NCTA Tech Talk

We are thrilled to announce that the Aerospace Manufacturing students of Northwest Career & Technical Academy (NCTA) had an incredible opportunity to visit our esteemed 2024 Foundations Award Partner, Hexcel Corporation, in Burlington, Washington. Hexcel is a world leader in carbon fiber and honeycomb manufacturing for the commercial aerospace community, industrial composite technologies, and composites for over 100 space and defense programs.

This visit provided our students with invaluable insights into cutting-edge technologies and innovative manufacturing processes, significantly enhancing their educational journey and career prospects. Hexcel also generously hosts our students for internships, routinely visits our classrooms, and participates in mock interviews, as well as offering valuable contributions to our curriculum.

NCTA and its students are deeply grateful for their continuous support and dedication to nurturing future talent in aerospace manufacturing in the Whatcom, Skagit, and North Snohomish Counties.

With the acquisition of a new printer/cutter, NCTA Animation & Graphic Design (A&GD) students, guided by Mr. Linton Porteous, have designed stickers. Students showcased here are Alexa Silva, Bell Hoyer, Tori Herrera, Zoe Bernstein & (alum) Novi Cervantes.

Students got to see real world boat manufacturing throughout the stages of production. Tour included seeing molds, hull production, parts production, assembly, systems installation, and the sales order process.

Special Thanks to Aspen Power Catamaran, Larry Graff, Nick Graff, and Berry Zimmerman.

Aspen has hosted NCTA Interns for three years running! Thank you for your continuing partnership.

Applied Medical Science students are exploring the human body, learning all about the structures and functions that make up a person, and how disease impacts the body systems. Students have been hard at work mastering the body systems and helping each other learn and thrive. We were proud to honor two students as Outstanding Students of the Quarter, Daisy Salazar and Jacqueline Guerrero Salazar. Way to go!

Thanks to incredible community support and the NCTA Foundation, we raised over $4,000 in ticket sales at Harvest Fest! Community members from Skagit and Whatcom counties came together to celebrate the amazing work of our students. In addition, NCTA merchandise sales grossed over $1,500 for the Foundation, showcasing the creativity and dedication of our students.

A special thanks goes to MVHS junior Camden Nelson, who secured the title sponsor, South Bay, LLC. Their generous funding provided uniforms for students participating in the event. Our students also had the privilege of working with top-quality food products, thanks to donations from local businesses such as 3 Sisters Farm, Grace Harbor Farm, Hedlin’s Family Farm, Schuh Farms, Skagit River Ranch, and Skagit Valley Co-op. These contributions helped make the event a culinary success.

The event was featured in Go Skagit, capturing the essence of the evening. You can read the article here: Harvest Fest Coverage.

If you missed the chance to grab official Harvest Fest and NCTA merchandise, it’s not too late! You can place your order here: NCTA Merchandise.

We’re always looking for passionate individuals to get involved in future events. If you’re interested, please reach out to me directly at leaves@nwtech.k12.wa.us.

Thank you for making this event such a success!

Mrs. Sherrie Greene, NCTA's Student Support Specialist, has been helping our students with their workplace habits.

Students and staff have been practicing the "Art of Gratitude" that will continue throughout the month of November. Each class spends time reflecting and writing in individual gratitude journals, expressing 3 things they are grateful for. Each day is a new entry with new reasons, things, people or places. We have shared with our students the science behind gratitude, and the impacts it has on mental health and healing, and the ability of gratitude to re-wire and form new pathways in the brain. We are very excited about our work surrounding gratitude!

Looking ahead, Animation & Graphic Design is collaborating with Video Game Development to compete in the AMES Showcase in May 2025. The Advanced Media Entertainment Society is "a Washington State non-profit building community between high school students and professionals storytellers in the media arts." NCTA is need of industry professionals to help develop student projects including: public speaking, short animations, video game design, and other related skills. If you'd like to know more, please contact Mr. Jerry Grisham.

We're excited to announce that our NCTA "The Power of And" Work-based Learning Manual will be completed by December. Copies will be distributed for your review as soon as possible.

We are thrilled to welcome our new internship partners for 2024-2025!

• Caliber Collision
• All American Marine
• Animal Care Center of Mount Vernon
• The Humane Society of Skagit Valley

• Animation and Graphic Design
• Video Game Development
• Money and Business

We're thrilled to announce the development of a comprehensive internship manual for this year's programs. This manual aims to support students, caregivers, and partners by providing clear guidelines, expectations, and resources. Our goal is to enhance the internship experience by fostering effective communication, ensuring safety, and maximizing learning opportunities for everyone involved. Stay tuned for its release!