Deshler Public Schools has several students interested in the Skilled and Technical Sciences Pathway, which includes those careers that fall under Manufacturing, Energy & Engineering, Architecture & Construction, and Transportation, Distribution & Logistics.
DPS is fortunate to have had a great working relationship with Reinkes Manufacturing Co., Inc., for several years. This has given us the opportunity to offer programs that meet not only the needs of our students, but industry standards as well. In the 2022-2023 school year, Deshler Public Schools and Reinkes plan to expand on these opportunities to include:
Junior high exploratory classes that will cover units on electricity, plumbing & hydraulics
Beginning an Intro to CNC course for 7th and 8th graders, opposite of the JH Spanish course, and on an alternating day basis
Welding certifications and CNC hands-on experience on site and at Reinkes, for those with on the job training.
While several of our pathways focus on earning dual credit courses to lessen the financial load of our students, our programs with Reinkes will dive into certifications and career-ready skills, from understanding the needs of the workforce to becoming certified and employable in the workforce upon graduation from high school, to the option of continuing coursework at the postsecondary level…and all close to home!
We also have several students taking part in mentorships and internships at Reinkes, wherein students will be on site during part of their school day in a profession of their interest. We plan to continue to expand this program through our relationship with Reinkes and have applied for a grant through MetalQuest to serve the students of Thayer County as well.
Ms. Amber Kendall will be working with seventh graders in the first semester to strengthen their foundational math skills, including math conversations from fraction to decimal, reading a tape measure, and more, before they dive into the seventh grade Intro to CNC class in the second semester. The eighth graders will be starting out in an Intro to CNC class using the new desktops in the business education classroom, before running the machines.
High school students will be much more hands-on with the equipment, with many taking advantage of on the job training at Reinkes during the end of the school day, while others will gain experience on the Reinkes equipment that is located at Deshler Public Schools.
A big thank you to Sabreana Wit, Dave Staroscik, and Chuck Hatzenbuehler for their continued education with these programs, and the support of Chris Roth of Reinkes.
Energy & Engineering. Those interested in a career in Energy and Engineering can obtain their education in a multitude of ways, from a certification in their career, or an Associate’s Degree and Diploma, all the way up to a Masters or PhD in the field of their choice. Examples of students wanting to become certified and enter the workforce immediately would take all of their required general education courses in high school, before taking their final 15 credits at SCC to earn an Energy Generations Operations Certificate and be industry ready.
Architecture & Construction. DPS has students in this field that will have all of their general education credits completed by graduation, and working towards a Building Construction Technology Degree. These students have already taken or are enrolled in at least 15 of their required classes towards this degree, including:
GELO #1: SPCH 1110: Public Speaking
GELO #2: ENGL 1010: English Composition I
GELO #3: ECON 1200: Personal Finance
GELO #4: SOCI 1010: Intro to Sociology
GELO #5: MATH 1020 or MATH 1150: College Algebra
GELO #6: BSAD 1010: Microsoft Applications.
After high school, these students will only need to take 17.5 hours in their Building Construction Technology core classes and 28.5 elective courses in their career interest area before earning their degree if they attend SCC!
Transportation, Distribution & Logistics. There are several general education courses that students can take at DPS to help them earn both their required high school credits AND college credits at the same time, and at a fraction of the cost (half price for our high school students). This way, students can start taking classes in their interest area upon entering college. For many, taking these courses their first year of college is what makes students lose interest in continuing their education.
The majority of our students that fall into the category of Transportation, Distribution and Logistics are interested in Diesel Mechanics. For our students interested in this program, students would be able to take at least six of the eight general education requirements, as well as others that fall under the Diesel Ag Equipment Service Program Degree at Southeast Community College. Examples of these classes include:
GELO #1: SPCH 1110: Public Speaking
GELO #2: ENGL 1010: English Composition I
GELO #3: High School Physics in preparation for PHYS 1150: Descriptive Physics, or DPS also offers several other courses that meet GELO #3 requirements including our HIST 2010/2020 courses with Ms. Jay, ECON 1200: Personal Finance, PHED 1000: Lifetime Wellness with Mr. Nash, SOCI 1010: Intro to Sociology
GELO #4: SOCI 1010: Intro to Sociology
GELO #5: MATH 1150: College Algebra or MATH 2170/BSAD 2170: Applied Statistics
GELO #6: BSAD 1010: Microsoft Applications, ECON 1200: Personal Finance, PHED 1000: Lifetime Wellness, PSYC 1810: Intro to Psychology
GELO #7 & GELO #8: taken on the SCC campus
Once these general education courses are met, students would have just 54 credit hours remaining to earn their degree, including:
If you are interested in learning more about our Skilled Technical Sciences Pathway, or any of our pathway opportunities, from enrolling in courses to sponsoring a scholarship for our students, please reach out to Dana Epley, Secondary Principal, at dana.epley@deshlerdragons.org or by calling 402-365-7272.
We will be featuring each of our pathways throughout the summer, and are interested in learning more about businesses/individuals who would be interested in providing mentorship or internship opportunities for our students as well. GO DRAGONS!