Students from the New Castle Career Center Health Science Education Program recently had success in planning, organizing, and promoting a local blood drive. The blood drive was held on October 4 at New Castle High School. Planning and preparation began the week of September 27, with students creating presentations on the importance of donating blood.
A great deal of effort went into the research and planning of the student presentations. Once the students completed their presentations, they visited other Career Center classrooms and students to show what they had learned and recruit individuals to sign up to donate blood.
On the day of the blood drive, students were able to see the fruits of their labor, as 67 people made the selfless act of donating blood, and a total of 45 units of blood were collected. With each unit of blood equating to three lives being saved, the student-organized blood drive resulted in 135 lives being saved.
Versiti Blood Center of Indiana was the blood collector and gave out fun colored socks and snacks to donators.
Health Science Education Instructor Kendra Gentry expressed gratitude for the individuals and students who showed up for this event.
“My students did an amazing job and took the initiative to save lives.”
If you would like more information about the New Castle Career Center, and the programs they offer, follow the New Castle Career Center on Facebook, visit the website at nccareercenter.org or call them at (765) 593-6680.
Enrollment numbers for the New Castle Career Center are the highest in a decade, with a record 508 students registered for the 2022-2023 school year. Center Director Mackenzie Jackson attributes the growth in student interest to the recruiting efforts put forth by the school, administration, and passionate educators.
April Williams is the Career Counselor at the Career Center. She regularly visits area schools to educate about the opportunities available to students and assist them with future planning.
She has visited Hagerstown High School, Shenandoah High School, Blue River Valley, Tri High School, Union High School, Eastern Hancock High School, and Knightstown High School. April will visit New Castle soon. During each visit, Williams spends about 40 minutes discussing the different program options, how students are able to rank their top three choices, and how the application process works.
In addition to the program overview, she also shares a virtual tour of the programs along with a snapshot of previous student successes. This snapshot includes, but is not limited to, data such as $537,042 total tuition savings for students enrolled in the program, and 176 Ivy Tech diplomas earned. “These statistics are more than just numbers,” noted Jackson. “They reflect the ongoing success of our graduates and the solid career foundation they receive at the Career Center.”
All sending high school sophomores will visit their top 3 programs of choice during November. During the field trip, students will have the opportunity to meet teachers and current students, and spend time in labs. There are two Open Houses planned for prospective students and families on December 6 and January 19 from 6:30- 8 PM. During that time future students and families can meet teachers
and students, and learn about the programs. The offsite locations will be open during the Open Houses.
Those interested in more information about the New Castle Career Center, and the programs they offer, can follow the New Castle Career Center on Facebook, visit their website at nccareercenter.org or call them at (765) 593-6680.
