Download The Counselor June 2007 as a PDF via this link.
The Workforce Counselor June-July 2007
A publication of Arkansas Department of Workforce Education
(501) 682-1500 http://dwe.arkansas.gov
Wheels Set in Motion for Texarkana Student to Receive a Lift following SkillsUSA State Meeting
Sometimes in life, timing is everything. That was the case for Courtney Ward of Texarkana. The 17-year-old Arkansas High School student is in a wheelchair and faces more than her share of obstacles daily. Just getting to school was a major accomplishment. Her mother had to load her into their vehicle and put her wheelchair on a utility trailer to haul it to around. Rainy days especially presented a challenge getting Courtney and her wheelchair to school. More times than not, she missed school when it rained because she couldn’t get to school and back. Her transportation issues also limited her ability to interact with other students in extra-curricular activities.
This past spring, during Courtney’s junior year, timing became the answer to her prayers. Courtney’s story came to light when a video produced by her fellow students was shown at the state SkillsUSA meeting in Hot Springs back in April. In attendance at the meeting was Department of Workforce Education Director Bill Walker. The director watched the video and saw Courtney’s fellow students and teachers appeal to other SkillsUSA chapters around the state to raise money to “Give Courtney a Lift”.
“What you’re asking for is exactly what the Department of Workforce Education/Arkansas Rehabilitation Services division does………….our agency can help this young lady,” Walker explained to the SkillsUSA gathering minutes later during his presentation.
That’s when Courtney’s fortunes began to change. Subsequent meetings with Arkansas Rehabilitation Services Division counselors focused light on her needs. Tracy Bull, of the Successful Employment through Assistive Technology (SEAT) program, did the initial assessment. Bull discovered that with a docking chair lift system installed on her parents vehicles, Courtney could be transported back and forth to school. Bull also discovered some modifications were needed to the bathroom in her home. Once the SEAT recommendations were submitted, vendors were contacted for bids. The selected vendors went to Texarkana to complete the lift mechanism installation on her father's van and the bathroom modifications in her home. Courtney’s mother's vehicle is being worked on and, at this writing, is being fitted for the lift device to complete the project.
“With this case, two things were brought to the forefront,” said Director Walker. “Meeting the needs of people with disabilities is what our agency does and we returned some personal dignity to this young lady. We were able to make Courtney’s pursuit of an education a little easier by providing her the necessary tools for her to get back and forth to school. That is something all too often taken for granted. What the Department of Workforce Education’s Arkansas Rehabilitation Services Division did was provide services to make it easier for her and her family to get her to and from school. We were able to remove some of the roadblocks she has faced in just working to get an education, and we were glad to do it,” he concluded.
Regina Barner, a Texarkana counselor, said Courtney has had nothing but praise for Arkansas Rehabilitation Services since getting her lift. Barner also said that Courtney told her that her family had hit many obstacles in trying to find help for her until ARS came along.
“Courtney said they didn’t know where to turn,” Barner commented. “It seemed like every place they tried, they had failed, until they learned about DWE/ARS. It’s what we do, help people help themselves,” she added.
Now that Courtney has her lift, she looks forward to returning to school for her senior year this fall. She might even get a perfect attendance award. We know now, it won’t be a little rain that stands in her way.
(Editor’s note: The object of SEAT is to assist DWE/ARS counselors by assessing a client’s need for assistive technology to insure their clients receive the maximum benefit in their pursuit of educational, occupational and independent living goals. Once an assessment is done, SEAT staff will report to the counselor on what options are available, the source of the technology and the cost projections. SEAT utilizes existing resources, such as Physical Therapists and Speech Pathologists at the Hot Springs Rehabilitation Center and Occupational Therapists, Rehab Technicians, and Assistive Technology Specialists, all of whom are nationally certified as Assistive Technology Practioners. When possible, SEAT will travel to the counselor's area and provide the assessment at a time and place convenient to both the counselor and client).
State Board of Workforce Education and Career Opportunities
The State Board of Workforce Education and Career Opportunities held its bi-monthly board meeting at Camp Couchdale in Hot Springs on June 7. The board members who attended were Chairman Jack Justus, Vice–Chairman Phil Taylor, Robert McClanahan, Lucy Ralston, Terry Youngblood and Department of Workforce Education Director William L. “Bill” Walker, Jr.
The board approved the 2007-2008 Arkansas Department of Workforce Education budget and the addition of a landscape construction design program at Riverside Vocational Technical School. The board also agreed to recommend for public review the guidelines for the disclosure of information in regards to Megan’s Law.
It was also noted the Loan Forgiveness Program had been reinstated in May 2007. The funds for the program come from a combination of fund balances and unanticipated educational excellence fund increases.
ADWE Director Walker noted during his presentation to the board that, effective June 1, 2007, the Department of Workforce Education’s Apprenticeship and Applied Sciences department had been transferred from the Career and Technical Education Division to the Workforce Training Division, under the direction of Associate Director Lee Griffith. Walker stated to the board that the move was made to make the department more effective. The program duties of the Apprenticeship and Applied Sciences department include Adult and Youth Apprenticeship, Adult Skills Training and Office of Civil Rights(OCR) Monitoring.
Senior Management Team Update
Earlier this year, the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR) sponsored Phase II of the forum on the Future of Vocational Education. Last year, we provided information on Phase I and received great feedback from our staff on those issues. Among the issues being considered at this time is the question of “what do VR agencies need to be better prepared to meet our customer’s needs over the next 10 years?”
Common suggestions were
To increase funding and comparable resources;
Increase the number of counselors that can provide services;
Increase pay for counselors to enhance recruiting, and
The provision of specialized training to address needs of our future customers.
Over the past year, we have made progress in the area of budgetary considerations as we continue to work more closely within the Department of Workforce Education and also strengthen partnerships with other programs and agencies across the state. Inroads have been made in the counselor-pay issue, with successful activities in the recent legislative session that addressed a Loan Forgiveness program and also adjusted labor-market salaries. We are also making progress in identifying areas where we can increase counselor coverage.
We look forward to our continued progress and look forward to any suggestions or recommendations from our staff.
Thank you for all you’ve done and we look forward to another successful years.
Correction
In May’s coverage of the events during the ARS/ARA/ARAN spring training conference, we failed to recognize one of the award recipients. Denise Wilson of Batesville was named a JPD Employee of the Year during Thursday’s awards banquet. We apologize for this oversight.
The Workforce Counselor
A public information pamphlet of the Arkansas Department of Workforce Education and the division of Arkansas Rehabilitation Services.
Arkansas Department of Workforce Education Director William L. “Bill” Walker, Jr.
Director of Communications Reginald L. Jackson
Contributing Staff
Holly Beason
Carl Enna
Trina Harris
Sandra Hubbard
Arkansas Department of Workforce Education Luther S. Hardin Building
Three Capitol Mall
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-1083
501-682-1500501-682-1509 fax
http://dwe.arkansas.gov
Division of Arkansas Rehabilitation Services’ Central Office
1616 Brookwood Drive
Little Rock, AR 72202
501 296-1600 (V/TTY)800-330-0632 (V/TTY)
SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT
Ray Brown, Supported Employment Coordinator
As defined by the Federal Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1986, Supported Employment is:
“Competitive work in integrated settings for individuals with the
most severe disabilities; for whom competitive employment has not
traditionally occurred, or been intermittent or interrupted as a
result of their disabilities, and who, because of their disability, need
on-going support services to perform such work…..”
Supported Employment differs from the traditional rehabilitation model of pre-placement training, job placement, short term follow-up and termination of services at case closure.
- It is based on the model of place and train vs. train and place.
- It is community integrated, not center-based.
- It involves paid work at minimum wage or higher, not piece work.
- It extends employment oriented supports to the worker as long as the job is maintained.
Persons targeted for Supported Employment include individuals with Developmental Disabilities traditionally served in a center-based day or vocational program; persons with serious and persistent mental illness needing a regular program of on-going support to maintain employment; or people with severe physical disabilities such as traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury, needing intensive job site training and support and on-going contact with the client and employer to assure that job performance remains consistent with employment needs and expectations.
ARS currently has over 40 approved vendors to provide Supported Employment services. They are reimbursed through a performance based funding method based on milestones. A successful, “26 closure”, case will cost $4400. The majority of cases are closed successfully.
Supported Employment cases are served by the 10 ODHI/SE counselors. Although ARS provides services to all 75 counties, vendor coverage does not cover the entire state. For additional information, contact the ODHI/SE counselor or Ray Brown.
DWE/ARS Profile: Reginald “Reggie” Jackson
Director of Communications
Place of Birth: Helena, Arkansas
Pet Peeve: I can’t stand people who cut you off in the middle of a sentence
Favorite Music: I like Smooth and Big Band Jazz, Delta and Chicago Blues, Reggae, Hip Hop, Rock and Roll, Classic Rock, a little country, and old school R & B. Since I’m a radio dj, I like just about everything.
Favorite Vacation Spots: Cancun, Mexico, Nassau, Bahamas, and Miami, Florida
My Favorite Cities Are: Chicago, New York, Miami, and Memphis
Favorite Food: My mother’s sweet potato pie
Favorite Movies: Forrest Gump; Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; A Few Good Men; Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith; Armageddon
When I retire: I want to live in a beachfront home in Florida and spend all my time sailing on my yacht.
My Job Is: Wonderful! Because I get to help tell the story of what great things my fellow co-workers in the agency are doing to assist the citizens of the great state of Arkansas.
If I Had a Choice, I’d Rather Be …Cooking
My Favorite Books: The Bible, My American Journey by Colin Powell; The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Clayborne Carson; The Golden Thirteen by Paul Stillwell
My Favorite Hobbies Are: Cooking, gardening, reading, and biking
Favorite Season of the Year: Early Fall, just when the leaves start changing colors and the weather is cool and crisp.
Favorite All Time TV Shows: Star Trek (the original series); Kung Fu, and Martin
What Motivates Me: Progressive, innovative and forward thinking people.
Who is Katherine Parish?
Every person with an Arkansas High School Diploma has a story – thousands of new stories every year.
Katherine Parish had difficulty in school throughout her elementary years and quit after 8th grade. She married, raised her family and worked a factory job.
In 1989 she began working with a literacy tutor just to build her skills and prove to herself that she could learn. In 1992 Katherine enrolled in GED classes for the first time at Crowley’s Ridge Technical Institute. A learning disability that went undiagnosed until late in her adult life robbed Katherine of self-confidence in her ability to learn. At age 62, through years of determination while battling health and personal issues, Katherine earned her Arkansas High School Diploma.
Katherine is proof that everyone can learn
if they are persistent.
Mature. Motivated. And ready to prove it.
The people who pass the GED Tests.
Learn how the GED Tests can work for you.
Visit dwe.arkansas.gov or call 501-682-1980
Federal Surplus Property provides donated property to Public agencies, Educational Institutions and other groups
One of the better known, but least understood, sections of the Department of Workforce Education is the Federal Surplus Property program, located at 8700 Remount Road in North Little Rock. Federal Surplus Property handles donated property that has been declared excess or “surplus” by the federal government. Public agencies, private, non-profit health and educational institutions and homeless shelters are eligible to receive property. There are fees that are assessed to cover the administrative expenses and normally run about ten cents on the dollar of the property’s market value.
This equipment recycling program is headed by Jim Smith, who says the recent boon for the DWE/FSP program has been in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) mobile home and travel trailer surpluses.
“We’ve had over 50 full-sized mobile homes go out and we could fill orders for another 300 if we could get them,” Smith said. “We’ve handled over 200 travel trailers and I’m trying to get some more of those in now,” he added.
One of the things Smith is most proud about Federal Surplus Property is that in the past 25 years, the division has pumped over $300 billion of federal monies into the state of Arkansas. Those monies come from the administrative costs that are charged for handling the property. |
Most items Federal Surplus Property receives are used, but some of the items come new in the box. Items range from medical equipment and supplies, kitchen equipment and supplies, office desks and file cabinets, to generators, heavy equipment, and other types of outside construction equipment.
HSRC Employee of the Month * Brenda Steward * June 2007
Brenda Steward, salad maker in the Food Service Department, has been named June’s Employee of the Month at the Hot Springs Rehabilitation Center. A co-worker writes, “She is always helpful. I have never seen her have a bad day; she always participates during special events (such as Mardi Gras) and makes them fun for everyone.”
Her 19 years at HSRC have been “good ones,” says Steward. A graduate of Menifee’s East Side High, she moved to Hot Springs to help care for her sister’s children, and later held a job at an area hotel. When she learned about the Center’s services, right there in her own town, she applied and “trained all over the place,” from cook, to line worker, to dining room attendant. And as luck would have it, there was a job opening in Food Service as soon as she completed her training.
Dietary Services Director Jane Campbell recognized Steward’s valuable work and work ethic several years ago, and promoted her to Salad Maker. “Brenda has embraced the daily challenges of creating salads that are both eye-appealing and delicious. I catch her often looking through cookbooks for new salad recipes. Employees who research and spend their time off improving their work skills view their employment here as more than a job. Brenda is one of those people…[perhaps] more importantly, she teaches the students enrolled everything she knows about fresh fruit and vegetables.”
Teaching food service students the skills needed for this job is an aspect of her work that Steward greatly enjoys. Her positive attitude and the joyfulness she shares with staff and students on a daily basis never seem to waver. “I love what I do,” she explains. “I work with such good people.”
Contentment carries over at home. “God is good; I’ve been blessed,” she says of her daughter and niece, who is graduating in the next few days and will be getting married in November. “He’s done a whole lot for me, and I’m grateful all the time.” She counts her active membership at Roanoke Missionary Baptist Church as a way to celebrate her blessings and to give back.
Was she surprised by her selection as Employee of the Month?
“I wanted to cry,” Steward laughs, “but I made myself NOT cry. It was such a nice surprise!”
In response, Campbell says, “Anyone who knows Brenda or customers who come to the cafeteria for the first time, often remember her. I hate to admit this,” she laughs, “but I often have to tell Brenda to quiet down because her laugh is very loud (and contagious)…I find it hard to tell someone to stop laughing. She always has a smile on her face...I have worked side-by-side with Brenda for approximately 17 years and have only seen her in a bad mood maybe 5 times.
“So, thank you, Brenda for all of your laughing, smiling and, especially, all of your hard work. Thank you, too, for bringing your great big heart to work with you each and every day.”
Dates to Remember
• The Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) National Leadership Conference will be held in Chicago, Illinois, June 23 through June 26 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.
• The Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) National Leadership Conference will be held in Chicago June 28 through July 1 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.
• Arkansas students interested in applying for the High Tech Scholarship are running out of time. July 1 is the application deadline for the 2007-08 school year. (Applications received after this deadline might be considered if scholarship funds are/become available after the fall semester.) DWE will award up to 18 High Tech Scholarships this year. The scholarship provides $250 a semester for up to four years in a qualifying technical program. For additional information, log on to http://dwe.arkansas.gov/hightechscholarship.htm.
• Department of Workforce Education’ Federal Surplus Property Division will be closed June 25 – June 29 for inventory. The warehouse, located in North Little Rock, will open for business at 7:30 a.m. on July 2.
Department of Workforce Education Career and Technical Education Completers
The Arkansas Department of Workforce Education is pleased to announce the results of a 5-year follow-up of career and technical education students who completed a pathway/program of study (or defined sequence of courses) within one of the department’s 16 educational clusters.
The ongoing study began in 2001 and the data reflects students who were first time freshmen in Arkansas public colleges and universities.
In 2005, career and technical education completers (students completing an identified sequence of courses in a career major) represented
• 18% of Arkansas’s first time entering freshmen
• 14% of two year college entering freshmen
• 21% of four year college entering freshmen
In fact, the number of career and technical education students who completed a pathway major increased 38% over the 5-year study and the number of those completers entering college increased by 47%!
While reducing the remediation rate of entering freshmen continues to be a priority of our state, the career and technical education completer’s remediation rate decreased by 14% during the 5-year study. The remediation rate of the last career and technical education group reviewed was within 1% of all 2005 freshmen:
• Career and technical education 2005 freshmen 53%
• All 2005 freshmen 52%
It is believed that a contributing factor of this decrease is the number of career and technical education completers taking the ‘Smart Core’, or ACT recommended curriculum. This number has increased from 44% of completers taking ACT curriculum at the beginning of the study, to 65% with the 2005 freshmen taking Smart Core or ACT curriculum.
A source of great pride is the persistence rate of Arkansas completers. Career and technical education completers who persist to their sophomore year have increased by 37%. The persistence rate of 2005 career and technical education completers was at 72% or 4.7% above all Arkansas freshmen for that year.
The top 5 increases in Arkansas Pathway completers:
Program % increase in Pathway Completers
• Pre-engineering 840%
• Aviation mechanics 367%
• Power equipment 158%
• Horticulture 110%
• Construction 99%
Top 5 increases in Arkansas Pathway completers entering college:
Program % increase in Pathway Completers entering
College
• Pre-engineering 2900%
• Furniture making 300%
• Cosmetology 210%
• Commercial photography 186%
• Radio/TV broadcasting 143%
Over 156,000 Arkansas students enroll in career and technical education classes annually representing approximately 75% of all students in grades 7 through 12. Presently, 39% of all high school seniors graduating complete a program of study in a career and technical education cluster/pathway.
Career and technical education students continue to improve in academic skills according to No Child Left Behind Act assessments with:
• 39% proficient in literacy
• 41% proficient in math
This represents a 6% literacy increase and a 17% math increase for career and technical education students over the past three assessment years. End of course technical skill attainment increased 10% over the past five years.
The success of the program is noted in the review of career and technical education completer placement:
• 61% of the career and technical education completers entering college
• 30% going directly to work with a skill
• 3% going into the military
Success is also reflected in a four year study of the career centers that are hosted by our two year colleges.
• The number of students receiving concurrent college credit has grew from 1,124 students to 3,607 students.
• The number of college hours issued on transcript to our center students increased from 10,338 to 24,620 (a 138% increases over the past four years).
• This represents a $1.6 million dollar cost savings to students in tuition cost and is equal to 198 bachelors’ degrees.
The bottom line…..CAREER TECH PAYS! These results show a payoff not only to the economy of our state, but to the students and families of those who elect to enroll in career and technical education. For additional information, contact John Davidson, Deputy Director for Career and Technical Education, at 501-682-1500 or john.davidson@arkansas.gov.
ARS salutes four June 2007 retirees
This month we say good-bye to several long-time friends and colleagues who are moving on to the next chapter of their lives. These four retirees have served the Department of Workforce Education’s Arkansas Rehabilitation Services division for a total of 129 years! Montie Lumpkin, district manager for District I-Sand headquartered in Fort Smith, will be retiring June22 after 34 years of service. Wayne Marsac, administrator for the Community Development Program at Central Office, will be re-tiring June 27 with 37 years of service. Sandra Belt, secretary in the Fort Smith office, will also celebrate her retirement June 27, following 28years of service. Viola Elliott, Nursing Assistant II at the Hot Springs Rehabilitation Center, will count 30 years of service when she retires June 30.
80th Arkansas FFA State Convention held at Camp Couchdale
The 80th Arkansas Future Farmer’s of America State Convention was held June 4 through 8 at Camp Couchdale in Hot Springs. Approximately 1,000 agriculture students from around the state joined together for training, workshops, competitions, proficiency awards and career development events. New state officers were elected and the students were given the chance to earn their state farmer degrees. Over $50,000 in National FFA Scholarships were also awarded. As members of FFA, students learn leadership skills, problem-solving skills, citizenship skills, creative thinking skills, record keeping skills, communication and public relations skills, and have the opportunity to experience positive and supportive peer groups. Arkansas Workforce Education Director William L. “Bill” Walker addressed the students during opening ceremonies on June 7th and thanked them for their hard work and dedication.“ I commend each and every one of you for the commitment and dedication you have to the future of the agricultural industry in our state,” Walker told the group. “Arkansas’s rural roots are based on agriculture. Not only are you learning and developing the leadership skills that you will need to feed people but you are also learning the skills you will need in a wide variety of areas in agriculture education,” he added. Marion D. Fletcher, DWE program manager for agriculture education and the FFA state advisor, stated that agricultural education is more than just farming. “It includes animal and plant sciences, agriculture business, horticulture, national resources and forestry,” he said. “Agriculture programs are currently in over 230 schools with 275 instructors and 20,000students along with a 12,000 members in FFA,” he added. FFA State Advisor Named National Secondary Educator of the Year Fletcher began working in the agriculture field in1963 as a teacher in Desha County. In 1966, he became part of the state staff working at Camp Couchdale as a manager. In 1969, Marion was given a district in the state to supervise and in 1987, he became program manager in DWE’ s Agriculture Education. He is the longest serving program manager for agriculture education in the country. In March of this year, Fletcher was awarded the Star’s of Education Award for “National Secondary Educator of the Year” by the National Association of State Director’s of Career and Technical Education Consortium. Camp Couchdale Buildings named in honor of Board member and Staff Camp Couchdale was built in 1929 by the labor of young FFA members. The members built several cabins and a cafeteria with untreated pine logs from the property. Since that time, the camp has been used for FFA activities such as leadership conferences and state conventions. Church groups also utilize the camp during the summer months. In 1983, ground broke at Camp Couchdale for anew facility that would seat 1,500 people. This leadership center was officially opened in 1985 and a few years later, during an Arkansas FFA State Convention, the building was renamed the Marion D. Fletcher Leadership Center. State Board of Workforce Education and Career Opportunities Chair Jack Justus, is also no stranger to the agriculture industry or to Camp Couchdale. Mr.Justus is a native of Boone County and graduated FFA Marion D. Fletcher with honors from the University of Arkansas with a BSA in Agriculture. He has over 40 years of service in the farm community through the Arkansas Farm Bureau and the Cooperative Extension Service. He served as Executive Vice President of the Farm Bureau from 1982 - 1997. In 1996, he was honored with the Progressive Farmer’s “Man of the Year Award in Arkansas Agriculture”. In 1997, the University of Arkansas College of Agriculture, Food and Life Sciences named him an Outstanding Alumnus. One of Camp Couchdale’s many buildings is named in honor of Mr. Justus. The Jack Justus Education Center was dedicated in his honor because as chair of the FFA Foundation, he was instrumental in securing funding from the state and in raising approximately $500,000 in private donations for renovations to the camp. The renovated meeting hall was originally built in 1958 by agriculture teachers and was used to teach agriculture teachers and mechanics.
Youth Leadership Forum to meet at UCA in Conway
The 9th annual Youth Leadership Forum, presented by the Department of Workforce Education/Arkansas Rehabilitation Services Division and the Governor’s Commission on People with Disabilities, will be held July 9-13, 2007, on the University of Central Arkansas campus in Conway. Thirteen youngsters from across Arkansas will gather for the event to study leadership, citizenship and social skills. YLF is an educational and motivational forum where guest speakers address such topics as disability rights laws, innovations in technology, nutrition, healthcare and resources at all levels.
The Youth Leadership Forum is an outgrowth of the 1960’s Independent Living movement. YLF first came about in the late 1980’s in a handful of states but became more mainstream in the 1990’s. Since 1998, hundreds of youth with disabilities have benefited from the Arkansas program. YLF is also considered a primer for high school seniors with disabilities to learn what life is like in the disability community.
“We expose the students to life after entitlement,” said YLF co-director Ida Esh’t. “They are about to enter a world where things are going to be different than they were in high school and YLF gives them a heads-up to some of the unexpected obstacles they may face,” she said.
The schedule for the four day conference includes a session on “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens”, which allows teens to build on the principles of the 7 Habits through interactive exercises. The group will learn the difference between the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Fair Housing Act. They’ll also learn what is governed by each and how to deal with everyday situations they could face in life.
Additionally, the students will interact in discussions about present day disability topics; hear specialists in their fields discuss employment, nutrition, healthcare and related subjects.
They’ll also travel to the Arkansas State Capitol for a tour and, while in Little Rock, be guests at a luncheon where they will be able to network with mentors with disabilities.
“Each year, it’s interesting to see the cross section of youngsters with disabilities who attend YLF,” Esh’t said. “This year’s class appears to be more so students with hidden disabilities rather than those with obvious physical disabilities. Sometimes that presents a bit of a challenge when it comes to explaining disability etiquette in terms they can relate to,” she concluded.
Arkansas Students Participate in this year’s National SkillsUSA Conference
The 43rd annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, will be represented with 252 Arkansas students, teachers and staff. SkillsUSA is the national-level competition for public high school career and technical education students enrolled in trade, technical, and skilled service profession instructional programs including allied health occupations. Teams from all 50 states, along with Puerto Rico and Guam, will converge on Kansas City for the event June 25-29, 2007. That totals over 14,000 students, teachers and staff who’ll be there this summer.
For Arkansas’s SkillsUSA participants, the road to this year’s Kansas City convention ran through Hot Springs, where the state competition was held in April. More importantly, the road originated at the local level where career and technical education students first had to win in order to compete at the state level.
One hundred-forty-three gold medal winners from Arkansas will participate in the Kansas City national competition in 67 different disciplines, ranging from architectural drafting to welding. Randy Prather, Arkansas SkillsUSA director, says that each of the gold medal winners in Arkansas receives scholarship money that will pay their way into any one of 25 state colleges and universities.
“Some of the participants going to Kansas City are in team competitions, others participate in individual competitions,” Prather said. “Either way, the number of Arkansas participants is one of the tops in the country. Texas, Ohio and Wisconsin will have more participants than Arkansas, but we’ll be right up there in the top 4 or 5. That’s quite a kudo too, because these kids either pay their own way to nationals or work together to raise the money to make the trip,” he explained.
Prather also said that Arkansas will be competitive with much larger states in the country.
“To give you an example,” he continued, “the Southern Arkansas University-Camden team has won the national gold medal in Aviation Maintenance three of the last four years and won silver the other year. That’s quite an accomplishment,” he added.
The championships require a massive amount of equipment and materials, including more than 850 computers, 50 trucks, 9,500 bricks and 1,500 blocks, 60 stoves, and complete laboratories for machining, welding, and auto repair and painting.
“Some competitions will be held in Kansas City’s Bartle Hall and over 5,000 students will participate,” according to Prather. “Bartle Hall has over 8 and a half football fields worth of space and almost every foot will be taken up with the different competitions. There is a $25 million dollar investment by business and industry into this competition when you count the actual dollars, the man hours and in-kind assistance and equipment that is provided for SkillsUSA. They see it as a wise investment into the future,” he concluded.
What’s News?
Howard Rutenberg, HSRC Hospital Administrator, swims competitively. On June 9, while competing in an event in Bentonville, Arkansas, he set two state records in his age group -- the 400 meter and the1500 meter swim! Way to go, Mr. Rutenberg!
Retirement becomes her. Mae Robinson had a wonderful time on the Lake Ouachita fishing trip (guided by Mary Willingham’s husband, Greg) she received as a retirement gift in December.
Our thoughts are with the family of Holly Ketchum, Counselor at Corporate Hill in Little Rock, and State Rehabilitation Council member Traci Ketchum on the death of their father-in-law, Edward Ketchum, May 29, from injuries sustained in a vehicle accident. Ms. Myrie Martin Surratt, grandmother of Corporate Hill secretary Yolanda Graves, passed away June 2. Our sympathies go out to Graves and her family. Matthew Cloyd, son of Ann Cloyd, Counselor at the Corporate Hill office, lost his life in a vehicle accident June 3rd. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Cloyd family at this difficult time.
Pride & Joy
Dianne Smith, Program Specialist for Community Program Development, and her husband, Stormy, are elated to announce the birth of their first grand-child, Matthew Garrett Smith, born May 29 in Little Rock. He is 8 lbs., 8ozs. and 21 in. long, and parents Jennifer and Jared Smith couldn’t be happier.
Hot Springs Rehabilitation Center Honors Tuskegee Airman
As part of the annual Memorial Day celebration at the Hot Springs Rehabilitation Center, Little Rock native Milton Crenshaw wowed the crowd with tales from his days as a member of the legendary Tuskegee Airman. He elaborated on his days as a primary flight training instructor with the all black unit, officially known as the 332nd Fighter Group of the United States Army Air Corps.
The squadron flew bomber escort missions in the European theater and, as legend has it, never had a bomber they escorted shot down; something military experts feel will never be duplicated.
The son of sharecropper and grandson of a slave, Crenshaw, now 88, told the audience in Hot Springs he was blessed with the opportunities that came his way in life.
“I never thought I’d ever see the inside of an airplane’s cockpit, let alone log over 25,000 hours flying,” he said. “Let’s just say, my life was truly blessed by God,” he added.
He downplayed the inequities of the system that restricted African-American pilots from across the nation to attend only one school (Tuskegee), while their white counterparts had hundreds to choose from. He focused his talk on the achievements of the Tuskegee Airman, rather than the obstacles and discrimination that African-American members of the military faced before President Harry S. Truman issued Executive Order 9981 in 1948, integrating the military.
Crenshaw, a graduate of Little Rock’s Dunbar High school, helped charter the aviation program at Philander Smith College in Little Rock. In March, he was honored for his accomplishments at the state Capitol by Governor Mike Beebe. Later that month, he was honored by President George W. Bush in Washington D.C. with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress.
