Van Buren Tech

Congratulations to Creed Rayborn from Van Buren Tech’s Graphic Design program! Creed won 1st place at the Kalamazoo Valley Community College Art and Design Competition Exhibit for “Stars Animatic” animation, winning a $500 prize! Sawyer Blanchard from Van Buren Tech’s Graphic Design program won 3rd place for “Refractions” digital art, winning a $100 prize.

Andrew Blomeke's design was selected as the winner of the 2024 Career Camp logo contest. His design, celebrated for its vintage, trendy, and fun aesthetic, brought back nostalgic memories for the judges and secured his victory. With Career Camp just around the corner, Van Buren Tech looks forward to welcoming local middle school students to show the diverse opportunities available at Van Buren Tech.

Print Design student, Andy Parish, was awarded the Emerging Artist Award in the 2024 High School Community Student Art Exhibition held by Berrien RESA, Box Factory for the Arts, and Krasl Art Center for five entries demonstrating a range of discipline. Andy entered five works demonstrating creativity and skill in the printmaking mediums of cyanotype, drypoint etching, screen printing, and collage. Andy was awarded $500 and one of Andy’s works was professionally framed as part of the award. There were 21 schools represented and more than 800 entries in this exhibition. Congratulations to Andy Parish!

Van Buren Tech's Finance, Investment & Technology program recently teamed up with the Cyber Security & Computer Network Technology roster for an unforgettable experience at the University of Michigan. The highlight of their visit was a private tour of the iconic Michigan Stadium, where students explored the exclusive club seats, team locker room, player tunnel, and even had the chance to toss a football on the field, soaking in the atmosphere of the home of the 2023 National Champions. Following the stadium tour, the students embarked on a walking visit across several prestigious University of Michigan departments. They explored the Ross School of Business, School of Law, Department of Statistics, Department of Social Work, and Department of Education, among others. This comprehensive tour provided the students with valuable insights into various academic disciplines and a glimpse into the opportunities that await them in higher education.

The Allied Health Technologies program hosted a successful free health screening event, demonstrating their commitment to the community's well-being. Under the supervision of healthcare professionals, students conducted various screenings such as blood pressure checks, BMI measurements, cholesterol screenings, and glucose testing. The event not only provided valuable health assessments and information but also supported student learning and community wellness.

SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, February 1st, 2024 Van Buren Tech's Cosmetology program will be hosting a grand reopening of their newly remodeled salon. Make plans to attend this event from 3:30-6:30pm

Make plans to attend a Family Fun Night at the Lawrence Conference Center on Saturday, December 16, 2023. (5pm-8pm) Students from Van Buren Tech's Early Childhood Careers & Education program will be hosting this event for their Family, Careers, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) project. ALL proceeds will be donated to We Care.

COMING SOON: Monday, December 11, 2023, 5pm-7pm Mark your calendars for the 10th/11th grade Family Open House at Van Buren Tech. Local 10th grade visits will be the week prior to the open house. We hope all of the families join us at the open house to explore CTE programs and our facilities, meet VBT instructors, and discover the VBT difference!

Back to School Parent Night is coming up! Make plans to attend on Monday, September 25th. 5:30-8:00pm

Emily Davison (Paw Paw HS) and Katelyn Jewett (Bloomingdale HS) are Graphic Design students at Van Buren Tech and have also been working as paid co-op students for Mrs. Brittany (Van Buren Tech’s Marketing & Communications Specialist). They have done an extraordinary job of designing logos, creating graphics, and helping promote Van Buren Tech. They recently visited Midwest Family Broadcasting’s studio to meet and record with News Talk 94.9 WSJM, 98.3 The Coast, and COSY 103.7! Emily will be attending KVCC and Katelyn will be attending Michigan State University upon graduating. Both students will be focusing on graphic design and marketing in college.

Five students from Van Buren Tech's Patient Care program tested and passed the State of Michigan CNA written & skills exam. Thanks to Van Buren Tech's training and funding, they are now Certified Nursing Assistants! Congratulations to Katherine Brennen from South Haven HS, Ray Sherrill from Paw Paw HS, Raven Ledesma from Hartford HS, and Kylie Chau from Mattawan HS (Pictured left to right) Not pictured: Alex Robles from Lawrence HS

Happening tomorrow- May 10, 2023. Van Buren Tech is hosting its highly anticipated annual event, Mock Disaster. VBT students work with local industry professionals and actors to create a real-life scenario that challenges them in hands-on realistic training. Each year, the Mock Disaster scenario is kept a secret from all staff, students, and industry professionals. This ensures students are properly assessed on how quickly they are able to react and perform under pressure in the event of an emergency. The scenario is designed to teach students how to respond, assess damage, activate resources, and quickly recover. If you're a local resident: Do not be alarmed by the overwhelming amount of fire, law, and EMT presence, as it is simply a drill.

Isabella Stroud, a Van Buren Middle College and VBT Patient Care student from Hartford High School, will be participating in the Aspirnaut Summer Research Internship this summer with the University of Michigan. This six-week program hosts student interns on U of M's Ann Arbor campus where they work with a team of life science researchers, conduct their own research project, and gather results that contribute to real-life cutting-edge research. We are so proud of Isabella for taking part in this wonderful opportunity and wish her the best of luck!

Van Buren Tech is hosting the Michigan Industrial and Technical Education Society (MITES) Regional Competition and Van Buren Tech STEM Showcase: May 4-6. The Region 5 MITES competition will involve local school districts from Van Buren, Berrien, Cass, Kalamazoo, and St. Joseph counties. Students will compete in a variety of events such as architectural drafting, graphic arts, mechanical drawing, plastics, woodworking, and more! Come view students' work on May 5th from 9am-6pm and May 6th from 9am-12pm.

Happy National Teacher Appreciation Day! "A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning." -Brad Henry

Congrats to the following students in the Patient Care program that completed their first CNA Clinical Rotation at Bronson Commons in Mattawan, MI on Monday, April 10 and Tuesday, April 11. (Left to Right): Katherine Brennen (South Haven HS), Ray Sherrill (Paw Paw HS), Jenna Garcia (Lawton HS), Alexandria Robles (Lawrence HS), Kylie Chau (Mattawan HS), and Raven Ledesma (Hartford HS)

Van Buren Tech’s Play & Learn Preschool welcomes Miss Bangor! Abigail Russell is currently a senior at South Haven High School and is also an exceptional National Technical Honor Society student in the Engineering and Architectural Design program at Van Buren Tech. She has recently been crowned Miss Bangor and will soon be competing in the Miss Blossomtime Pageant at the Blossomtime Festival in St. Joseph, MI. Abby’s community service, involvement at Van Buren Tech, and dedication to her education is what makes Abby the perfect queen.

Calling all 6th, 7th, & 8th graders: Now’s the time to sign up for Van Buren Tech’s Career Camp! There are 10 different camps to choose from this year! (Descriptions are posted below) Registration is only $10 and includes a t-shirt, lunch, and activities. (Scholarship assistance to cover the cost of camp is available on the digital application.) Camp sizes are limited. First come first served. Transportation is provided to local school districts. Eligible students must have COMPLETED 6th, 7th, & 8th grade by the time Career Camp begins on June 12, 2023. Registration: Van Buren County School Districts: March 1-March 31 Out-of-County Partner School Districts: April 1-April 15 Open Registration to all: April 16-June 1 To enroll, see your school counselor for a paper application or register online. REGISTER ONLINE: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdD1lqWBqv1-ux5l9czqqspXVS1yXmZmpghAaF_rvzWYWEclQ/viewform *Congratulations to Aiden Killeen for creating this year’s Career Camp logo. Aiden is a student in the Print Design program at Van Buren Tech and attends Lawton High School. He competed against all of the students in the Print Design & Graphic Design programs and he was ultimately selected as the winner from a panel of judges. Great job, Aiden!* 2023 Career Camps: Creation Station Are you creative? Do you dream of ways to make your world more interesting? Become a creator at the Creation Station! Bring your ideas to life using Adobe Creative Suite to make art and designs. Apply your work to vinyl, cloth, and paper while you explore the fields of art! CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Have you ever wondered what it's like working in law enforcement? Would you like to investigate a crime scene? Dust for prints? Take footwear impressions? In this camp, you will explore law enforcement while learning from professionals within the industry. Cybertech Robo-Netics Discover engineering robots and computer networks that build the future! Topics include: programming, robotics, networking, wireless, Python, Linux, artificial intelligence! Dental Explorers Would you like to help others discover their smile or uncover the mystery of yours? Join us to go on an adventure exploring all things teeth! Future Engineers Future Engineers is where students design 3D printer parts, operate laser engravers and make real projects from their designs. Campers will divide their time between designing objects in the computer lab and working on projects with their hands. Come design the future! Graphic Design Love to draw? Explore a career in graphic design! From creating logos to posters and product packaging, designers use doodling as an important step in their creative process. Check out this fun career camp and design your own logo with Adobe software! #MyBusiness Create your own business and start earning money now! Develop a business name and create a company logo. Design your own business cards and advertising materials. Hear about the success stories of other business owners and learn creative ways to advertise and market your own business, including starring in your own commercial! Need for Speed Are you a car fan? Enjoy working on cars? In Need for Speed, you will learn to change oil, rotate tires, and much more! Rescue Camp Put out the FIRE and save a LIFE! Rescue Camp explores the work and life of a firefighter and EMS worker. Get hands-on experience with search and rescue, ropes and knots, fire hoses, first aid, and much, much more! Work, learn, and have fun! Taste the Future Join us for fruit carving, pizza tossing, pretzel twisting, cookie rolling, and more. Come have fun with food!

Sheriff Chris Swanson was the opening keynote speaker at the 2023 Michigan Career Education Conference. Van Buren Tech professionals attending this conference engaged in captivating stories from Swanson on how to make a positive impact in the life of others by committing to the 3 “Must do’s.” Heroes have no days off and must commit, take action, and repeat. #MICEC23

Join Middle College's information session Wednesday, January 18th at 7:00pm Virtual Meeting: meet.google.com/hqf-yacz-jcy or by phone at 1-419-751-2878‬ (PIN: ‪819 913 524‬#)