CATC Opportunity Summer: Yellowstone expedition, DAAPCamps scholarships, training for careers

Published: June 28, 2015

Cincinnati, June 2015 – School may be out for summer but not for students and recent graduates of the  Cincinnati Arts & Technology Center.  CATC  uses  a variety of programs to help at-risk students stay in school, graduate and launch careers.

“Opportunity Summer” at CATC offers a full slate of adventures and work opportunities designed to keep the young adults on track toward successful, self-sufficient  lives:   A trip to Yellowstone National Park, the DAAPCamps design program at the University of Cincinnati, and career training for students in the  CATC Bridging the Gap workforce development program.

• DAAPCamps:  “I want to design something that will change the world.”
  Three CATC students have been awarded scholarships to the University of Cincinnati’s DAAP Camps, a weeklong summer enrichment program for high school students interested in architecture, fine art, graphic design, industrial design, fashion design, and interior design.   CATC and four Cincinnati-area public schools participated in DAAP Alliance, a year-long initiative designed to increase diversity in design and visual art disciplines.  DAAP Alliance is sponsored by the U.C.’s College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning, and Procter & Gamble.The three CATC students now have the opportunity to take their learning to a college level by participating in DAAPCamps, which attracts students from dozens of U.S. high schools and some international students. During the weeklong program, the students live on campus, take field trips and create work in their various design and visual art disciplines. The experience gives the students an early glimpse at college life and steeps them in the work and networks of their career interests.The CATC students awarded scholarships for DAAPCamps are:
  * Destiny Bomar, who says her goal is to design something that will change the world, will participate in the fashion design program.
  * Alexis Paz, who says he plans to use the week to find and develop his creative voice. Alexis will spend his week at DAAPCamps in the fashion design program.
  * Tyree Bryant-Harmon, who wants to be an engineer and says that all design training is  useful toward that goal, will be in the shoe design program at DAAPCamps.The weeklong program began Sunday June 21 and culminated on Saturday, June 27, with a graduation ceremony and an open-to-the-public exhibition of the work the students produced during the week.
  
• Yellowstone bound, 2015
  
  Ten CATC students will soon be winging their way West for the trip of their young lives–an expedition to Yellowstone National Park.  It is the second CATC trip to Yellowstone National Park. Like the first trip, in  2013, the 2015 experience is framed in the lessons of writer and philosopher Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey. The students are learning, for example, how to face challenges, conquer fear, recognize growth opportunities, and how to use their personal transformations to contribute to society.The students were selected for the week-long trip via a rigorous process that included a written application and a review of the students’ records for dependability, commitment and teamwork. They are spending June and July preparing for the trip by participating in a series of meetings and outdoor adventures to learn about the natural world–often unfamiliar to urban teens–as well as how to survive and thrive in challenging environments.The outdoor excursions include a visit to the Cincinnati Zoo on July10. Internationally recognized Cincinnati Zoo Director Thane Maynard will guide them on a personal tour and introduce them to some of the wild animals they’re likely to see at Yellowstone. Other excursions include a Nature Center Hike, Kids Expo at Paddlefest and a visit to Pyramid Sculpture Park, along with instructions on air travel do’s and don’ts, packing list planning, and an outfitting session for equipment and clothing for challenging environments.Their experience at Yellowstone will include hiking, preparing healthy meals, team-building, and ongoing lessons in the Hero’s Journey. The students will study geology, wildlife management, and proper nutrition for active lifestyles. They’ll take advantage of their time in one of the most beautiful places in the world to hone their photography skills and will  keep journals with drawings, reflecting on their experiences daily. Samples of their journaling will be posted on the CATC Facebook page all week long.Both the 2013 and now the 2015 trips have been made possible through a partnership among Park Journeys, Yellowstone Park Foundation, Yellowstone Association and the National Parks Service. Park Journeys is a youth development organization that is currently working with the National Center for Arts and Technology and its affiliated centers such as CATC.Training for careers and bright futures
  
  Thirty-five CATC graduating seniors are on their way to meaningful careers in health care, banking, general business or manufacturing. They completed the school-year portion of the CATC Bridging the Gap work-force development program, graduated from their high schools, and most have completed job readiness training at Cincinnati Works.  Next, they’re on to specific training in their chosen career tracks.  Many of them will train for positions as nurses’ assistants at area hospitals, earning STNA (State Tested Nursing Assistant ) certification with training by CATC partner RN & Associates.Three Bridging the Gap students were selected for the University of Cincinnati’s College of Nursing’s Leadership 2.0 program, a seven week on-campus course designed to increase the number of first-generation, underrepresented ethnically disadvantaged students in nursing.  Fifteen students are pursuing careers in banking, manufacturing or general business.