Written by Joy Galon
Ladd Soseby walked into the room alone. The “Chapter in Review Display” event at the regional FCCLA competition was designed as a two-person presentation. His partner wasn't available. So, Ladd stood in front of the judges and delivered the whole thing himself. He still placed in the top two of the region and advanced to state. Then he went home, revamped the...
Written by Joy Galon
Cadet Alicia Arellano came into the Clarke Central drone program hesitant to speak up in class. Months later she was part of a team, teaching drone safety and piloting fundamentals to 180 of her fellow cadets. Cadet Ezra Long came in to learn how to fly and ended up learning how to fix...
Written by Joy Galon
Every spring, Commerce High School's entire senior class spends a day learning to change tires, write checks, cook, budget, and sit through a proper etiquette luncheon. Five years in, it's become one of the most anticipated events of the year. This year's March 24th “Adulting Day” event received a HireSmart Cares grant for $1,800 to help cover the cost, part of the nonprofit's...
Written by Joy Galon
Empower’s New Automotive Program Accelerates Student Success with HireSmart Support When Zach Holtzclaw walked into the brand-new automotive technology facility at Empower College and Career Center, he knew he was stepping into something special. As the inaugural director of the program, Holtzclaw faced the exciting challenge of building a comprehensive automotive curriculum from...
Written by Joy Galon
On a recent school day, Emily Gunderson's biotechnology students at Empower College and Career Center in Jackson County were in the middle of something most high schoolers never touch. They had spent the previous day cutting DNA with restriction enzymes, and now they were running gel electrophoresis, sending electricity through a gel to...
Written by Joy Galon
Before a single drone is powered on, Lydia Prince's students are already working. They're on the practice field behind the old gym at Academy of Richmond County, building mazes by hand, thinking through the course their aircraft will eventually need to navigate. The flying comes later. First comes the planning. That sequence brings perspective. Prince, a Computer Science teacher...