Phil Metcalf, Wawasee Area Career and Technical Cooperative director, Syracuse, recently received an Award of Merit for significant contributions to Career and Technical Education from Region 3 of Association of Career and Technical Educators.
The conference was held in Las Vegas, Nev., and Region 3 consists of the states of Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri and Minnesota.
Metcalf has been in this position for nine years and in education for 37 years.
During his tenure as director, according to information provided by ACTE, Metcalf has added several programs to the program offerings in the co-op. Through a partnership with Ivy Tech Community College, Kosciusko Community Hospital and the Warsaw Area Career Center, Introduction to Health Care Systems was added five years ago. The program began with 12 students, and this year has grown to a total of 39 students with the addition of a Certified Nursing Assistant afternoon class.
Also, this year for the first time, the cooperative is offering an Education and Early Childhood class again through a partnership with Ivy Tech and Warsaw Area Career Center. There are nine students enrolled in this combination classroom and clinical setting.
Through an agreement with the Warsaw Area Career Center, the cooperative is able to send the students to welding, machine tool, emergency medical technician and culinary arts. As a result of Metcalf's efforts, enrollment in the CTE programs has increased by 560 students in the past eight years with 57 percent of the students in his three school districts participating in one or more CTE classes.
Metcalf was also a co-sponsor of the Non-traditional Employment for Women Workshop with the Warsaw Area Career Center.
