Sue Sitter/PCT Rugby High School agriculture education students Jenner Johnson, left, and Kristian Fritz, stand in the mechanics shop at the high school.  Agriculture education is one of three career and technical education (CTE) classes at Rugby High. 

February has been designated as Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month in North Dakota, and Rugby High School offers classes in three CTE departments to help students develop skills to use no matter where life takes them.

In the relatively new family and consumer science department, teacher Brittany Lovcik said students were celebrating CTE Month along with Family and Career Leaders of America (FCCLA) Week, which falls Feb. 13-17.

Rugby High School has an FCCLA chapter.

“A lot of these kids are going to be competing Wednesday at districts in Harvey,” she said of the FCCLA. “They only get one shot at districts and have to score as the top two (finalists) in order to go to state. So, they don’t get to make a lot of mistakes.”

Lovcik pointed to a dress form holding a clothing project made entirely of recycled Bubbler brand flavored water cans.

The shiny metal cocktail dress was a student’s recycling and repurposing project. “She had her classmates save cans for a Bubbler dress,” Lovcik said.

She added the classes in her department, three clothing classes, a child development class and a family living class, which includes lessons on personal finance and banking, appeal to a wide range of student interests.

“It’s different from the norm, so kids are usually really excited when they come in. I have to help them calm down and focus,” she said.

“But, I’ve heard from them that it’s a good creative outlet linked with life skills, so I always take that as a big compliment for what we’re doing,” she added.

Lovcik noted the skills taught in FACS classes help all types of students, no matter what their plans look like after graduation.

“I always tell the kids knowledge is power, and never say never,” she said. You might have a plan of where you’re going in life, and then life happens, and having these basic skills will help carry you through it all.”

“My seventh graders were doing basic equivalents for measurements. I was telling them how farmers use these equivalents for chemicals when they’re spraying,” she said.

“Nutrition applies to life because our whole life, we have to feed ourselves, our kids, families, food’s always at a gathering,” she noted.

“Clothing and sewing is lost art. I could have a full-time job doing alterations if I wanted to, but that’s not my passion area,” she said. “A lot of kids are taking on jobs after taking my class doing small alterations and repairs to clothing. They’re doing projects to make a little side cash, so that’s nice.”

Lovcik added her child development students are gaining real-life experience working with children in preschools, Ely Elementary School, and area daycares.

Ag classes expand learning

Real-life experience also draws students to Rugby High School’s agricultural education classes, another CTE program offered.

“I would definitely say that career and tech education have a role in every student’s life,” agriculture instructor Kristi Tonnessen said. “Whether they choose to attend a four-year university, two-year post-secondary institution they want to go into the military or start into the workforce, I think career and tech ed can fit into each one of those students if they’re willing to give it a try and have an open mind.”

Tonnessen said the CTE classes are offered as electives.

“Rugby is fortunate to offer a lot of electives to its students,” she said.

Tonnessen said the ag program at RHS branches out in many directions, with subjects that provide a range of learning opportunities from mechanics to botany, meat science and nutrition.

“We have great enrollment numbers and support from parents who want their children to take our classes, and we have administration that supports it,” she added. “It’s really great for the ag department.”

Ag instructor Isaac Ripplinger agreed.

“We have great facilities overall. The kids are loving it overall,” he said. We’ve gotten out to the shop to work with engines and electricity. We’re doing some woodworking now.”

Student Kristian Fritz, a senior at RHS, said he was grateful for the opportunities the ag department provided to teach him welding, a skill he uses as a welder for Rugby Manufacturing.

“If it weren’t for that, I probably wouldn’t know what to do,” Fritz said.

Fritz and classmate Jenner Johnson both said they lived on farms, but the ag classes at Rugby High are open to all students, whether or not they have a farming background.

Fritz said he uses what he learns in ag classes to help his grandfather farm.

Johnson, a sophomore, used skills gained from agriculture education to build a fully functional guitar. He plays the instrument he created in a video on the Rugby High School website.

“It’s got everything,” Johnson said of the ag program. “If you want to be a carpenter, there’s woodworking classes. If you want to be a welder, there’s welding classes.”

“What I’m looking to do in the future kind of incorporates all that,” Johnson said. My family does have a farm and I’m interested in working there. You need to know how to weld, use carpentry, all of that’s going to come in handy when you’re working on a farm.”

I’m not 100% sure about (future educational plans),” he added. “I’ll probably go to a four-year college just for farm management or something like that. I haven’t really dug into it too much.”

Business education opportunities

Business education instructor Paola Trottier said, “Any class that’s CTE is career or real world-related.”

“It’ll help them with even their personal finances, job interviews and all the different things you’d need to know to get a job and apply for a job. And all the classes I teach, like entrepreneurship or web design, I make them real world-related.”

Trottier said business education classes apply to all sorts of future plans.

“If you’re taking a biology job, you may need to know how to do a web page for a presentation or an online class you might take,” she said. “All of these skills are real-world skills that can be used for any job, no matter what field you’re in, whether it’s for a presentation or anything.”

“You could use them to make business cards, or write a business plan if you’re planning to open a biology business,” she added. “You never know.”

“I try to diversify this when I teach so the kids know that you never know where you’ll end up, but all these skills will help you with anything you do,” she said.