Rainbow District School Board hosts Technological Skills Competition

Rainbow District School Board will host its seventh annual Technological Skills Competition at Cambrian College on Tuesday, March 8, 2011. Over 150 secondary school students will test their skills in events such as carpentry, welding, auto-CADD, Rube Machine, video editing, photography, auto-service technology, fashion, 2D character animation and cabinet making, as well as small-powered equipment and website development. Students will vie for an opportunity to compete in the provincial Skills Competition in Waterloo this May.

As part of the competition, 200 Grade 8 students will visit Cambrian College to learn more about the trades. Students will complete a series of hands-on workshops geared to technology including rocket launchers, sailboat competitions, energy systems and GPS in mining.

“Students need to begin thinking about careers at an early age,” says Leo Leclair, Rainbow District School Board’s Coordinator for Specialist High Skills Major programs. “Linking classroom instruction with real life experiences in a post-secondary environment is a key component of our destination-based curriculum. The Technological Skills Competition brings learning to life in a fun, challenging and creative way.”

The trades and technology departments at Cambrian College are providing the location for the various events and have helped to prepare some of the written and practical tests for the day in collaboration with teachers from participating secondary schools.  They are also providing judges. Two of the events will be held at Lasalle Secondary School.

Participants will have an opportunity to go home with some wonderful prizes thanks to the support of community businesses and organizations including the Sudbury & Manitoulin Partnerships Board and the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP), among others. A plaque will be presented to the winning school in each category. 

The awards ceremony will begin at 2 pm in the Cambrian College Student Centre. Parents/guardians are welcome to attend.

Rainbow District School Board salutes the many staff members who have worked in partnership with the community to organize the Technological Skills Competition:

Rob Smith and Giancarlo Chiarot – Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School
Christopher Dinnes and Stephen Robinson – Lively District Secondary School
Denis Dormer – Chelmsford Valley District Composite School
Darren Foy – Algonquin Road Public School
Leo Leclair – Rainbow District School Board
Sharon Orlak – Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program
Moe Ospina – Skills Canada – Ontario
Anne Quesnel – Sudbury Secondary School
Peter Vigna and Angie Hunda – Lasalle Secondary School
Mike Cole – Lockerby Composite School
Bernie Gervais – Confederation Secondary School

Technology Skills Competition

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Agenda for the day

8:30 am to 9 am               
Registration   
Trades Building Entrance & Student Centre

9:00 am to 9:30 am           
Orientation
Auto-Service Technology, Rm 1700, Trades Building   
Carpentry, Rm 1722, Trades Building
Welding, Rm 1738, Trades Building
Cabinet making, Rm 1721, Trades Building
Small Powered Equipment, Rm 1622, Trades Building
TV/Video Production, Rm 2640
Photography, Rm TBA
2D Character Animation, Rm 1631
Website Development, Rm TBA
Fashion, Rm TBA
Rube Machine, Student Centre
Miniature Straw Rockets, Gym B
Sail Design, Rm 4253
AutoCADD, Lasalle S.S.
Home and Team Building, Lasalle S.S.

9:30 am to 11:30 am       
Competition time for all competitors

11:30 am to noon       
Lunch for trades competitors (Rafters)
Lunch for all others (Student Centre)
       

Noon to 2:00 pm            
Competitors resume competition


1:10 pm to 1:45            
Grade 8 Awards (Student Centre)
       
2:00 pm to 2:20 pm        
Rube Machine Competition (Student Centre)

2:20 pm to 3:00           
High School Awards Ceremony (Student Centre)

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Media Contact:

Leo Leclair, Co-ordinator, Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) Programs
Rainbow District School Board, 705-523-3308 ext. 8203