DUSD awarded $2,500 grant

Phil Davis, director of support programs, CTE and STEM for Downey Unified (left) and Glen Yamasake, a CTE teacher at Downey High (right), accept a $2,500 grant from Clay Mitchell, director of the California Department of Education SkillsUSA.

DOWNEY – DUSD has been awarded a $2,500 grant from the Alcoa Foundation to further boost the number of students interested in exploring careers in STEM-related fields. The grant was awarded to select high schools that demonstrated “a desire and capacity to focus attention on manufacturing-related college and career options.” Both Downey and Warren high schools offer Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses and active SkillsUSA chapters.

The grant will partially subsidize three years of SkillsUSA membership growth and chapter activity, including leadership training and occupational skills competitions for students interested in exploring education in science, technology, engineering and math related careers.

“Many students and parents have an outdated perception of employment in the manufacturing industry and do not realize there are many high-skill, high-wage positions that offer challenging and very rewarding careers,” said Paul Watters, project manager for the Manufacturing Education Initiative in Southern California. “Teachers of manufacturing and STEM courses that involve students in SkillsUSA leadership training and skills competitions engage those students with industry professionals while exposing them to future career opportunities.”

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Published: March 12, 2015 - Volume 13 - Issue 48