Innovative Program in Michigan Engages High Schoolers in Trades Education
In Allegan, Michigan, an educational initiative is drawing high school students into the world of trade skills, offering a refreshing alternative to traditional classroom learning.
NPR’s Cory Turner recently visited Allegan while on a different assignment and discovered the Allegan Tech Center, where teenagers eagerly participate in hands-on learning experiences. This was a surprising find, especially considering recent Gallup data indicating that many teens have found school less engaging than the previous year.
While originally reporting on a preschool story, Turner learned about the center’s unique setup, which includes a diverse range of trades such as graphic design, criminal justice, and culinary arts. A visit to the center’s industrial kitchen revealed high schoolers preparing breakfast from scratch under the guidance of teacher Andrea Dulac, who explained, “So what they’re doing is making mother sauces, so we actually are going to pull beef femur bones out, and we’re going to roast them and make our own beef stock.”
Senior student Dawn Degood is part of the culinary program and sees it as a stepping stone to her college aspirations in culinary arts. “It’s a great program. Like, my friend Mary, also in the classroom – we both want to study culinary arts in college. So having this helps us,” she shared.
Dawn’s duties extend beyond cooking as she manages food delivery to the preschool and leftover food distribution, even feeding a pig named Daisy, described as “really big, but she’s so sweet” by Dawn.
The tech center offers more than just culinary arts; students can delve into construction, veterinary technology, and emergency medical training. Carey Stolsonburg, who helps explain the center’s offerings, noted that construction students are currently building a house on vacant property, which they plan to sell to a low-income family.
The center’s veterinary tech classroom features live animals, including adoptable cats like Peanut and Sunshine, while the EMT training area includes a real ambulance for practical learning.
Madison Bottrall, another senior, splits her day between working at the preschool and attending regular classes. She appreciates the practical experience and school credit she earns, stating, “I do get paid. It’s a regular job. And then when it comes to my time to go back to school, I just drive back to the school and do my normal school day from there on out.”
Madison and her peers express a strong preference for the tech center over traditional schooling, echoing sentiments like, “Every day, I always hear people say, I don’t want to go back to regular school. I want to stay at the Tech Center.”
In a time when student engagement is a growing concern, the Allegan Tech Center provides a compelling model for integrating practical skills training within the high school curriculum, sparking enthusiasm and a sense of purpose among its students.
