Mecosta-Osceola Career Center instructors are both educators and professionals in their program areas. At MOCC we are committed to providing students with quality experiences to better prepare them for a diverse and global workplace. MOCC’s staff provides all students with the support they need to be successful in their chosen professions. Whether he/she is interested in working in health care, engineering and manufacturing technology, or in a human service related field, MOCC is a great place to begin the journey. Please contact us to discover how Career Pathways, rigorous technical and academic instruction, leadership activities, and work-based learning exposure can help high school students gain a competitive edge.

MOCC is proud of our center's high statewide rating in occupational club competitions! 

CTE Director: Jennifer L. Harrison CTE Principal: Steve Locke Career Services Coordinator: Dennis Dull Secretary/Bookkeeper: Jodie Nunn Secretary/Student Records: Dorothy Jones

CAREER & TECHNICAL EDUCATION . . .
Director Jennifer L. Harrison reports:

Sandra Kauffman is our most recent employee who has accepted the position as the new Allied Health Technologies Parapro. Sandra has had extensive experience as an RN in critical care and burn units.

Shannon Behling will be teaching the Nursing Services sections of our Allied Health Technologies program. She has had extensive expereince as an RN and as a Traveling RN where she is certified in several states.

John Fox has joined the Career Center as a part of the Special Education staff. He will be working with students in the Building and Grounds Maintenance program. John has degrees in Special Education as well as work experience in vocational areas. He was a former Special Education Teacher/Coordinator for the MOISD Transitions Center in Downtown Big Rapids.

MOCC is utilizing the services of the MOISD MOP-CO-OP to expand our Student Services department. Sherry Franklin will be our social worker on site one day a week (Tuesdays) in order to provide more comprehensive options for our students. Referals will go through the Student Advocate, Wendy Iltis, and these students will be scheduled to work with Ms. Franklin as needed.

Please welcome these seven dynamic individuals to our MOISD family.

Curriculum Update
Academic Integration – Mathematics and Visual Applied and Performing Arts Alignment
Meetings have been conducted with Curriculum Coordinators at Career Line (Holland) and Newaygo (Freemont) Career Centers this summer. More work has been done on the Mathematics Curriculum to insure uniformity within Region 7. Additionally the VAPA credit process is underway. It is anticipated that all, if not most, of the MOCC programs will be able to offer credit options for students in the Visual Applied and Performing Arts.
CTE Segments
Segments are now the official curriculum for all CTE programs. This is a State mandate that has filtered down from the Federal level. Michigan is not the only state to adopt standards. When I went to the National Skills USA Conference, with Linda Ward, I spoke with several educators and administrators throughout the country. They are all reconfiguring their CTE programs to adopt a uniform curriculum in all areas.

Segments are here to stay and as of this fall we will be reporting our students and the segments they have completed. We will only receive funding for our concentrators. These are students who have completed 50% of the segments and are enrolled in the next level. Dorothy Jones and Jodie Nunn will be attending training sessions in the new CTEIS protocols.

More discussion will follow in this area when we meet in the fall. I will also be addressing the standards at our CTE Advisory dinner. I would like to thank all our staff who actively participated in the segmenting process at the state level.

Nicki Cassidy has been working with the State to create lesson plans and assessments for Early Childhood Careers. Teachers were divided up in teams. Each team is in charge of one segment. Nicki is in a team of three educators who are developing the segment for Safety Training in Early Childhood.

Patty Hawley has also been working collaboratively with OCTE to align the Allied Health curriculum to state standards and segments. Congratulations to Patty for being elected as the HOSA State Advisor for Michigan. Upon MOISD Board approval, she will be traveling to Washington D.C. this September. The trip will assist MOCC in better connecting our students to current political and legal trends in the Allied Health industry. All expenses will be paid by HOSA.

Dan Estes will be presenting, with Jennifer Harrison, at the National ACTE Conference in December. He will discuss how CAD/Drafting curriculum needs to have more of a focus on geometric construction. His presentation will also include preparing students for a global economy by utilizing 3-D software.

20 Hour On-Line Component CareerForward About the Course:
Technology, along with many other factors, has leveled job prospects for people all over the world.
Career Opportunities are more diverse than they used to be, and students today need to be introduced to the growing global competition that they will face. Most important, they need motivation to plan and see the education that is crucial for their futures.

This website is designed to provide a framework for students and teachers to use as they explore possibilities and learn how to prepare for the future.

The program contains a 20-hour long on-line sessions using personal reflection and activities and gives each student an independent exploration of the possibilities for their future that will allow them to move on and create an Education Development Plan (EDP).

To preview the program go to:
http://course.careerforward.org/mvu/default.htm

CareerForward MOCC Implementation Plan

Spring 2008    Pilot with Cosmetology & Allied Health students. 

2008 – 09        CareerForward will be incorporate with employability skills workshops. 

All 1st year students will begin by registering in CareerForward.  (Internet access will be required) The 20hr. On-line class would be available also.  Using Moodle is a component of this form of instruction.  Training to assist students with this process will be available to staff.

CTSO Update
Linda Ward and Jennifer Harrison took 8 students to National Skills USA competition in June. Three students brought home Gold Medals in Cosmetology (Brittney Lewis) and Nail Care (Pam Henry & Kristyn). All students either placed in the top ten or received National Certifications in their areas. Rickelle represented MOCC as a SkillsUSA Officer for the Michigan Division. Linda has also received an honorable mention in the new Cosmetology text book that was released this summer.

Doug Ward has been spending large blocks of time each Wednesday to insure students are ready for the Convergence Car Conference in Cobo Hall this fall. A great deal of progress has been made and students have been enthusiastic about working on the project over summer vacation. The project will also include an Ambassadorship and Marketing component. We are looking forward to meeting the new instructors at the Math Science and Technology Center as they will become an integral component of the IVD initiative.

Enrollment
Career Center preliminary numbers for the 2008/09 School Year is currently at 578. We anticipate changes in these numbers during the drop and add period.

Under Construction

MOCC NEWS

Up-Coming Events
August 25-28              Fall PD Days
September 2               School Resumes
September 8               Passes Edge (Miller)
September 8               Project Safe Childhood (Lansing)
September 18             Customer Service (Miller)
September 25 & 26    Reality Store (Miller)

Best Practices workshops will be held in September and October for all MOCC Programs. These are professional development opportunities for CTE Instructors to share ideas and exchange curriculum, lesson plans, and educational activities with other professionals in their area of expertise. Cosmetology, Culinary Arts and Career Services will be held at MOCC on September 17, 2008.

Come visit MOCC in October for the Opening of The Starting Place Restaurant. We will also be hosting a Blood Drive sponsoed by the Allied Health Technologies classes in conjunction with the American Red Cross this October.

If you would like to learn more about MOCC please come to the MOISD Board meeting in November where we will showcase one of our programs (TBA).

Opening Soon!

For more information

Contact Linda Ward

Opening Soon!

For more information

Contact Nicki Johnston

Application

Opening Soon!

For more informartion

Contact Rod Baldus

STUDENT SERVICES

D n’ A Club

Diesel & Automotive Club
The purpose of the club is to build and race a club-sponsored vehicle. In doing so students are given recognition for the skills that they have learned through participation in either the diesel or automotive program at MOCC. It also helps to develop a cooperative spirit among students in these programs
The objectives of the Diesel and Automotive Technology Club are to:

• Further enhance student problem-solving skills
• Provide students opportunities to work on a project as part of a team
• Provide students opportunities to develop leadership skills
• Develop community awareness of the dangers of street racing for students of the ISD
• Finance club projects through student generated fund raising activities

 

Engineering Team Convergence Car & Innovative Vehicle Design  www.ctea.org 2008 Theme: Vehicle Electronics Converging on Real Customer Needs

"Convergence 2008 will pose the question to the Vehicle Electronics Industry, "Does this meet real customer needs?" It is no longer sufficient to simply add to the extensive list of features available on today's vehicle. As witnessed with the revolution created by the iPod®, the magic lies in how effectively features are implemented, creating the least amount of distraction with maximum intuitiveness.
The focus now moves from "what" to "how"." ~ William H. Mattingly, Vice President Engineering Core, Electrical/Electronics, Chrysler
The Convergence Education Foundation envisions a future where an ample supply of engineers, scientists and mathematicians exists.  The mission of our organization is to positively influence youth toward engineering, science and mathematics careers.

We fund project-based learning that supports our mission and vision in the Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana region with the support of the Convergence Transportation Electronics Association.  (CTEA)

Innovative Vehicle Design (IVD) is an engaging and immersive project created and sponsored by the Convergence Education   Foundation, with the support of corporate project partners.  CEF Projects link classroom learning to industry.

CEF Classroom Ideas feature high tech equipment with curriculum lessons to enhance student learning.   GPS units and data loggers are available for check-out and our Segway Human Transporter visits schools to excite learners toward careers in engineering.  CEF sponsors staff development workshops, math initiatives such as TiVitz, and much more!
Innovative vehicle design
Innovative Vehicle Design (IVD) is a unique learning opportunity for students to be fully immersed in an engineering project from the ground up.  High school students are teamed with classroom teachers and corporate project partners, lending engineering expertise, to create an electric vehicle with an innovative component.

FCCLA Family, Career, Community Leaders of America http://www.fcclainc.org/

FCCLA is a nonprofit national career and technology student organization for young men and women in family and consumer sciences education in public and private school, grades 7- 12.

Family, Career and Community Leaders of America is a dynamic and effective national student organization that helps young men and women become leaders and address important personal, family, work and societal issues through family and consumer sciences education.  Chapter project s focus on a variety of youth concerns, including teen pregnancy, parenting, family relationships, substance abuse, peer pressure, environment, nutrition and fitness, teen violence and career exploration.  Involvement in FCCLA offers members the opportunity to expand their leadership potential and develop skills for life -- planning, goal setting, problem solving, decision making and interpersonal communication -- necessary in the home and workplace.

Mission
To promote personal growth and leadership development through family and consumer sciences education.  Focusing on the multiple roles of family member, wage earner and community leader, members develop skills for life through--

• character development
• creative and critical thinking
• interpersonal communication
• practical knowledge and
• vocational preparation

Purposes
1.      to provide opportunities for personal development and preparation for adult life
2.      to strengthen the function of the family as a basic unit of society
3.      to encourage democracy through cooperative action in the home and community
4.      to encourage individual and group involvement in helping achieve global cooperation 
       and harmony
5.      to promote greater understanding between youth and adults
6.      to provide opportunities for making decisions and for assuming responsibilities
7.      to prepare for the multiple roles of men and women in today's society
8.      to promote family and consumer sciences and related occupations

Program Emphasis  

• is the only in-school student organization with the family as its central focus
• is a career and technology student organization that functions as an integral part of the family and consumer sciences education curriculum and operates within the school system provides opportunities for active student participation at local, state, and national levels

HOSA Health Occupations Students of America http://www.hosa.org/index.html

HOSA is a national student organization endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education and the Health Science Technology Education Division of ACTE. HOSA's two-fold mission is to promote career opportunities in the health care industry and to enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people. HOSA's goal is to encourage all health occupations instructors and students to join and be actively involved in the HSTE-HOSA Partnership.
HOSA provides a unique program of leadership development, motivation, and recognition exclusively for secondary, postsecondary, adult, and collegiate students enrolled in HSTE programs. HOSA is 100% health care!
Since its inception in 1976, HOSA has grown steadily reaching nearly 90,000 members through 44 chartered HOSA State Associations and approximately 2,600 secondary and post-secondary/collegiate chapters in 2007-2008

HOSA is not a club to which few students in school join. Rather, HOSA is a powerful instructional tool that works best when it is integrated into the HSTE curriculum and classroom. HSTE instructors are committed to the development of the total person. Those who join the HSTE-HOSA
Partnership recognize the importance of providing students with training far beyond the basic technical skills needed for entry into the health care field. The rapidly changing health care system needs dedicated workers who, in addition to their technical skills, are people-oriented and capable of playing a leadership or followership role as a member of a health care team.
HOSA's mission is especially critical when considering the acute shortage of qualified workers for the health care industry. It is essential that the HSTE-HOSA Partnership maintain its momentum and encourage all HSTE instructors to integrate HOSA into their curriculum and classrooms.

SKILLS USA Vocational Industrial Clubs of America http://www.skillsusa.org/about/index.shtml

SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure  America has a skilled work force. We help each student excel.
SkillsUSA serves more than 300,000 students and instructors annually.
The organization has 13,000 school chapters in 54 state and territorial associations.
More than 14,500 instructors and administrators are professional members of SkillsUSA.

• SkillsUSA helps students to develop their knowledge and technical skills and also an attitude of sincere enthusiasm and passion in their educational path, in their career and in their relationships
• SkillsUSA members are better prepared for lifelong learning and for transition into the workforce or into higher education
• Being in SkillsUSA is a learning experience and a growing experience.
• SkillsUSA members are engaged in their communities and aware of transitions in local, state and national leadership, especially during this presidential election year.
• Our ongoing slogan is SkillsUSA: Champions at Work. We want our members to feel like champions and stand up for quality work, both in school and on the job
• SkillsUSA motivates students to be the best they can be in their technical skill development and personal/ professional development.
• SkillsUSA provides an opportunity for students to put into practice teamwork skills, creativity and project management.
• SkillsUSA increases productivity by cultivating a highly skilled and knowledgeable workforce to meet 21st century needs.
• SkillsUSA is the national organization for public high school and college/postsecondary technical students enrolled in trade, technical, and skilled service profession instructional programs including allied health occupations.
• SkillsUSA represents more than 300,000 students in 130 different occupational areas.

STUDENT FORUM

Student Forum is an MOCC organization made up of representatives from the student body.  This group addresses student concerns and participates in community activities (adopt-a-family and food drives) and Career Center promotion (Career Center tours and presentations).

MITES
Michigan Industrial and Technology Education Society
http://www.mites.cc/

MITES is a non-profit organization with over 600 members and volunteers who believe in the power of hands-on, relevant, and real-world learning.  A professional organization of industrial technology, technology education, and career technical education (CTE) educators whose purpose is the development of industrial and technology education at all levels of private and public education. Since 1928, the Michigan Industrial and Technology Education Society has supported both teachers and students in the areas of Industrial and Career & Technical education.

Mission Statement
To encourage and recognize fine craftsmanship in the field of Industrial Technology, and Career  Technical Education.
Student Eligibility
Any student in grades K through 12 enrolled in Industrial, Technology, or Career Technical Education courses in any Michigan or Indiana public, private, or parochial school is eligible. 13th year students (graduates who are completing secondary Career Technical program course requirements) and mid-year graduates may participate if the project was completed in the semester prior to program completion/graduation. Post-secondary students pursuing TX, IX, or VT certification may enter a project in the FT division only.