KCSD high schools win $125,000 CTE grants to expand hands-on opportunities
Two Klamath County School District high schools won CTE Revitalization grants worth $125,000 each to expand hands-on career and technical education programs — one school is preparing to raise cattle for the first time and the other will upgrade and renovate its wood and metal fabrication shops where students build and create.
Henley High School and Lost River Junior/Senior High School applied for and received the CTE Revitalization grants for projects tailored to the needs of their programs.
Henley’s From Field to Food: Agricultural Production & Workforce Pathways Initiative will expand opportunities in livestock production, agricultural infrastructure, irrigation, agricultural mechanics, welding and fabrication.
Lost River’s Going Back to the Basics project will modernize its metal and wood shops with new workbenches, lockers, tool storage, hand and power tools, ventilation and other equipment.
HENLEY: A PATHWAY TO CATTLE
At Henley, the first step toward the new livestock opportunities is surprisingly simple: building a fence.
Students in the school’s advanced agricultural science class recently walked out to the school farm with agriculture teacher Meagan Greif to look over the area where the fence will be built — and where Henley plans to raise cattle for the first time.
The school plans to acquire bred heifers — young cows that have not yet had a calf — with the goal of having them on site by early spring. Students will be involved in caring for the animals and will gain hands-on experience with livestock management, nutrition, reproduction and animal health.
That could include caring for pregnant cows, helping with newborn calves and making decisions about breeding.
Because the school cannot keep a bull on site, students may explore options such as sending cows to another property for breeding or using artificial insemination. That will give students an
opportunity to consider genetics and traits such as birth weight when determining which bulls are appropriate for their cattle.
Students also will develop and select a Henley FFA cattle brand, check its availability, and eventually participate in branding their animals.
Before the cattle arrive, students will have work to do on the property itself.
The fencing project will create a new livestock area while also giving students experience with agricultural infrastructure and construction.
Henley already provides space for students to raise individual sheep projects, allowing students who do not have room for livestock at home to participate. Students can house their animals at school without paying a fee as long as they take responsibility for feeding, cleaning, and caring for them.
The sheep program will continue. Eleven ewes are expected to return to the school bred, with lambing anticipated during the first week of January.
LOST RIVER: EQUIPMENT AND FUNCTIONAL SPACES
At Lost River, the grant will focus on another fundamental part of hands-on CTE education: making sure students have safe, functional spaces and enough equipment to actually complete their projects.
Lost River already has established sheep and cattle programs. Its Going Back to the Basics project will instead modernize the school’s metal and wood shops with new workspaces, storage and equipment.
Agriculture science and technology teacher Meghan Miller said the school has spent the past several years bringing in newer, industry-aligned equipment. The next step is addressing the infrastructure and tools students use every day.
“What we really need now is the basics — new workbenches, new lockers, better organization, hand tools, and more simple portable power tools,” she said. “We hope to still fit in some more equipment as well, because the more usable equipment we have, the less time students have to wait in line to get projects done.”
The new lockers will give students secure storage for their personal items, while new workbenches and tool-storage systems will improve organization and make the shops more functional. Having more usable equipment will allow more students to work on projects at the same time rather than waiting for equipment to become available.
The goal is ultimately to remove the last of the outdated equipment and complete the revitalization of the two shop spaces, Miller said.
CTE Revitalization Grants are competitive grants from the Oregon Department of Education that are designed to help schools expand CTE programs and give students more opportunities for career-connected, hands-on learning.
Members of Henley High School’s advanced ag science class pose for a photo on the school’s farm.
Students work in the metal shop at Lost River Junior/Senior High School.
Henley ag science teacher Meagan Greif talks about plans for bringing cattle to the school farm
A Lost River student works on a project in the school’s shop.