When SCTCC’s Advanced Manufacturing Center opened in late 2023, one of the objectives of the new space was welcoming the community to experience the Center and use it for learning, engaging, and training.
In June, SCTCC and AgCentric – Northern Center of Agricultural Excellence hosted one such event with the AMC serving as a gathering space to support high school teachers in agriculture, STEM, and trades and industry.
The three-day workshop included guided activities and coursework for the teachers; career exploration resources to take back to their students; and training from SCTCC instructors with opportunities for continued communication through the school year. The workshop also provided 22 Continuing Education Units (CEUs).
The workshop at the Center was organized by SCTCC Dean Steve Hoemberg and AgCentric Assistant Director Judy Barka; the College welcomed five teachers from Rogers, Zimmerman, Princeton, Apollo High School in St. Cloud, and Vadnais Heights. Each teacher came to the workshop with a different level of experience, from just hired to 27 years of teaching. SCTCC was ready to meet everyone where they were at.
While all training was under the trades and industry umbrella, the teachers got a few different experiences from SCTCC instructors in their respective classroom labs during their time at the College. Steve Gilmore taught Plumbing; Dustin Norton taught Welding; Dean Hahn taught Electrical; Dave Johnson taught CADD; and Allen Smith taught CNC Machining.
In addition to the training, the teachers traveled to Park Industries for a tour and learned how the education that starts in high school leads to a well-paying, high-demand career. Park Industries’ tour guide, Matt Lindberg, is one of the top designers with simply a two-year degree from SCTCC. Learning how the career pathway that starts with their classes really allowed the teachers to grasp the impact they have on their students’ futures.
The workshop was powerful for the teachers, from the hands-on nature of the CEUs to the resources and knowledge they left with. For four of them, it was a good connection because they hadn’t been on the SCTCC campus.
One participant said: “I got a chance to brush up on my skills and learn new ways to teach my students, as well as better ways to grade my students’ welds.”
Many of the participants mentioned that they would like the workshop expanded to other areas, including carpentry, robotics, transportation, and HVAC. All of them would likely return to SCTCC and the AMC for any future workshops.
The workshop was especially meaningful to Hoemberg, who is a former high school teacher himself. "I think back to my teaching days and remember how important workshops on college campuses were," he said. "Building relationships with not only other teachers, but college-level 'pros' almost instantly impacted my work with high school students. Now when I put my administrator hat on, I think more about the broader impact of what we are truly here to do."
The five teachers who attended the workshop influence more than 650 students at their schools every day, and on their way out of SCTCC, they each grabbed a banner that shared information on the College’s program offerings. Not only will they take back CEU and new methods, but new connections, community, and sources of knowledge with each other and those at SCTCC.
Hoemberg is persistent in his methods of community building. With SCTCC's vision in mind – We are a community of learners rooted in meaningful relationships where everyone belongs and thrives – the relationships he had built prior to his time at SCTCC as well as those he's currently cultivating continue to build up the College.
"Everything we do here has to be about people," Hoemberg explained. " Teachers and learners collaborating at every level of the process is what it's all about. This is our 'story' here at SCTCC – this is what we do here. I was really proud of my SCTCC teammates during this event. Very proud of SCTCC overall."
