We at South Wasco County School District are excited to announce that we have been awarded $250,000 through the CTE Revitalization Grant through the Oregon Department of Education to expand Career and Technical Education (CTE) opportunities for our students. We have partnered with Arlington School District and their Honker Tech program to strengthen career-connected learning across the region, sharing expertise, resources, industry connections, and innovative approaches to manufacturing education. At the heart of this investment is a vision for students to see manufacturing not simply as a technical skill, but as an opportunity to become entrepreneurs, problem-solvers, and future business leaders. Through our student-run enterprise, “Redside Solutions”, students will learn to take an idea from concept to finished product while developing the skills needed to operate a business—including product design, project planning, bidding, budgeting, purchasing, marketing, customer service, and financial management.
This investment will expand South Wasco's manufacturing program into a more entrepreneurial, business-focused learning environment, incorporating opportunities in advanced manufacturing (metal and woods , machining and fabrication), construction, computer programming, Computer Aided Design (CAD), digital production, apparel manufacturing, pottery, additive manufacturing (3D printing), laser engraving, and other emerging areas. Students will work with real clients and community partners to manufacture products and develop solutions that serve their schools and communities, while learning how the skills they develop in the shop can translate into careers, businesses, and economic opportunities. The grant will also help remove barriers to participation by ensuring student lab and shop fees are non-existent as we expand access to industry experiences, careers, and postsecondary connections. We are proud to invest in our students' capabilities and give them the opportunity to not only build things, but build businesses, build confidence, and build a future for themselves and their community.