(Jones): Through the P-Tech program, the Syracuse City Schools District offers students the opportunity to work directly with business professionals. The students pick a field of their choice to get them ready for the workforce. But just like everything else in 2020, they have had to make adjustments because of the pandemic.
(Lisi): In our technical programs, some of them require students to learn how to use machinery. So we’re relying on the colleges to help out with that.
(Jones): Lisi says that the students at ITC, one of the three high schools in the district that offers a P-Tech program, only come to school one day out of the week. By not being in school, the kids miss out on valuable time together.
(Lisi): Thinking back to what do our students miss, the opportunity to be able to work in teams and be able to work together because that’s something we feel in current tech-ed is important.
(Jones): Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing restrictions, many of the students in the P-Tech program to get that hands-on experience that they would normally receive. In a year filled with uncertainties and adjustments, there have been some positives to look forward to. Students have been able to interact with businesses in ways that they haven’t had the chance to before.
(Lisi): We’re doing it online and virtually. It’s working out pretty well. We’re actually getting better participation with the businesses and our students are actually learning this new way of communicating.
(Jones): With both businesses and schools doing more work virtually, the kids are gaining skills that could be used for the future. Carl Jones, N-C-C News.
Syracuse, NY — The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many school districts across the country to adjust how they operate. The P-Tech program in Syracuse, which is short for Pathways in Technology Early College High School, has fell victim to change as well.
The Syracuse City School District offers six different P-Tech programs at three high schools in the district. The programs allow students to receive hands-on training and work with business professionals while still in school. They can also obtain college credits and receive an associates degree upon high school graduation.
Despite not being able to interact with the businesses in person, Nick Lisi, the work-based learning coordinator for the district, says that the program has still found a way to make things work for the students.
“We’re doing it online and virtually,” Lisi says. “It’s working out pretty well. We’re actually getting better participation with the businesses and our students are actually learning this new way of communicating.”
In addition to learning valuable communication skills, they are still performing many of the tasks that they would in a normal year.
“We’re also asking our businesses to allow us to help solve some of their problems,” Lisi says. “That’s another great project for our students to get to know the businesses and have a back and forth connection with them.”
Above all else, Lisi notices that the students genuinely miss working together as a team in person. It’s something that they will have to navigate for the foreseeable future.
“Our students want to be in school,” Lisi says. “They miss being in school. They miss being together. They miss working together in classrooms.”
