely true in the past; however, much has changed. Classes offered at SCCC are designed to lead into further education at a two or four year college. Following are the programs available and teachers at SCCC: (Secondary) Greg Kempf -- Construction Trades, Leigh Anne Riley -- Health Occupations, Rusty Wilder -- Auto Mechanics, Brian Schmidt -- Culinary Arts, Bill Michael -- Computer Technology, Debbie Foffel -- Business, Cara Posegate -- Marketing, and Jason Price/Randy Plattner/Callie Dobbins -- Agriculture; (Adult) Laura Jackson -- Business Computer Technology, Kim Davis/Nancy Wiseman/Teresa Taylor -- Practical Nursing.

SCCC also offers community education classes which vary from welding to painting to dog obedience.

Check out the community education brochure on our website at www.marshallschools.com/sccc. Michelle Hanson is the coordinator of Adult/Community Education. She can be reached at 886-6958, extension 250.

It's my belief and frustration that SCCC is the best kept educational secret around! We invite and encourage you to stop by anytime and see what we have to offer. A world of opportunity awaits your child and yourself at SCCC!