Centennial
Year of Oklahoma’s CareerTech System
|
The Oklahoma
Legislature will honor the CareerTech system April 6 at 1:30 p.m.
with a concurrent resolution in celebration of the system's heritage
and in recognition of the distinctive position CareerTech holds
as one of the premier systems in the world. The resolution will
officially declare the year 2004 as the centennial year of the
system and applaud Oklahoma's CareerTech system for its outstanding
contributions to Oklahoma as well as to all Oklahomans during its
first 100 years.
The event will
feature a brief program, with presentations from State Director,
Phil Berkenbile and former State Directors, Ann Benson and
Roy Peters. Former Governors George Nigh, Henry Bellmon and David
Walters will be recognized for their efforts in the expansion
of the CareerTech
system that prepares Oklahomans for success in the workplace. In
addition, Dewey Bartlett, Jr. has been invited to participate
representing his father who was governor when the system was significantly
expanded establishing Technology Centers and TIP programs. |
" This
celebration is as much about the future as it is about the past," stated
Berkenbile. "As the CareerTech system turns 100 years
old, we look back with pride on our past achievements, but
we also
look forward to providing the exceptional career and technology
education and training to the next generation of Oklahomans."
Berkenbile
added that this celebration would not be possible without the
commitment and expertise of many individuals from Oklahoma
and with the support
of the State Legislature. A year of activities across the state
will incorporate the 2004 theme, "Securing Futures for Another
100 Years," including the 37th Annual Oklahoma Career
and Technology Education Summer Conference scheduled for Aug.
3 through
5, in Tulsa. |
Former Gov.George Nigh speaks
to the Senate on behalf of the CareerTech system during the
centennial presentation. See panorama
of senate
|
In 1904, teacher
H.F. Rusch, with the support of Oklahoma City's Superintendent of Schools,
Edgar Vaught, first
initiated a manual
training program
in an Oklahoma public school. Prior to Oklahoma's statehood in
1907, schools in Lawton, Comanche, Ardmore, and Muskogee adopted Oklahoma
City's successful programs,
and some 90
Oklahoma schools followed prior to the inception of the Smith-Hughes
Act of 1917.
This was followed
by the 1957 National Vocational Education Act and the subsequent establishment
of Oklahoma's area schools,
now known
as technology centers.
Today, Oklahoma's
CareerTech system offers programs and services in 29 technology center
districts operating on
54 campuses,
400 comprehensive school districts,
25 skill centers and three juvenile facilities.
