Career & Technical Student Organizations Serve their community

Check out how our CTSO's have been serving the community.



Columbia FFA members from Hickman High School made  "no-sew" fleece blankets to donate to Ronald McDonald House.

Columbia FFA members from Battle High School participated in "Adopt a Soldier" where they collected items for a care package for a local soldier (a Hickman graduate) who is deployed overseas.

Columbia FFA members from Rock Bridge High School are writing letters to Santa as part of the Macy's Believe campaign. For every letter written, Macy's donates $1 to the Make-A-Wish foundation. They also collected food and money for the Central Missouri Food Bank. 

SkillsUSA members sponsored a "Mitten Tree" to collect hats, mittens and scarfs for Rainbow House, a children's emergency shelter and homeless youth program.

 FEA members collected winter clothing for students at Alpha Hart Elementary.

FBLA members from Hickman High School baked cookies and delivered them to Rainbow House and McCambridge Center. 

DECA members helped with the marketing of Columbia's First Night (now called Eve Fest). Students handed out flyers in the Thanksgiving parade and put up posters in local businesses.



                                                       

In January, HOSA members will be sponsoring a Blood Drive with the American Red Cross.

                 SkillsUSA members, Jon Antel, Katie Hurdle, Nishant Sinha, Andrew Selva and Austin Renwick  pose by                        the "Mitten Tree"

Course Guide Cover Contest Winner announced

Congratulations to Abby Fulcher, Hickman junior and Graphic Design student, for winning the course guide design contest. The task of designing the cover is open to digital media students. Digital Media instructors select several submissions then allow CACC staff to vote for their favorite. Abby wanted something that would be colorful and stand out. She experimented with 3-D tools to create the final design. 

Abby's career center classes have included Digital Media, Broadcast Journalism and currently Graphic Design with Kristi Deneke. As for future plans, Abby is thinking about a possible career in Graphic Design, in which case, she is off to a great start. 

FIRST Robotics team "the Army Ants" receive $5,000 NASA Grant

Columbia's FIRST Robotics Team--the Army Ants--has received a $5,000 grant from the NASA Robotics Alliance Project. The grant will be used to compete in the St. Louis Regional Robotics competition March 13-15, 2014. This is the fourth year that CPS Columbia Area Career Center will send the Army Ants Team #3792 to competition. The team brings students and mentors together to master skills and concepts in science, engineering, and technology through robotics. Students gain valuable career and life skills, as well as provide outreach presentations in Boone County. Team members work alongside professional engineers and technicians to design and build a 100-plus pound robot to compete regionally, nationally, and internationally. FIRST stands for "For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology." The 2014 season kickoff is January 4 when the challenge is revealed and the six-week build and design season begins.

Central Missouri Innovation Campus program offers IT education opportunities

Information Technology is in high demand.  The Governors' initiative to make education opportunities available and affordable as well as relevant to the current local job demand has allowed Linn State Technical College, Lincoln University and Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce to establish the Central Missouri Innovation Campus(CMIC) program. Students interested in a degree in Computer Programming or Computer Information Systems through CMIC can find out more by clicking here.

A+ IT Essentials class teams up with Missouri Employers Mutual

It’s all about real world experience!  Each and every day, career center students are involved in situations that give them practical, hands-on learning opportunities.

David Hopkins’ A+ IT Essentials students learn how computers operate by assembling and configuring computers, installing operating systems and software as well as troubleshooting computer related problems. These skills were put to the test when they refurbished five of the 100 computers donated by Missouri Employers Mutual. The newly configured computers are ready to be donated. The first recipient of this project, the Islamic School of Columbia, was referred by the Voluntary Action Center Executive Director, Nick Foster. Thanks to A+ IT students, Robert Betts (RBHS),  Matthew Elliott (RBHS), Andrew Krall (HHS) and Justus Palmer (RBHS) for putting their skills to work. Thanks to Derek Scoble, Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer and Brad Sites, Database Administrator at MEM, for partnering with Columbia Area Career Center students and staff for the benefit of the community. The students are looking forward to refurbishing the remainder of the donated computers and assisting  with finding them new homes.

Mirsada Ivankovic, Principal of the Islamic School of Columbia was very appreciative for  receiving the computers that will be used in the school computer lab. Accompanying her on the computer pick up were PTA President, Wafa Mufleh, and  a parent volunteer.

 Robert Betts, Matthew Elliott, Andrew Krall, David Hopkins, Brad Sites (back row)
Islamic School representatives (seated) 

Skill Expo 2014