About 1,000 freshman boys attended the Young Men Innovate event at the Cedar Point Sports Center on March 20. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

BY SHERI TRUSTY

SANDUSKY – About 1,000 high school freshman boys from Ottawa, Erie, Huron and Sandusky counties gathered at Cedar Point Sports Center on March 20, but they weren’t there to shoot balls into hoops or dribble them across courts. They were there to get a glimpse into their futures.

North Point Educational Service Center hosted the Young Men Innovate event to expose local freshmen to career opportunities in a variety of fields, including medical and information technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), finance, law enforcement and more. Freshmen from 18 local schools attended the event, including students from Oak Harbor high school.

“It’s good,” said Oak Harbor freshman, Chase Haer. “I got to see a rocket, and I learned about 3D printers.”

Oak Harbor freshman, Jacob Lalonde, was also impressed with the 3D printers, as well as by the presentation by Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office Captain of Operations, Deputy Aaron Leist.

Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office Captain of Operations, Deputy Aaron Leist, talks to students about the technology used in law enforcement. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

“I learned there are multiple careers in the tech fields,” Lalonde said.

In his presentation, Leist explained that technology is integrated into every department in the sheriff’s office, like the cameras used by the corrections

department and the body cams used by deputies. Technology is vital for SWAT team operations and for detectives as they process crime scenes.

“I didn’t realize how much the police use technology,” said Port Clinton freshman, Camden Smith.

Walking out of the Cedar Point Sports Center with more knowledge was the point of the event.

“It’s good for the kids because they don’t know what they don’t know,” said Port Clinton High School Career Development Instructor and Job Coach, Mike Miller. “They don’t know what careers are out there if they are not exposed to them at a young age. This helps them get a career path for the future.”

Vanguard information technology teacher, Adam Hellman, talked to the kids about AI technology, like the cameras that are used in stores to scan faces.

Students learn about medical technology careers at Young Men Innovate. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

“They can grab you at Walmart and always remember your face,” said Vanguard Public Relations and Communications Director, Angie Morelock. “And Adam talked about the fun stuff, like how to turn a PDF into a podcast in Google.”

Some of the boys, like Port Clinton freshman Christian Miller, already know what they want to do with their life. Christian wants to be a barber, but the Young Men Innovate event still taught him about tools that will provide invaluable life skills.

“I learned about CPR and about fraud stuff, and Croghan Colonial Bank taught us how to keep your bank account safe,” he said.

Not only were the students exposed to career options, but they learned that those careers can be found right in their community. Kids don’t have to move away to find the career they want.

“This event was beneficial because it was hands-on and because they were exposed to all there is locally,” said Danbury Schools College and Career Readiness Coordinator, Koree Hodgkinson. “They realized there really are a lot of opportunities for them here.”