Culinary students distributed homemade cookies while corridors of holiday lights designed and arranged by students greeted visitors. Drama and choral students provided entertainment, and the gift shop offered student-created works to purchase, wrap and put under the Christmas tree.
For the second year in a row, students in the Ypsilanti Community High School Career and Technical Education Program showcased their handiwork during the Arts, Beats, and Eats event held Dec. 5 at the school.
Assistant Principal Raymond Alvarado organized the show.
“We wanted to promote our Career Technical Education program and encourage donations so that we could expand," Alvarado said. "I thought, if Royal Oak can have an Arts, Beats, and Eats that shows off their local artists, and a school can have a Christmas choir concert, why can’t we show off our CTE students with an artisan shop?”
The event gives community members and students alike opportunities to peruse the items students have made as part of the program.
Dedicated to promoting trade school to high school students who might not be interested in attending a four-year university, the career and technical program is designed to provide hands-on opportunities to push future leaders ahead.
Culinary students baked dozens of handmade cookies, and event visitors were encouraged to decorate their own. The hallways were transformed into holiday-light experiences worth the walk, and the Shop the Grizzly Holiday Shop was full of wearables and accessories.
Additionally, the Ypsilanti Community High choir, band, and newly formed drama club performed various numbers during the event. Student art was on display. Theater students had written, blocked and brought to life the performances scheduled throughout the evening.
“The money made from the event is going to go right to the CTE program and bring more awareness to the opportunities it offers," Alvarado said. "It’ll be our fundraiser, but also, we want to show off what these students can do.”
Through its research agency, the Institute of Educational Sciences, the U.S. Department of Education has reported that student interest in occupational education has fallen over the past few decades, despite reports from trade industries that needed jobs are going unfilled.
The education institute reported that the number of high school students enrolling in occupational courses — as opposed to college preparation options — has fallen to 20% from 25% in 1990. Meanwhile, a Georgetown University study indicates that about 30 million jobs in the U.S. with a starting pay of about $55,000 do not require a college degree.
Referencing that decline in the number of students choosing trades over college, Alvarado said Ypsi High hopes to make its mark in Washtenaw County as the leading program for high school students planning to move into the workforce post-graduation.
“A lot of people overlook our school, we know that," Alvaredo said. "We’re the most financially underprivileged high school in Washtenaw County, but we want to show off how great our school is and how we’re doing so many cutting-edge things. These other schools might have more money, but our students are so talented. They should be seen.”
For more information on the program and event, visit the Ypsilanti school district's CTE web pages.
