Region 7, Waldo County Technical Center

Promoting post secondary education to its students is a priority for faculty at Waldo County Technical Center.  Thanks to the financial support of the MELMAC Foundation, exposing students to post secondary education has never been easier. 

Waldo County Technical Center has found that one of the best ways to get students excited about college is through campus visits. With the assistance of  MELMAC Foundation funding WCTC goal is to have every student step foot onto a campus this year.  This year each program at WCTC is planning to visit a campus which offered a similar post secondary program. These visits may only provide a glimpse of what is out there for their students but for some students it provides them with that spark that increases their interest and desire to further their education beyond high school.

Campus visits have been underway since the beginning of the year. The Graphic Design program spent the day at Maine College of Art in Portland where they had an opportunity to explore the diversity of many of the specialty programs offered. Automotive Technology, Early Childhood Occupation and Education, and Building Construction headed west to the Central Maine Community College campus in Auburn  last month and explored each of their programs as well as a campus tour.  Electrical Trades, Diesel Technology and Welding Technology spend the day traveling to Washington County Community College in Calais, Electrical Trades and Health Science Careers have also taken a visit Kennebec Valley Community College in Fairfield for a campus tour and to meet with various department chairs.

Last week four programs did a combined trip to South Portland to the Campus of Southern Maine Community College. Culinary Arts, Fire Science Technology, Emergency Medical Services and Criminal Justice spent the day touring campus, meeting program directors and even experiencing the SMCC Culinary Arts dining hall. WCTC students had a hands on opportunity with the SMCC Paramedicine department working with the departments patient simulator. The Fire Science Technology program students were given an overview of the many opportunities the Fire Science program at SMCC has to offer including details about the states only Public Safety Live-in program. The Law Enforcement program divided their time in South Portland between SMCC and Andover College where students had first hand exposure to the criminal justice firearm simulator.