Oklahoma’s CareerTech System Comes to the Aid of Hurricane Katrina Victims

Following is a partial list as of Sept. 16, 2005, of activities taking place across Oklahoma at many of CareerTech’s 29 technology centers and its seven student organizations affiliated with the seven occupational program areas.

Canadian Valley Technology Center, El Reno and Chickasha
Canadian Valley Technology Center (CVTC) made its first big donation to hurricane Katrina victims in early September by donating nine pallets of supplies to Oklahoma-based Feed the Children. CVTC worked to collect items and Feed the Children picked up the supplies and transported them to Baton Rouge.
Feed the Children is asking for the following items:

Ready-to-eat foods and snacks Bottled water Batteries and flashlights New blankets Juice and beverages Personal hygiene items Cleaning supplies Paper products Tarps and raingear Clothes (new or washed/cleaned) Buckets and plastic containers

The CVTC student organization SkillsUSA organized donation drops across the campus. From there, the project expanded to other school organizations participating as well as area businesses and churches. To make a donation, or for more information, call Kelly Arnold at 405-224-7220.

DECA
Oklahoma DECA, the student organization affiliated with Marketing Education is currently promoting a "Just a Dollar Campaign." Proceeds will benefit re-establishing DECA chapter in the hurricane-devastated area. Proceeds will be collected at the Fall Leadership Conference on Oct. 3.

FFA
The Oklahoma FFA, the student organization affiliated with Agricultural Education programs, is encouraging local chapters to consider supporting the National FFA Organization relief campaign called Seeds of Hope to raise funds for rebuilding agricultural education programs and FFA chapters damaged by hurricane Katrina.

Francis Tuttle Serving as Community Collection Site, OKC
Francis Tuttle Technology Center is accepting donations of tangible items that include non-perishable, ready-to-eat food, bottled water, baby items (diapers and infant formula) and personal hygiene products. The items will be donated to Feed the Children, who will distribute to the Gulf states region.

Students are conducting a "Loose Change" drive to support the efforts of these organizations. Pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters, as well as "silent money" (bills) are accepted.

The technology center also donated 30 computers and two printers to set up a computer lab at Camp Gruber, currently housing more than 1,000 evacuees.

Tuition, book and fee waivers for any student displaced by the hurricane will be provided. The waivers will remain effective through the end of the 2005-06 school year.

For more information, please contact Tricia Johnson at 717-4900.

Indian Capital, Muskogee - The 1,500 evacuees at Camp Gruber in Muskogee have a variety of needs. Staff and administration at Indian Capital Technology Center have stepped in to help meet those needs by:

• Conducting meetings and distributing information about skills assessment and training opportunities.
• Students and staff are partnering with other local organizations to provide needed items.
• Encouraging and collecting cash donations through the Red Cross or Salvation Army to meet specific needs of the evacuees.
• Individually volunteering to sort donations, serve meals, hand out supplies, etc., through their community organizations and church groups.

Metro Technology Centers, OKC - Offering free tuition to full-time and short-term programs where space is available for students displaced by the hurricane through December 16. For more information, contact Metro Tech’s One Stop Center at 405-605-4678.

Students and staff from Metro Technology Centers delivered 120 boxes of clothes, food, school supplies and other essential items to Hurricane Katrina Survivors who have relocated to the Sunrise Apartments, 2101 Crooked Oak Drive.

In response to Hurricane Katrina, Metro Tech students and staff conducted a charitable drive called “Fill That Bus.”

The drive provided the community a way to donate clothes, food, school supplies and other essential to families who relocated to Oklahoma City after the storm.

Students and staff from each of Metro Tech’s five campuses collected, sorted and boxed the items. After all items were boxed, the campus that collected the most items was allowed to deliver the donated items.

An MTC employee said that it took a bus, a van and an SUV to hold all of the items collected.

Mid-Del Technology Center, Mid-West City has partnered with the Oklahoma Red Hawks baseball team to collect bottles of water for the Hurricane Katrina victims. MDTC collected over 100 cases of bottled water that will be distributed to people in need.

Tech Center officials also said the Center is planning a donations drive for Feed The Children and will collect money for the Red Cross.

“Students have expressed a desire to help the thousands of people affected by the hurricane, said Assistant Principal, Dale Henthorn. Our students always respond to the needs of others.” SkillsUSA sponsor, Craig Lewis, added “it feels good to be able to give back for what we as Oklahomans have received in our times of need.”

Community members interested in assisting Mid-Del Technology Center with these efforts are encouraged to call Dale Henthorn at 739-1707.

Northeast Technology Center, Pryor- All three campuses are involved in providing hurricane aid, collecting money, having bottled-water and canned-food drives through Sept. 14. Some evacuees may be coming to Vinita, so the tech center is staying in touch with its communities to help provide for additional needs.

Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education
Students who are enrolled in high schools in a technology center district can take advantage of CareerTech courses offered at technology centers at no charge.

CareerTech student organizations also are involved in relief efforts across the state.
Modules from CareerTech’s Skills To Rebuild initiative, developed as a response to the May 3, 1999 tornado, that are appropriate for hurricane victims who come to Oklahoma will be posted, free of charge, on a special CIMC website, www.okcimc.com\katrina (by September 19). More than 17,000 files of self-help resources will be available as well as a 20 percent discount to organizations helping with the relief effort.

SkillsUSA
The National SkillsUSA, the student organization affiliated with Trade and Industry programs, is working with the SkillsUSA state organizations in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama to determine how best to meet their needs. The national SkillsUSA organization is also selling SkillsUSA bracelets with 100 percent of the proceeds from the purchase of these bracelets used to create a Katrina SkillsUSA Chapter Relief fund.