By Zackery Standlee: EAST Student Contributor

In Oklahoma, the EAST program at Northeast Tech offers a distinctive experience for high school students, specifically juniors and seniors. Unlike traditional classroom settings, this program is not located at the students' main school. Students commit half of their school day to attending EAST classes while the other half is spent at their respective high schools. They can choose between a morning or afternoon class that's 3 hours long. These 2 impressive classes are run by their facilitator Jodi Kieth.

Students in the EAST program prioritize community partnerships and industry certifications. Each year, students select one industry certification and engage in a specialized curriculum to prepare for it. Certifications encompass a wide spectrum, ranging from Adobe software proficiency to Google certifications, and even encompassing the Part 107 remote pilot certification for drones. An impressive example is Peyton Balock, who achieved two certifications and completed a curriculum for a third one last year. Peyton aims to continue this success during his second year in the EAST program.

Peyton Blalock is not the only remarkable student in the program. Cambry Edwards, this year's student champion in the afternoon EAST class, serves as the head photojournalist, leading a team of photographers and social media writers. Cambry was trained to become the next head social media/photojournalist by her predecessor Faith Thompson. She collaborates with her media team to generate content for Northeast Tech and EAST at Northeast Tech social media platforms. Cambry also works alongside the social media director of Northeast Tech, gaining real-world training in the realm of social media management. In addition to managing content creation, Cambry ensures effective communication with all classes to coordinate photography for class events and gather information for accompanying posts.

But let's not forget about some remarkable projects undertaken this year, some students like Naomi Moua, Katie Peters, and Ryan Beck have some amazing projects. Naomi is teaming up with Ms. Keith to launch a community podcast that will keep everyone updated on local events and feature interviews with community members. She's given it the fitting name "The Everything Claremore Podcast" and plans to share it on platforms like Spotify and YouTube. Meanwhile, Katie Peters is leading a crucial project focused on the importance of not texting and driving. Set for November sixteenth, this initiative involves organizing a mock wreck event. Katie has been diligently reaching out to the local police department, firefighters, wrecker services, and other key contributors to make this event a reality. Despite facing tight deadlines, her determination to bring this impactful project to life is unwavering, with efforts beginning in mid-September. In addition, Ryan Beck has taken on the task of completing an animation project for Volunteers for Youth that Shelby Scott, an EAST student who graduated last year, had started. Ryan is dedicated to finishing this 90-second animation, which promotes the diverse and high-quality programs offered by Volunteers for Youth, designed to benefit young people.

You might be wondering, "How do they come up with these projects?" Well, they don't have to think of those themselves. The EAST class has a way for the community to get in touch with them. Ms. Keith has an Microsoft Office form that EAST students share with the community. It lists all the different projects they can help with, and people in the community can ask for their assistance. Ms. Keith looks at all the forms that come in and has a system for students to pick projects they're interested in. She then assigns projects to students based on what they like. Each student makes a plan that shows how they'll complete their project and a list of needed resources.

In the EAST class, most projects revolve around working with vinyl. Before these students take on community projects, they personalize a vinyl piece that represents themselves. This piece includes details like their personality, school, grade, their face, and their name. They design a graphic using Adobe Photoshop and then import it into Adobe Illustrator to add a cut line using Roland VersaWorks. This cut line ensures that when they print the design, the printer will automatically cut around their vinyl piece. This simplifies the process of removing the excess vinyl. Once the extra vinyl is removed, they receive instruction on how to properly install the vinyl piece. Students get to choose where in the classroom they want to display their vinyl. The sooner students finish designing and printing their piece, the sooner they can select their spot. After everyone has installed their pieces, it fosters a sense of closeness among classmates and makes them feel more comfortable in the classroom environment.

As students embark on their projects, they also begin crafting an "All About Me" presentation, sharing the unique story of their lives, encompassing both the highs and lows. These presentations offer students the opportunity to reveal aspects of themselves to their peers, articulate their aspirations for the year ahead in EAST, and outline their post-EAST graduation plans. They deliver these presentations to the entire class, their facilitator, and the student advisor of Northeast Tech, Charles Murphy. This experience not only strengthens the bonds among students but also imparts valuable skills using PowerPoint, dressing professionally, and public speaking.

After these are done the students begin on community work and start their “Tech Challenge 2” which consists of making a video that demonstrates a piece of equipment, whilst also instructing on how to set up and use said equipment. They are capable of producing instructional videos, covering topics that range from ladder usage to a laminator and Roland printer operation. These videos serve a dual purpose, they not only impart fundamental video editing skills but also provide comprehensive guidance on utilizing the equipment available in the room. This year, Jamie Moody reached out to the EAST program with the intention of forging a collaborative partnership. The aim is for the program's experience in creating instructional videos, which can then be shared beyond their immediate classroom. The goal is to benefit not only their own students but also to extend the educational value to all EAST classrooms and their respective students.

This showcases just some of the amazing work being done by the EAST students at Northeast Tech. With 36 students there's always a unique and interesting project in the works. With 61 job requests sent in so far we are expecting to beat last year's record of 88 completed job requests.