Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
MITCHELL – Mitchell Community Schools was awarded a $100,000 grant to bolster its advanced manufacturing curriculum at Mitchell High School.
The grant was awarded by the Indiana Office of Career and Technical Education in partnership with Conexus Indiana. This year’s grant incorporated input from TechPoint, a nonprofit, industry-led growth initiative for Indiana’s technology companies.
The grant program, now in its second year, supports schools in offering CTE programs that prepare students for careers in advanced manufacturing and information technology.
Apryl Kidd, director of the Collaboration of Shoals, Mitchell and Orleans Schools, said Mitchell High School is creating a digital manufacturing pathway within its advanced manufacturing program.
“We’re forecasting that as automation and robotics continue to grow, that students will need skill sets for that to go straight to work or to pursue associate or bachelor’s degrees in that field,” Kidd said. “We’re creating it as an opportunity for all students whether they enroll in college or go straight into the workforce.”
The grant will be used to purchase equipment and serve students in grades 9-12. Although the grant is specific to MHS, Kidd said the program will be tailored so students in the two other COSMOS schools can take part.
“Digital manufacturing is an equipment-heavy course and very costly, so we’re excited about having that extra support from Conexus and the Office of CTE,” Kidd said.
Currently, MHS has introductory AM classes. Students are in the process of creating a 24/7 food pantry. Kidd said they are creating models and renderings and learning what it’s like to design for a customer by getting feedback from an ag/nutrition class.
Also taking shape is Cement City Industries, which will be a student-run business, and an MHS student in the AM program has designed a crank bait fishing lure using a 3-D printer.
Education Readiness
Nine Indiana high schools were recipients of the Education Readiness Grant. The OCTE awarded a total of $749,000. Grantees will use the funding to purchase new and innovative technologies and equipment identified in their applications as they prepare to implement programs in the 2023-2024 school year.
Grant recipient list
Advanced Manufacturing:
- Middlebury Community School Corporation (Northridge High School) – $70,000
- Martinsville High School – $100,000
- Pike Career and STEM Center – $90,000
- Mitchell Community Schools – $100,000
- New Palestine High School – $100,000
Information Technology:
- Indianapolis Public Schools – $75,000
- Mississinewa High School – $71,000
- Northwest Allen County Schools (Carroll High School) – $64,000
- Franklin Township High School – $79,000
In addition to providing funding for secondary schools to offer new CTE programs, Education Readiness Grants are aimed at strengthening partnerships between industry and local schools. Schools using these grants must partner with a local employer to provide students with a work-based learning experience that directly complements their CTE pathway in advanced manufacturing or information technology. These intentional partnerships are aimed at recruiting more students into these high-demand fields and graduating job-ready students with experience and credentials needed by local employers.
Education Readiness Grants complement Next Level Programs of Study (NLPS), Indiana’s redesign of secondary career and technical education courses which launched this school year. Grant recipients were required to be implementing or expanding one of 4 eligible programs of study in the advanced manufacturing and information technology sectors.
Grant recipients will participate in regular convenings over the course of the grant cycle with OCTE staff and industry experts from Conexus and TechPoint to gain insights and strategies on effectively implementing their selected program of study.