Workgroup Leaders:

Deb MacKay, Community Leader
Lissa Pohl, Facilitator
Lisa Deffendall, Project Coordinator
Mark Williams, Staff Leader
Jock Gum, Staff Leader

Why Consider Science and Technical Education?

• A gap exists between today's work force needs and the students graduating from our high schools.
• In order to prepare our students for life after high school, we must infuse the curriculum with real-world relevance, pathways to exploring career interests, and strong math and science offerings.
• Today's employers are looking for graduates with job-related skills, problem solving capacity, a willingness to learn new things, the ability to apply knowledge in context and workplace ethics.
• Research has shown that students who take vocational and technical education courses go on to earn more than those who don't, and are more likely to be employed, to join the military or to be enrolled in a postsecondary education program.
• We must change the public perception of technical education. All students, including those college-bound, can benefit from stronger ties between academic content and technical education experiences, internships or cooperative work programs.
• Scientific investigations, hands-on projects and real-world experiences build the capacity for scientific inquiry.