In the News!
June 14-21, 2010
Kayak Building Course, St. Johnsbury Academy
Build a lightweight Greenland Kayak designed to suit your individual paddling interests. The class meets eight days, from 8-4, in the Academy’s excellent wood working shop. All tools and materials are provided and extensive course preparation has reduced your building time to a minimum. Class size is limited so registration is first-come first served. Materials are ordered ahead of time so part of registration is choosing a design and the colors you want to use. There are eight options ranging from a 14 foot junior size, to 18 foot long high performance Sea Kayak. Family members can enroll together and share in an enjoyable team building project. No prior carpentry skills are needed. Making your own full size kayak will cost about half as much as buying one and yours will weigh only half as much as a plastic one. The designs are based on traditional skin covered kayaks used for thousands of years by Inuit Eskimo to hunt seals. The ability to make seaworthy kayaks was a key skill to Inuit survival, and an essential part of the native Arctic culture and way of life. If time permits additional options include: carving a Greenland paddle, making a custom-fit seat, or building a car roof rack for your new Kayak. The last day will be spent on the water learning how to paddle your new lightweight, efficient craft. Course tuition is $900, students and school teachers $850, and SJA students $800. Enrollment is limited to five persons. Registration closes May 20, 2010. Call Rick, 802-626-5226 for registration forms and help in selecting a Kayak design.
October 20, 2009
Email: tmanges@stjacademy.org
CETER Hosting Free Workshop On Home Energy Saving Measures
Caledonia Essex Technical Education Region will host a free home energy savings workshop at St. Johnsbury Academy, Tuesday, November 3 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Stuart Black Box Theater, located on the lower level of the school’s Charles Hosmer Morse Center for The Arts.
Produced by the Central Vermont Community Action Council and the Button Up Vermont program, the workshop will focus on the greatest opportunities for saving energy in homes
Participants will learn about the fundamentals of how homes lose energy, simple do-it-yourself measures for incremental energy savings, significant saving opportunities associated with extensive energy retrofits, and available technical and financial resources.
Attendees will also receive educational materials on measures they can undertake themselves, contact information for energy audit services, and other information. Additional information about the workshop is available by contacting Kathryn Daley, thr Assistant Director of Continuing Education, by e-mail at tmanges@stjacademy.org.
June 8 -15, 2009
Kayak Building Course, St. Johnsbury Academy
If you would enjoy building and paddling your own ultra light Eskimo style Kayak, that will cost half of a heavy plastic boat, this is the right course for you. Ladies, in particular, will love these lightweight, easy to paddle kayaks.
The class is eight days, 8-4, in the Academy’s excellent wood working shop. Tools and materials are provided; no prior carpentry skills required. We use an electric jigsaw, drill, and hand tools. Bring your own if you wish. Extensive course preparation has reduced working time to a minimum. New developments in building materials make these boats lighter, easier to build, and sleeker looking than in past years. Class size is limited. Register early to reserve your place. Materials are ordered ahead of time so registration will include choosing a design and colors you like. Pick from nine options ranging from a 12 foot junior size, to wide family touring kayak, to an 18 foot high performance racing and exercise Kayak. Family members can enroll together and enjoy a team-building project.
Making your own kayak costs much less than buying one. Your boat will weigh less than 30 pounds, easy to carry, fast and responsive to paddle. Our designs are based on traditional skin covered kayaks used for thousands of years by Inuit Eskimos to hunt seals. The Inuit’s ability to make seaworthy kayaks was an important survival skill, and an essential part of native Arctic cultures and way of life. You will have the satisfaction of building, and the fun of paddling, your own version of these famous Greenland kayaks.
Additional options include carving a Greenland paddle, a custom-fit seat, thigh braces, cockpit cover. The last class day is spent on the water learning to paddle your new lightweight, maneuverable, and very efficient craft. Course tuition is $900. Students, school teachers, husband-wife twin kayaks, and special requests, $800. Enrollment is limited to six persons and registration closes May 20.
How to sign up. Request more information from reliot@charter.net or call Rick at 802-626-5226.
I will send you a set of workshop pages. Read the Selecting Your Future Kayak page and pick the kayak design you like. Complete the registration form and send with check to Richard Eliot, PO Box 154, Lyndonville, VT 05851.
Colors: http://premapro.com/PDFs/EN-VABoot.pdf for Coelan Color Paste
Date: March 18, 2009
Academy Continuing Education Program Expands New
Online Offerings
St. Johnsbury Academy’s Continuing Education program has partnered with the ed2go firm and Gatlin Education Services (GES), the world’s largest provider of asynchronous web-based training to colleges, universities, and other educational institutions, to offer an extensive catalog of online technical skill and personal enrichment classes.
The Division of Continuing Education is part of the Academy’s Department of Career and Technical Education which provides technical education for high school students across the region. The Division of Continuing Education expands this mission to all adults in the area providing further training and career advancement in their current occupation or even the opportunity to explore other career fields.
ed2go recently purchased GES, allowing the offering of career-oriented programs that are longer in duration with some offering certification, such as Medical Billing and Coding (240 hrs), AutoCAD 2009 (150 hrs), Grant Writing (300 hrs), Video Game Design and Development (500 hrs), Microsoft® Office Specialist (120 hrs), and Women’s Exercise Training and Wellness (200 hrs.).
The partnership with ed2go focuses on shorter, six-week long classes beginning on the 15th of each month in diverse areas of Foreign Language, Business, Computer Training, Writing, Health Care, Test Preparation, and others.
GES standardizes online methodology, including system administration, evaluation and instruction with its custom-designed, browser-based courseware. A growing number of programs include externship opportunities with major companies, and GES also offers optional career services to the students it serves.
In addition, GES’ online career training programs allow educational institutions to either jump-start their online education programs or augment existing distance-learning options.
The firm’s methodology combines high quality online content, textbooks, CD-ROMs, and an online instructor/mentor.
Listings of course titles are available by visiting the ed2go and GES websites at www.ed2go.com/stjacademy and www.gatlineducation.com/stjacademy.
Additional information about the Academy’s Continuing Education program is available by visiting the school’s website at www.stjohnsburyacademy.org, the Caledonia Essex Technical Education Region Continuing Education website at www.nekcareersolution.org, or contacting Kathryn Daley, the program’s director, by
e-mail at tmanges@stjacademy.org.
Date: March 10, 2009
Academy Continuing Education Offering Energy Efficiency Course
St. Johnsbury Academy Academy’s Division of Continuing Education will offer a new Energy Efficiency course starting March 24.
Scheduled to continue for four consecutive Tuesdays from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on the Academy campus, the course is designed to provide information for building contractors, architects, home owners and others implementing higher energy efficiency strategies and techniques in their work and daily lives, said Kathryn H. Daley, the Academy’s Assistant Director of Continuing Education.
Topics include insulation and air sealing, typical building shell issues, heating and ventilation systems, alternative energy options, and more, for both new construction and renovation.
Taught by R. Scott Campbell, a local building designer and energy consultant, and former director of Burlington area weatherization programs, the course will also focus on understanding the problems that can be caused by uncoordinated efficiency improvements, providing participants with a full understanding of a building as an integrated energy system.
“As the changing economy affects the construction industry, ‘green’ building and renovation is one of the few growing sectors,” Daley said. “Industry professionals with a thorough grounding in the emerging technologies will be in a better position to compete, now and in the future. Building owners who know what questions to ask will be better able to identify qualified designers and contractors.”
The cost of the course is $150 per person and multiple participants from the same company will receive a $50 discount. Registration includes refreshments and a copy of Builders’ Guide to Cold Climates, by Joseph Lstiburek of Building Science Corporation, a $45 value.
Persons interested in registering for the course or obtaining additional information are invited to contact Daley at (802) 748-7738 or by e-mail at kdaley@stjacademy.org. The registration deadline has been extended until April 13.
January 6, 2009
CETER Offering Tuition-Free Machining Classes
Caledonia Essex Technical Education Region (CETER) is currently running a pilot program in Machine Skills Training with Kennametal of Lyndonville. Given the economic conditions globally and specific local company closings, the training providers are extending this comprehensive program to the community. Classes in areas of Technical Mathematics, Blueprint Reading, Quality Control, Industrial Safety, Manual and CNC Machine Operation to name a few are being offered at both Lyndon Institute and St. Johnsbury Academy tuition free beginning January 12, 2009.
CETER is committed to designing and delivering educational programs for the currently unemployed, underemployed, or those seeking to upgrade their technical skills to help sustain and develop industrial opportunities in the region. Participants can enroll in any or all the classes which will be offered at both campuses from January through June 2009. The entire program is roughly 140 hours long with class hours ranging from 4 to 40 depending upon the topic. CETER recognizes that in order to remain competitive, area businesses must raise the technical skill requirements of their employees.
Some classes will require the purchase of textbooks. Financial aid is available through VSAC for this purpose. Detailed information regarding the tuition-free classes can be viewed on the CETER website, www.nekcareersolutions.org , in the Caledonian-Record insert on Wednesday, January 7, 2009, or by calling Kathryn Daley at 751-2312, Doug Pilotte at 626-0191, or Kathy Daley at 751-7738. Please email questions to: Doug.Pillotte@lyndoninstitute.org, or kdaley@stjacademy.org. Although this program currently is focused on the local machining industry, CETER expects to develop similar programs for the health, hospitality, and service industries.
Date: September 22, 2008
Email: tmanges@stjacademy.org
Academy Hosting Workshop on Home Energy Efficiency
The Caledonia Essex Technical Education Region is offering a free Button Up Vermont workshop on Wednesday, October, 8, at 6:30 p.m. in the Stuart Black Box Theater of St. Johnsbury Academy’s Charles Hosmer Morse Center for the Arts.
The workshop will focus on opportunities for saving energy in homes and introduce steps that can be taken immediately to save energy. Technical and financial resources will also be made available.
Button Up Vermont’s specially trained presenter will lead a slideshow to illustrate hands-on tips, provide samples of energy saving materials, and distribute free educational materials for attendees.
“Button Up workshops are designed to help people learn about the best ways to save energy in their homes,” said Tom Manges, the Academy’s Continuing Education Services Coordinator. “The free workshops are considered a first step for Vermonters to learn how to be most effective in reducing energy use and costs.”
Button Up Vermont is a new program by the Central Vermont Community Action Council, in partnership with the Vermont Energy and Climate Action Network (VECAN) and Efficiency Vermont. Funding is provided by the Vermont Agency of Human Services.
Additional information about the workshop is available by contacting Manges via e-mail at tmanges@stjacademy.org, or by phone at (802)751-2312. Information about home energy efficiency is also available by visiting www.helpforvt.org or www.efficiencyvermont.com (1-888-921-5990).
Vermont Department of Labor Workforce
Education Training Fund Grant Approved
The Caledonia Essex Technical Education Region (CETER), which is made
up of St. Johnsbury Academy and Lyndon Institute, will receive the first
Vermont Department of Labor Workforce Education Training Fund (WETF)
grant approved for the fiscal year 2009. The $35,075 grant will support the
implementation of a Machine Skills Training Program to train skilled machine operators and technically competent maintenance workers.
The first session of the 132 hour training will run from early September through mid-January, with 10-15 trainees enrolled. Several local businesses are also matching funds for this grant and include, among others, Kennametal, Lydall, Jenne Brothers and Weidmann Systems International.
CETER and the local business partners helped to develop the program, and
will refer current workers to advance their skills, leading to wage increases and greater job security.
Workforce Investment Board
The State of Vermont has increased funding for workforce development, and state of Vermont regional Workforce Investment Boards (WIB) will oversee the use of these funds. The Northeast Kingdom WIB’s mission
is to provide leadership and support for workforce development in collaboration with employers, educators and employees. The Northeast Kingdom WIB is not an education provider. Its role is to gather education and training requirements, and assist in making the necessary training and funding available to businesses and industry in the region.
Information from industry and business is vital to ensuring these training and education needs are met. Please contact our web site to let us know how we may assist you; the ultimate goal is to increase the economic vitality of the region for all involved.