School may have been out for the summer in June, but Southern Hills Career and Technical Center was bustling with activity.
Approximately 165 kids attended one of the 11 classes offered through the Youth Enrichment program directed by the Adult Education Department at the Career Center.
The Carpentry for Kids held two classes this year – Beginning and Intermediate. There were 32 youths who participated in the carpentry classes. They enjoyed making toolboxes and chairs out of wood and learned about tools and the safe way to use them, stated a spokesperson.
Super Science is a traditional class that has been popular for the summer classes over the years. This year, 19 children explored scientific principles through hands-on activities.
New this year was a Cartooning Basics class. Fifteen artistic young adults learned the basics of creating characters from basic shapes and then used those characters to form story lines in cartoons.
Another popular class among the kids is the Lego Robotics Explorer class. Using the Lego Educational Mindstorm robotics kits, 14 children were able to explore simple machines.
Cosmetology Fun was an addition to the class offerings this June. Due to the overwhelming popularity of the cosmetology class, two sessions were offered. In these classes, 33 young people experimented with painting nails and styling hair.
Model Rocketry is a popular class that is a tradition at Southern Hills. The class had 12 students exploring the history of model rockets, while they created and launched basic rockets of their own. Children and parents alike enjoyed the rocket launch on the last day of class.
Another new class addition this summer was Fun in the Kitchen. Utilizing the state-of-the-art culinary lab at the Career Center, 28 students, divided in two classes, made dishes ranging from French toast casserole to spaghetti and meatballs.
The Signing for Kids class taught 12 students the basics of American Sign Language. By the end of the week, the students learned basic vocabulary, fingerspelling and numbers. They also learned an overview of the deaf culture.
The Youth Enrichment classes are a tradition at the Career Center. Every year, traditional, as well as new, classes are offered. Watch for the class lineup next year. Schedules will be available in May 2016 for courses to be held in June 2016. For information on any of the courses held at Southern Hills CTC, call 937-378-6131 ext. 357.
