Educators get educated

Area educators are returning to classrooms and offices with new manufacturing knowledge and experience this fall after attending a summer workshop. Over the summer, 21 K-12 educators and two career coaches attended Raise the Bar's Summer Educator Experience, a new program designed to bolster local workforce by changing perceptions and attitudes of manufacturing. "Educators were immersed in facilities to see that manufacturing is diverse, relies on people with strong soft skills, like accountability and work ethic, and offers roles for everyone — college degree or not," Tricia Valasek, the executive director of Raise the Bar, said. Over the two-day sessions in June and August, educators heard from more than 60 manufacturing employees about career paths, required skill sets and company culture. Educators also received 10 faculty tours to see production in action. Host companies and sectors included ROKI America, GSW Manufacturing, Freudenberg-NOK, Hearthside Solutions, Hamlet Protein, Whirlpool, Partitions Plus, Werk-Brau, Simona PMC and Findlay All Hazards Training Center. "The companies that hosted our educators truly represented the variation of manufacturing in Hancock County. From small to large, family-owned to globally connected, and everything in between, the companies offered our participants a chance to see manufacturing as a means toward strong wages and career growth," Valasek said. Participants may bring the companies into their classroom throughout the year for hands-on demonstrations and real-world learning scenarios for students. Educators who attended the sessions include Andrea Barger and Shane Cavinee from Arlington; Becky Bucher and Jonna Shumway from Cory-Rawson; Daniel Gosser; Brian Kirian, Mark Laux, Aaron Moyer, Jordan Nugeness and Kristina Pritchard Rowe from Findlay City Schools; Maria Little and Mary Rood from Findlay Digital Academy; Justin Depinet from Fostoria; Sarah Becker from McComb; Mark Gleason and Kate Murray from Millstream Career Center; Bethany Archer, Brian Bratt and Eric Heitkamp from Van Buren; and Heather Hunt and Grant Johnson from Vanlue. Habitat for Humanity's Financial Opportunity Center Career Coaches Dustin Fuller and Phil Brock also attended.