Area teachers go to camp to learn more about manufacturing and technology careers

Mansfield News Journal
·2 min read

This summer educators from districts in Crawford, Morrow and Richland counties 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 organize the programs to show teachers what goes on behind the scenes in businesses and manufacturing in each county through tours of local facilities.

Participants gained firsthand experience with the careers available in manufacturing and technology and the skills students need to obtain and retain local positions.

Educators who applied 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 Lieutenant Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, Integrated Systems Technologies (IST) 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.

Teachers learn about the skills their students need to have a successful career at Lubrication Specialties Inc. (LSI) in Mt. Gilead.
Teachers learn about the skills their students need to have a successful career at Lubrication Specialties Inc. (LSI) in Mt. Gilead.

In addition, IST in Richland County sponsored a free 3D printer for a Crawford County Teacher Boot Camp 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.

During the weeklong program, educators explored workforce development needs and opportunities in their respective communities so educators could use the experiences to strengthen classroom career readiness connections. Educators were required to create a project/unit to use with students during the 2024-25 school year and present the project to businesses and administrators on the final day of the Boot Camp.

“Teachers are inherently our daily career readiness advisors," noted Mid-Ohio ESC Director of Grants and Special Projects Amy Wood. "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.”

Wood expects Teacher Boot Camps to be offered again next summer.

“Next year's boot camps will build on this foundation with a greater focus on advanced manufacturing and technology integration in the workplace," Wood said. "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.”

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center hosts Teacher Boot Camps