Students in the Niagara Career and Technical Education Center’s SkillsUSA organization came up with a great community service project to promote career and technical education and brighten the day of some young hospital patients in the community.
Culinary Arts students Emily Droegmyer (Lewiston-Porter), Sophia Haley (North Tonawanda) and Kaitlyn Meahl (Starpoint), who are members of SkillsUSA, brainstormed at the beginning of the school year and came up with an idea to design a coloring book about each of the skilled trades programs at the center. They collaborated with teachers and students in each program to help them design the pages for their project.
Lily Schoonover (Niagara Wheatfield) in the Auto Body class, used her artistic talents to help design the project along with the team. They then asked everyone at the school if they would be generous enough to donate crayons, colored pencils and markers to accompany the coloring books. The school community was thrilled to help out.
When the project was completed, the students, along with SkillsUSA advisors Lisa Cook, Caitlin Kucharski and Seth Muck delivered the items to John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital in downtown Buffalo. Oishei Children’s Hospital is a regional center for comprehensive and state-of-the-art pediatric trauma, surgical and medical care, including neonatal, perinatal and obstetrical services. The hospital was says they love seeing kids help kids and the students were excited that their gift was so well received.