Just like that... it's done!
Just like that, summer is winding down and the CTE Camps are over. Students from across our region were able to partake in a wide variety of experiences thanks to our CTE/Vocational Camps and Academies.
The Cheboygan-Otsego-Presque Isle Educational Service District (COPESD) provides career and technical education experiences in a variety of fields for students in grades 7-12. A few new camps that were added this year were, the Farm to Future: 10-Acre Challenge, Mapped Out: Geospatial Technology and Bridge Building.
In COPESD's Mapped Out: Exploring Geospatial Technology, students had the opportunity to learn to read topographic maps and navigate using a compass, discover how land was measured using the historic Gunter's Chain, fly drones and experience how aerial imagery is used in surveying and mapping, operate underwater ROV simulators, build their own submersible ROV, explore GIS technology and use professional surveying techniques and equipment to measure outdoors.
Over the past six weeks, the COPESD Building & Construction Trades Academy students have had the privilege of learning alongside outstanding regional industry partners who generously shared their time, expertise, and passion for their professions.
A special thank you to the professionals who helped make this experience possible:
Fairbairn Plumbing – Devin Emmett
Cheboygan County Electrical Inspector – Bill Eaton
Shane David Roofing – Matt, DL, and the entire Shane David Roofing team
These professionals dedicated one to three days to providing hands-on instruction in plumbing, electrical, and roofing. More importantly, they shared their personal career journeys, discussed the education and training required for success, answered students' questions, and offered an authentic look into careers in the skilled trades. This is what meaningful career exploration looks like.
Students weren't simply watching demonstrations—they were working alongside industry professionals, learning technical skills, solving real-world problems, asking thoughtful questions, and experiencing what it's truly like to work in the construction industry. Those conversations and experiences often become the spark that helps a young person discover a future they never knew existed.
In the Camps and Academies offered, students learned alongside local professionals and employers and received hands-on training. This would not be made possible without the collaboration and support provided through the years by our many business and industry partners. Their dedication to providing local students with more CTE and vocational experiences is vital.
