Technology Center of DuPage celebrating 35th anniversary
Steve Clark calls it one of the best-kept secrets in DuPage County.
As Technology Center of DuPage in Addison celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, Clark, the center's director, said its programs are more essential than ever to teaching students professional skills.
"The one thing people don't realize is, often times when schools look at their budgets, career and technical education are one of the first things to be cut," Clark said. "But to train for jobs in this economy is one of the most important things that can be done, and that's what we offer to 14 school districts throughout DuPage."
When the center opened during the 1974-75 school year in the 250,000-square-foot building where it stands today on Schick Road, only eight districts participated in its vocational programs that targeted students who were not college-bound.
Today, Technology Center of DuPage serves students from 24 districts who take classes at the center as part of their electives, and can earn dual college credit in partnership with College of DuPage. All 21 programs at the school focus on career exploration, occupational training, workplace skills and preparing students for possible secondary education in their field.
"We are trying to offer programs tied closely to the labor market," Clark said. "Anytime we offer new programs, we look at the labor market and projections to make sure students have opportunities. For example, today we need to prepare students for a technological world more than an industrial world that was once the focus."
To show off how much has changed in 35 years - and to showcase all the school offers - the center will play host to an open house tonight that will feature student demos, displays and services throughout all of its career programs.
The programs include haircuts in the school's full-service salon; production of a music video for a jazz combo in the multimedia department studio; vital sign readings in the medical and health care careers program; and wind turbine energy generation in the electronics program.
There also will be a drawing for products and services from among the center's programs, including a free lunch for six in the culinary program's student-run Bistro 301.
In addition, staff, administrators, alumni and member high school counselors will be on hand to answer questions about enrollment, dual credit, industry certifications, academic integration and internship opportunities. The school's student-run businesses also will be highlighted.
After 35 years of growth and change, the center is not about to rest on its laurels, said Clark. Instead, it will continue to grow with a new program called Project Lead the Way, a pre-engineering program that offers instruction in computer-aided design and manufacturing and digital electronics. The program also will allow participants to obtain university credit.
Project Lead the Way adapts students for the modern manufacturing world, where tool and dye skills aren't in the same demand as decades ago, Clark said. The technology center as a whole will continue this trend of adapting to modern workplace trends, he added.
"The labor market looks for employees with higher-level technical skills, and we are always trying to create opportunities for our students to be successful," Clark said.
Programs offered at Technology Center of DuPagebull; Computer information systems (including game programming and development)bull; Office systemsbull; Data entrybull; Criminal justicebull; Home technology integration and residential wiringbull; Graphic communicationsbull; Multimedia and television productionbull; Certified nurse assistantbull; Medical and health care careersbull; Fire sciencebull; Electronics and pre-engineering technologybull; Automotive technologybull; Auto body repair and refinishingbull; Early childhood education and carebull; Cosmetologybull; Culinary, pastry arts and hospitality Managementbull; Pre-architectural and pre-engineering computer-aided designbull; Construction tradesbull; Heating, ventilation and air conditioning bull; Landscape design and managementbull; Computer integrated manufacturing (coming in 2010-11)Technology Center of DuPage serves these high school districtsHinsdale District 86Glenbard District 87DuPage District 88 West Chicago District 94Downers Grove District 99Fenton District 100Lake Park District 108Wheaton-Warrenville Unit District 200Westmont District 201Lisle Unit District 202Naperville Unit District 203Indian Prairie Unit District 204Elmhurst Unit District 205Lyons District 204 (Cook County)True20001133Katy Sullivan, a culinary arts student from Wheaton North High School, lands a tilapia in a holding tank at The Technology Center of DuPage in Addison.Scott Sanders | Staff PhotographerTrue <p class="factboxtext12col"><b>If you go</b></p><p class="factboxtext12col">Technology Center of DuPage 35th anniversary open house</p><p class="factboxtext12col">When: 7 to 8:30 p.m. today</p><p class="factboxtext12col">Where: Technology Center of DuPage, 301 S. Swift Road, Addison</p><p class="factboxtext12col">Cost: Free</p><p class="factboxtext12col">Details: <a href="http://tcdupage.org" target="new">tcdupage.org</a> or (630) 620-8770</p>