Both centers held Discovery Days, where middle schoolers could tour the facility, meet staff, and interact with current students. The two events also allowed ninth-graders already enrolled at both P-TECH locations to get hands-on experience before deciding on a pathway heading into 10th grade.

At CAM P-TECH, students can choose between pathways in Electrical Construction & Maintenance Electrician or Computer Information Systems. At WNY P-TECH, pathways include Welding Technology, Mechatronics, and Mechanical Technology, with a concentration in CAD or Machine Tooling.

In Springville, participants rotated between the different classrooms and received hands-on tutorials from current students in both pathways. Students were also introduced to the school’s ELA, math, history, and science teachers, among other staff.

In Dunkirk, several eighth-graders from Lake Shore and Gowanda visited, where current students gave them demonstrations of all four pathways. Almost a dozen ninth grade students already attending WNY P-TECH also participated.

Seamus Matwijow of Gowanda is pictured in the CAD classroom at WNY P-TECH during the Discovery Day event. Submitted photos

“Discovery Day is designed to provide exposure for our current ninth-graders to assist them in declaring a pathway in the spring and to allow interested students to see why WNY P-TECH may be the right choice for them,” Nicole Donato, school counselor, said.

For more information about P-TECH at Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES, visit e2ccb.org/programs/p-tech/