Students Participate In Northwest Career Academy

Fourteen area incoming eighth grade students participated in the Northwest Career Academy program (NWCA). The students spent three days touring area businesses, performing community service and learning about economic opportunities available for them throughout Northwest Oklahoma. The academy ran May 21-23. NWCA is a joint effort by Northwest Technology Center, the NWTC Foundation and area banks, financial institutions, the ORRC and others.

Those participating included: Kennedy Zook of Waynoka, Hayden Baker and Alex Gonzales of Ringwood, Jack Morris of Freedom, Baustin Prather and Macy Nightengale of Fairview, Hope Jordan and Carson Schanbacher of Cherokee, Joseph Pullen of Canton and Cristen Bosch, Kaitlyn Meyer, Trevon Percival, Aiden Ruiz and Bo Stewart, all from Alva.

The students were housed at Northwestern Oklahoma State University and participated in activities coordinated by Allan Poe, Ag Business Management Instructor at Northwest Technology Center. The funding for the student’s activities is being provided through a grant from the ORRC along with Northwest Technology Center and sponsorship from the NWTC Foundation.

Each student will benefit from the opportunity to be matched with a mentor. The mentor will give the NWCA participants an additional resource for networking.

Each summer for the next four years, these students will participate in activities designed to stimulate an interest in locating businesses or finding careers located in Northwest Oklahoma. At the end of the five year program, the students will receive a scholarship to be used for higher education or tools of the trade courtesy of a local bank or financial institution. The program began in 2007.

Those providing scholarships include: Alva State Bank, Alva State Bank—Freedom Branch, BanCentral, Community Bank of Alva, Cleo State Bank—Meno and Cleo Branch, Farmers Exchange Bank of Cherokee, Alfalfa Electric Cooperative and COREBANK of Waynoka.

For more information on the program, contact Poe at 580.327.0344.