Jamestown Public Schools eighth-graders had the opportunity to visit the Hewes Educational Center for an overview of career and technical education opportunities available through BOCES.

ASHVILLE — From decorating cupcakes to lifting sport utility vehicles, hundreds of eighth-graders from Jamestown Public Schools had the opportunity to flavor different Career & Technical Education programs offered at the Hewes Educational Center.

Students from Jefferson and Persell middle schools recently participated in Taste of Tech events held at Hewes in a collaboration between Jamestown and Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES.

For two hours during each event, students rotated between three CTE programs of their choice, where they participated in hands-on activities. Programs included Automotive Body Repair, Automotive Technology, Conservation/Heavy Equipment/Natural Resource Management, Construction Technology, Cosmetology, Criminal Justice, Culinary Arts, Health Careers, Information Technology/Computer Systems, and Small Animal Science.

Alissa Rinaldo, the social worker at Hewes, said while the center does offer tours to middle schoolers, the recent Taste of Tech event was the first of its kind.

“This opportunity allows students to be hands-on,” Rinaldo said. “They get to visit three Career & Technical Education programs, 30 minutes each, and be fully immersed.”

Program instructors and student ambassadors showcased the various programs, offering a “taste” of what each has to offer.

Ashlynn Weaver, a Panama student in the Automotive Body Repair program at Hewes, was one such ambassador. She briefly explained what the program entails under the instruction of Thomas Congdon and then demonstrated the use of an airbrush.

Meanwhile, in the Automotive Technology classroom, students were shown how vehicles are lifted off the ground for an alignment.

Over at Conservation, students learned about the different excavation equipment routinely used by 11th and 12th graders attending the E2CCB program. While wearing high-visibility vests and hard hats, some middle schoolers also had the chance to sit inside the equipment.

In Culinary Arts, cupcakes were decorated with different colored frosting.

Down the hall in the Cosmetology classroom, students learned about nails and hairstyles before practicing different techniques on mannequin heads. Several middle school students indicated they were interested in attending the Cosmetology program in a couple of years.

“It’s a unique opportunity for our young minds to dive into the career and tech world and experience what we have to offer in our community and what career paths they might have an opportunity to explore through an event,” Rinaldo said. “It’s a recruitment event, so when the eighth-grade class is in 10th grade, they’ll come back for their sophomore tour and maybe present them with the opportunity to enroll in Career and Tech for their 11th and 12th-grade year.”

Eighth-graders from Washington Middle Schools in Jamestown were also scheduled to participate in Taste of Tech events this month at Hewes.

Crystal Casel, the guidance counselor at Jefferson Middle School, attended the event with her 100 students. She said CTE programs like the ones offered through E2CCB provide students with different career options before entering the workforce.

“I think a lot of times things are really talked up like college, and something like this opens their eyes to other possibilities that can provide them a career pathway,” Casel said. “I think that’s really important.”

She added that showcasing the different CTE programs to middle school students can be beneficial.

“I think it is imperative to catch kids in this timeframe where they’re still malleable and still believe in the power of change,” Casel said. “It lets them know we believe in them also, that we’re showing this as something they can pursue.”

Career and Technical Education programming typically serves students in their junior and senior years of high school, with students selecting the option to attend an E2CCB CTE program in their sophomore year.

For more information, visit e2ccb.org.