CTE Camp Article in Cheboygan Today

We’re proud to share that our Summer STEM Career Exploration Camps & Academies were recently featured in Cheboygan Today! The article highlights how these hands-on, grant-funded experiences are helping students explore careers, earn industry credentials, and build clear pathways to their future. From middle school exploration to high school pre-apprenticeships, students are gaining real-world skills and connections with local employers.

To read the Article from Cheboygan Today, please click here or read below.

Regional Youth Explore Their Futures at CTE Summer Camps & Academies

There was a spark in Cole Gheldof’s high school career, both literal and metaphorical, that triggered the best kind of chain reaction. It started with a school welding program and will culminate in a career opportunity by the end of the year, thanks to the Career and Technical Education (CTE) program, run through the Cheboygan-Otsego-Presque Isle Educational Service District
(COPESD). “There was a CTE fair going on at the high school,”Gheldof recalled, “and I signed up for a welding program I thought would be interesting.” He had taken a welding class previously and, in the summer of 2025, the senior attended the six- week COPESD academy. “The academy is free and, if you do well, they give you a scholarship toward more advanced training,” he explained. Gheldof secured one of those scholarships to the Industrial Arts Institute (IAI).

In their announcement, the IAI explained that “students who show dedication and a clear readiness for advanced training may qualify for scholarships into IAI’s 19-week Comprehensive Welding & Fabrication Program, taking their abilities from advanced high school level to industry-ready professional.” Gheldof will start his 19-week training program in August. For his mother, Cheri Gheldof, the value of the CTE program is immeasurable. “He went from knowing that he really liked welding and possibly wanting it as a career, to knowing that it is achievable and exactly how to do that,” she said. From exploring careers to securing a future path, grant-funded CTE summer camps and academies are helping kids all over the region discover their potential. Laura Percival, Director of Northeast MiSTEM Network, has been the driving force behind them.

Michigan’s Marshall Plan for Talent is a competitive grant program that is one of the main sources of funding, but securing other financial support is always high on her “to-do” list. Local employers have played a critical role in the program’s development since its inception in 2021. The COPESD Steering Committee, populated by businessowners, community members, and educators, provided guidance and helped identify ways to remove barriers for participation. With a stake in developing a future workforce, business partners have provided hands-on opportunities, field trips, and ideas for how to grow the program. 

In 2025, academy students pooled their talents and gave something back to the community. After consulting with City of Onaway City Manager Kelli Stockwell, students worked together to create a new picnic shelter for a city park. “Building and Construction Trades worked with the city staff, so they had a live client. The welding students handled the welding work, the CNC machining students created a sign, and they all worked together to create something that the kids can see and be proud of,” Percival added. Skilled training, a scholarship, and a community project aren’t the only things Cole Gheldof left the academy with last summer. With the IAI’s job placement track record of connecting more than 90 percent of their graduates with employers, he also left with a clear vision for his future. Families interested in exploring similar opportunities can register for upcoming camps by visiting copesd.org. Registration opens May 1, 2026.