The Property and Facility Management program at the New Castle Career Center is staying busy with projects around Henry County. This career program provides students with basic safety and construction skills and allows them to earn Ivy Tech dual credits. Students participating in the Property and Facility Management program can seek work in fields including property management, landscaping, and general repair after graduation.

Over the last year, the students in the program have assisted with landscaping at New Castle city parks, the New Castle Career Center, and the Danielson Center. They have also installed drainage at one of the Baker Park playgrounds and replaced broken tiles and a handrail at the Danielson Center.

To help the New Castle athletic department, the students built shelves for storage, repaired door panels, and created a football helmet rack. They also made award platforms for the department.

Every Friday the students clean the Adult Education facility, located in Payne Village Shopping Plaza. In the next few weeks, the students will be building a ramp and staircase for the Rose City Games entrance and will build walls to create office space in the old Courier Times building. Following these projects, they will also assist with clean-up and organization at the MRS Heating & Cooling and ProGreen facility.

The Property and Facility Management Program is open to students in grades 11 and 12. Students in this program can graduate with an OSHA Certification (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), NCCER Certification (National Center for Construction Education and Research), and Ivy Tech credits. To learn more about this program or the other programs offered at the New Castle Career Center, visit nccareercenter.org

Learning how to eat healthily and make positive nutrition choices can be hard without good instruction. The New Castle Career Center (NCCC) Education Careers class has made it a mission to be the solution to this problem. Education Careers students are working with local area elementary schools to teach kids how to eat better.

Once a week during December, the Education Careers students shared breakfast or lunch with Wilbur Wright Elementary and Eastwood Elementary sixth graders and helped educate them on nutritional eating habits. NCCC students taught the sixth graders lessons on MyPlate, the understanding of what foods you should eat daily, and healthy versus unhealthy food.

Wilbur Wright student Jasmine Ames said, “They teach us all of the good things that we need to stay healthy and strong.”

By learning these habits at a young age, children are more likely to adopt a healthier lifestyle. This project was made possible by a grant from Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). During mealtimes, students were also able to participate in fun activities including a taste-testing party, a menu renaming contest, and different nutritional games.

“Our No Kid Hungry Project helped the 6th graders understand how school breakfasts and lunches are designed to fit them perfectly using MyPlate guidelines,” noted Grace Stroud, Tri Jr. Sr. High School student.

For more information on healthy eating habits and positive nutrition education, visit myplate.gov. To learn more about the programs offered at the New Castle Career Center, visit nccareercenter.org