This summer, the Rowan-Salisbury School System’s Career and Technical Education Department hosted four summer academies for students who wanted to get hands-on work experience in areas they studied at school.

Students had to apply to work in the academies and were paid $100 for the week.

The first program was a Microsoft Office Academy, in which students offered Microsoft Word and Excel classes to members of the community who need to improve their skills.

Both Microsoft Word and Excel were offered during two different weeks to school employees and to the general public. Students applied to be assistants in the classes, providing one-on-one support during class exercises. Students who applied had earned at least one Microsoft Certification in either Word or Excel. This academy was held at East Rowan and was led Cindy Adkins and Becky Sabo, business and information technology teachers at the school.

The Microsoft Office Academy is comprised of students from East Rowan. More than 80 people signed up for the courses.

The students in the Foods Academy provided lunch to the Microsoft Office workshop participants and to the students and instructors in the other academies. These students were involved in planning, preparing and serving a nutritious meal each day of the academy. Students for this academy were required have completed Foods II and ServSafe certification was preferred. This academy was held at East Rowan and the instructor was Katie Misenheimer, family and consumer science teacher at East Rowan.

The foods academy had students from Carson, South Rowan and East Rowan. Foods academy students prepared and served lunch for around 60 people each day.

Students in the Carpentry Academy spent part of the week working on a remodeling project for Rowan Helping Ministries, and the other part of the week building a storage building for the agriculture program at West Rowan High School.

Students who applied were required to have completed Carpentry II and National Center for Construction Education and Research certification was preferred. This academy was led by Scott Eagle, carpentry teacher at Salisbury High.

The Carpentry academy was comprised of students from Salisbury High.

Students in the Cabinetmaking Academy replaced the cabinets in one of the Family and Consumer Science classrooms at South Rowan High School, providing needed upgrades to the classrooms while giving students career experience. Students were required to have completed Cabinetmaking II. This academy was held at Carson High School and the instructor was Vic McCallum, trade and industrial teacher at Carson High School.

The Carpentry academy had students from Carson and North Rowan. Students replaced the cabinets under the sinks where there was water damage from leaks. In addition, they replaced all countertops and sanded and painted all the cabinets in the kitchen.