Crowds, Cans, Careers at CCTE Showcase

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Culinary arts students providing hors d'oeuvres, JROTC performing precision drills, robots doing what they're programmed to do and SpongeBob SquarePants made from 2,868 cans were just a few things going on at this year's College, Career and Technical Education Showcase.

With 54 presentations from 26 schools, the showcase displayed the best of the projects completed this year as students prepare in practical ways for life after high school.

Award winners included:

• Coolest Project: Construction Tech Academy at Kearny won the Coolest Project award by building a replica of SpongeBob SquarePants out of 2,868 cans of beans, fruit and other foods. The students participate in CANstruction, an annual community project where local artists and community group build artwork out of cans, then donate the food to local food banks.
  
• Showcase Rookie award was won by students from Construction Tech Academy at the Kearny High Educational Complex for their Zoomanity Exhibit and Interpretive Design.  The project was a partnership with the San Diego Zoo. Students interviewed zoologists, architects and construction workers at the zoo to  profile career paths and find out how each species' needs determines the careers' work.
  
• Showcase Veteran Award went to "Urban Ag: Bridging the Divide Between the Farm and Your Table," from Crawford MVAS. The students studied how to convert usable urban land into productive and beautiful food sources, as well as the benefits of growing local.
  
• Showcase Open Award, "A Biotechnology Business in the Classroom," from SciTech at San Diego High. As interns, student worked with lab kit providers to develop a new kit for science classes that costs one-tenth as much as current kits, which are used by 20,000 students around the county.

The RV from the popular PBS series RoadTrip Nation also visited, holding a contest to create videos on individuals' passions, dreams, aspirations and hopes for the future. The winners for the Rookie RoadTrip Nation category were students from Lincoln High School who interviewed Battalion Chief, Bob Steadman. In the Veteran Roadtrip Nation category, winners Hoover High School students for their interview with an Ichiban Restaurant waitress, Michiyo Seaman.

The event was produced by the ROP Marketing, Meetings and Special Events students at San Diego High School of International Studies.  They worked on everything from venue selection to rentals to contracting with other ROP courses in the district to produce the program and awards banners/trophies.  The district’s culinary programs from Garfield and Morse high schools served hors d’oeuvres throughout the event.

For more information, please contact Ralph West, CCTE Program Manager Instructional and Community Development, at (858) 503-1747 or rwest1@sandi.net.

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