The Tech Times | April 2026

Each year, P-TECH students have the opportunity to earn a spot in the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Honor Society. On Mar. 24, OHM BOCES held the annual CTE Honor Society Induction Ceremony. Students who maintain high academic standards and excellent attendance are able to achieve this distinction. Many of the inductees earned their spot for both their performance in P-TECH as well as their respective CTE programs. The following P-TECH students were inducted into the CTE Honor Society this year:

• Morgan Barker (Certified Nursing Assistant) | Utica City School District
• Xavier Buchanan (Culinary Arts) | Westmoreland Central School District
• Layla Carbone | Utica City School District
• Richard Chambrone | New Hartford Central School District
• Christina Crawford (Advertising Design/Multimedia Productions) | New York Mills Union Free School District
• Akasha Ervin | Utica City School District
• Evalyn Gates | Remsen Central School District
• Kaeleb Helmer (Auto Body Repair) | Clinton Central School District
• Molly Jordan | New York Mills Union Free School District
• Kole Kennerknecht (Electricity) | Remsen Central School District
• Ayden Knoblauch | New Hartford Central School District
• Ethan LaBuz | Clinton Central School District
• Jayden Leshkevich (Auto Body Repair) | New Hartford Central School District
• Damon Price | Sauquoit Valley Central School District
• Logan White | Westmoreland Central School District
• Trevor Windover (Auto Body Repair) | Utica City School District

Click the link below to read the full article on the OHM BOCES website! Congratulations everyone!

Every year, P-TECH teams from across the region gather to compete at Engineering Wars. Students have the opportunity to put their skills to the test in an engineering competition as well as network with P-TECH students from other programs. P-TECH OHM sent two teams of four students to the event this year.

The task at hand this year was to create a Rube Goldberg machine! The students had limited time and materials to use. They had just three hours to plan, build, test, and present their machine. The materials included plastic cups, wooden dowels, balloons, zip ties, straws, popsicle sticks, marbles, paper clips and cardboard. There were also several parameters they had to meet with their builds. Each machine had to span at least five feet from start to finish. It also had to include at least four of the six types of simple machines. These are inclined plane, wheel and axle, lever, wedge, pulley and screw. A team of judges scored each team's machine with a rubric. The goal was to create a chain reaction to ultimately turn on a battery-powered light. One of the P-TECH teams took third place in the competition! That team was comprised of the following students:

• Eliany Enamorado | Utica City School District
• Isabella Jones | Utica City School District
• Dustin Meulengracht | Whitesboro Central School District
• Evan Sniezek | New Hartford Central School District

Congratulations students! Click the link below to see the article on the OHM BOCES website!

P-TECH OHM's Elevating Student Voices (ESV) team gathered with districts across the region at the yearly Youth Summit at Hart's Hill Inn to celebrate a year of tireless effort, creativity and collective achievement. This event is a powerful reminder of the impact of collaborative education and the bright futures being built within our local school communities.

The event started with a showcase of individual projects. Each school put their hard work on display, sharing the unique initiatives they put into action throughout the school year. Students also engaged in deep conversations through discussion circles, with four circles being led by P-TECH students! Baneen Kadhim, a P-TECH students from the Utica City School District, also served as a student panelist. This was a wonderful platform for students to exchange ideas and share perspectives.

Hart's Hill Inn provided a beautifully catered meal, setting the tone for the event. The students were able to dress in their finest attire for the event as well! This event not only celebrated the successes of the past year, but also energized everyone for the journey ahead. Thank you Mrs. Foote for all of your hard work as the staff leader for ESV! Click the link below to see the article on the OHM BOCES website.

Mrs. Piatkowski's coding classes have been hard at work putting their skills to the test! This month, each student created their own app based on a personal interest. These apps were meant to educate their peers on the chosen topic. Students learned how to design, program and debug apps over the course of several classes. Once the students' apps were complete, they shared them with the rest of the class. Each class held a vote to determine the best apps in a variety of categories. See the poll results below!

A/C Day Class:

Most Creative: Angelo Cavalier

Best/Most Informational: Shealyn Brown

Best Functioning App: Ivan Haldenwang

B/D Day Class:

Most Creative: Nora Cole

Best/Most Informational: Red Miller

Best Functioning App: Evan Sniezek

On Mar. 24, Mrs. Cassulis' MA115 students showed that math can be more than calculators and formulas. Students brought history's most iconic mathematicians to life in a project that involved acting and a substantial research paper. After studying the lives of their chosen mathematicians, each student dressed up as the figure in their stories. They explored the geographic and cultural roots of their figures, their specific breakthroughs that changed the world, and personal quirks and moments that made these legends human.

The students' created a historical gallery with their presentations, delivering their findings while impersonating their chosen mathematicians. Students prepared helpful handouts and in some cases, delicious treats for their audience to enjoy. We extend a huge thank you to Mrs. Cassulis for implementing a such an innovative and enriching experience for our students!

On Apr. 24, P-TECH juniors made a visit to Fort Stanwix in Rome, NY. Students were able to tour the site and learn about how the American defenders earned victory against the British. They dove right into the Fort's rich history and completed several activities as part of the trip. Students reported having a great time! Check out some photos of the trip below!

Freshman | Jasmine Colón: Jasmine is from the Remsen Central School District. Jasmine's teachers note that she is an excellent leader and role model. She works hard, helps others and encourages her classmates. Jasmine also balances a rigorous school workload with a variety of extracurricular activities.

Sophomore | Marina Win: Marina is from the Utica City School District. Marina contributes greatly to our school community in P-TECH. She is part of the Elevating Student Voices initiative, working hard to make our program welcoming for all. Marina takes pride in her work and is kind to her classmates.

Junior | Sawyer Schaap: Sawyer is from the Clinton Central School District. Sawyer contributes regularly to classroom discussions and goes out of his way to demonstrate kindness to his peers. He is respectful to all around him. Teachers point that Sawyer works hard to help curate a welcoming environment for everyone.

A partnership between the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES, Mohawk Valley Community College, and Mohawk Valley EDGE.

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