DELAWARE AREA CAREER CENTER STUDENTS ENTHUSIASTIC FOR NEW AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM

PAUL COMSTOCK | THISWEEK | USA TODAY NETWORK

The Delaware Area Career Center's new after-school classes are a hit, according to DACC staff and students.

The program, called Flexible Learning Options, was created because DACC's facility – remodeled and expanded in 2019 – reached its building capacity of 1,200 students sooner than expected, according to DACC staff.

The building's capacity was expected to be able to handle future growth when it was designed, said Tammy Hall, DACC director of student secondary operations.

Compared to traditional public schools, making accurate enrollment predictions at a career center is not so simple, said Alicia Mowry, DACC director of public information.

TECHNICAL SCHOOLS' CHALLENGES IN PREDICTING ENROLLMENT, STUDENT INTEREST

Traditional public schools enroll all students – except for those in private schools and some who are homeschooled – in their district boundaries, and such factors as planned residential developments help make enrollment predictions fairly accurate, she said.

"When you look at a career center, there are so many factors around what's the perception of career-tech education, what are the career and job opportunities, who's talking about career techs,” she said. “The interest has expanded so much."

School districts that work with DACC are Big Walnut Local Schools, Buckey Valley Local Schools, Delaware City Schools, Olentangy Schools, Westerville City Schools and Worthington Schools. The Ohio School for the Deaf also works with DACC.

DACC high school director David Gilliam said interest in careercenter programs seems to be growing among students.

"I think there's really been a paradigm shift from the focus on college, college, college," he said. "Now the focus is on – we call it – 'Your next E.' Is it going to be enrollment, enlistment, or employment? Ultimately, your focus should be employment. So then what do you need to get to that step instead of going straight to college?"

DACC USING CURRENT SPACE INSTEAD OF SPENDING MONEY ON ADDITIONS

Mowry said the after-school program is a fiscally responsible move for DACC and utilizes current space and equipment.

"We didn't immediately jump to 'add more space to the building, build on a new lot, buy land,'" she said. "It was, 'Here's this window of time in our building we have available. Let's use the space that's already free and give the second opportunity to some students.’"

The flexible-option program is limited to high school seniors, who participate for one year, Mowry said.

This year's program has 40 students, each attending one of three courses – application-development programming technician, health care technician, and nail technician.

DACC has plans for the program's future, Hall said.

"I think we're going to be able to expand it," she said. "We're looking at next year adding a digital design (program) and kind of re-looking at how we would do the building maintenance to offer more students opportunities."

DACC'S AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM

Nail-tech instructor Jillian Bartolucci said her students love the after-school program.

"They usually go to school in the morning; then they have a little bit of a break,” she said. “Then they come here. So it's wonderful. They're really happy with it; they love it. No complaints so far."

DACC's cosmetology program covers all aspects of beauty treatment, she said, but some students want to specialize in doing only fingernails.

"So it works out perfect,” Bartolucci said. “They just get to come and do what they want to do and learn what they want to learn."

Brianne Wise, a Delaware Hayes student, said she chose the nailtech program because she wasn't interested in doing hair and skin treatments.

"When I heard there was an after-school program, it was really nice because being a senior, I have three core classes (at her home high school) that I need,” she said. “I don't even have a full normal day at my home district, which means I can work in the morning and then come to school here, and I have the rest of my day free.

“The class itself I love because the people in it are all different. We all have different backgrounds and all come from different schools, actually. Our teacher is great."

Wise said the students will be licensed as nail techs before graduation, and they will gain work experience in a salon.

Application-development tech instructor Wayne Strunk said the flexible-option program involves four-days-a-week instruction at DACC and a Friday assignment that could be done remotely.

"This class can log into their curriculum from home and get everything they get here in class," he said.

As a result of that schedule, Strunk said, one of his students could attend band practice at his home school and march in Friday night football games.

Strunk said the course material covers digital skills that have grown in importance in the past decade, including building websites, web and database applications, and apps for smartphones.

Olentangy High School student Aiden Miller said the after-school application-development course gave him the opportunity he was seeking.

"I was looking to join DACC for a chance at programming,” he said. “I was looking originally at cybersecurity. However, I just couldn't make the cut. I joined too late. I'm a senior. You have to join before you're even a junior."

His spirits soared, he said, when he learned of the after-school program.

"Then it was announced there were senior-only programs, the after-school (options). And I was just off the walls excited," he said.

"I looked at the content we were going to be making, and it absolutely was in my interest. I'm so lucky to be able to work on my career and get those qualifications while still also being able to juggle all the work from my home school. So I do genuinely appreciate this opportunity. It really makes me happy for my future."

Nishita Sharma of Olentangy Berlin High School said she originally thought she might have to sacrifice another class to fit the application-development course into her daytime schedule. The flexible option program prevented that problem, she said.

"I also like the fact that I'm working toward the STEM diploma, and this will really help me get the portfolio part of the diploma.

“I also will have more experience than other people who are coming into college. That'll give me like a certain edge when applying to college. Just like the experience in general, I feel like this will be really helpful in understanding material in college because I want to be able to go into this field, computer science."