Story By Marilyn Burr

Tech-Now, CareerTech Connect

If not for Tech-Now, Nathan Menifee, a senior at Yukon High School, admits he probably would not have stepped into the advertising arena as a career choice. Tech-Now, helped him pursue a career as a graphic artist.

Because of the program, and as recipient of a fee waiver awarded by the Canadian Valley Technology Center, Menifee will attend his second year at Canadian Valley Technology Center as a post-secondary graphic design student, free of charge.

Brent Wall, a senior at Southeast High School in Oklahoma City, has been a student in the Tech-Now program for three years. Tech-Now lead him to the Aviation Maintenance Technology (AMT) program at Metro Technology Centers in Oklahoma City.

As a Tech-Now cash winner last year, Wall set his sights on winning the CareerTech fee waiver for post-secondary students to continue in the AMT program at Metro Tech, according to Marilyn Burr. Burr is the disability program specialist with the Oklahoma Office of Handicapped Concerns.

Tech-Now is an after school and summer program, funded the first five years by the Oklahoma Developmental Disabilities Council, currently funded by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy and the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

“Career research is at the center of all Tech-Now projects,” Burr said. “The students research training and educational opportunities for a certain career, as well as expected salary, prediction of the job market in that field.”

Tech-Now provides students with disabilities access to technology, technology training and encouragement to explore potential education and employment opportunities to prepare them to be productive contributing citizens of Oklahoma’s future.

During the six years of the Tech-Now program history, Oklahoma High School High Tech has had a zero percent high school dropout rate for students completing one or more year(s) of the program.

The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History at the University of Oklahoma sponsored this year’s competition.

Sponsors for prizes and awards ranging from scholarships to cash to donated hard and software include: Oklahoma’s public colleges or universities, Oklahoma CareerTech’s technology centers; Oklahoma One-Call; General Motors; Mid-America Chapter of Paralyzed Veterans of America; AMBUCS, and Microsoft Corporation.

Tech-Now has programs at schools in Bethany, Blackwell, Cache, Clinton, Del City, Midwest City, Mustang, McCloud, Piedmont, Weatherford, Western Heights, Yukon and Oklahoma City’s Southeast and U.S. Grant High Schools.

Information about Tech-Now or the ceremony is available from Marilyn Burr, Disability Program Specialist with the Oklahoma Office of Handicapped Concerns at 521-3756, or visit the website at www.tech-now.biz .

	Belinda McCharen, Ed.D., associate state director for Career Services, presents Nathan Menifee, a senior at Yukon High School, a fee waiver awarded by the Canadian Valley Technology Center. Standing with Nathan is Clark McCaskill, Assistant Superintendent, Canadian Valley Technology Center, El Reno.
	Brent Wall, a senior at Southeast High School in Oklahoma City, receives a fee waiver to Metro Technolgy Center, presented by Belinda McCharen, Ed.D., associate state director for Career Services. Wall is in the Aviation Maintenance Technology (AMT) program at Metro Tech.