Pickaway County Summer Health Science Careers Camp

Meghan Thoreau, OSU Extension Educator

This two-day high school summer camp explores career options in health science. This opportunity is sponsored by Pickaway WORKS in partnership with OSU Extension and Ohio Health Berger. Student participants will meet and shadow multiple healthcare professionals and learn first-hand about the in-demand careers in this growing sector. Two healthcare certifications, STOP the Bleed and CPR, will be available for students to obtain, as well as, become fast-tracked towards 16+ healthcare internship opportunities and college tuition benefits available after high school graduation.

Time

  • Day 1: June 8th, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., (optional CPR Certification, 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
  • Day 2: June 9th, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Camp Location

Ohio Health Berger Hospital, 600 N Pickaway St, Circleville, OH 43113, Berger Classrooms in the basement of the Medical Office Building. Participants should enter the main doors, turn left, and walk past the cafe and gift shop. Take either the stairs or the elevator to the lower level where the healthcare classrooms are located. (Optional CRP Certification at the Circleville Fire Dept 586 North Court Street, Circleville OH 43113.)

Day 1 PRE-REQS *

Day 2

DETAILED AGENDA

**REQUIRED copy/save Google Doc folders in the Resource section below into your account to use and edit.

**REQUIRED to watch the STOP the Bleed Training Video prior to June 8th and complete the quiz at the end. Save and bring your quiz results with you on June 8th. 

Resources

 

Building Human Capacity and the Next Generation Workforce: Youth Drone Pilot Credentialing Programs

Meghan Thoreau, OSU Extension Educator

Poster presentation for the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) at the 2023 Conference held April 30 – May 3, 2023, in Couer d’Alene, Idaho.

NACDEP is an organization dedicated to improving the visibility, coordination, professional status, and resource base of community and economic development Extension programs and professionals.

PROGRAM PARTNER ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Meghan Thoreau, OSU Extension Educator, partnered with Pickaway Pathways to Success which received a $5,000 Start-up Grant from Battelle to implement a drone pilot course and supply drone technology for flight practice. Meghan completed a 13-module certification program from the Unmanned Safety Institute receiving her Level 1 sUAS Safety Certification to teach the remote piloting course at Pickaway Pathways to Success.

INTRODUCTION

A pilot-project 13-module Drone Piloting Certification Program offered by an OSU Extension Educator teaches students the Fundamentals of Aviation, Unmanned Aerial System Career Pathways, and regulations and use cases of drone technologies. Students are offered four credentialing opportunities seen as the benchmarks needed to enter and advance in specific industries like Drone Technologies and Remote Piloting.

HUMAN CAPACITY BUILDING

The United Nations describes Human Capacity Building as the “process of developing and strengthening the skills, instincts, abilities, processes, and resources that organizations and communities need to survive, adapt, and thrive in a fast-changing world.” How are Extension Professionals adapting and building human capacity into their workforce development programming? The Youth Remote Drone Pilot Program highlights one Extension Educator’s efforts in developing a pilot program that builds new skills, abilities, and credentialling opportunities that can be directly applied to the workforce.

DEMAND FOR DRONE PILOTS IS SOARING

According to Research, Markets, and Scholarly Publications, the demand for drone pilots is expected to grow by 50 percent over the next five years, with sales projected to reach over $16 billion by 2030.1 The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in 2016, granted new exemptions to commercially operate drones in the U.S. through the FAA Part 107 remote pilot certificate. In 2020, a drone pilot became a viable, well-paying career option.2 Now is the time for Extension professionals to rethink how they program in their counties and develop new, creative, and meaningful programs that elevate human capacity building, and economic development, and expand their workforce.

THE UNMANNED SAFETY INSTITUTE

The Unmanned Safety Institute (USI) curriculum was adopted by the Center for Aviation Studies at the Ohio State University which established a partnership with the institute and used its curriculum in its aviation courses. USI’s e-learning environment has three advancing stages structured in levels of curriculum as well as select certificate programs to acquire.

OSU EXTENSION’S FIRST YOUTH DRONE PILOT CREDENTIALING PROGRAM

The Small UAS (sUAS) Safety Certification Program includes required aeronautical knowledge for remote pilots of UAS less than 20 pounds and introduces learners to USI’s industry-leading safety principles. The curriculum includes all pertinent aeronautical knowledge factors used by the FAA for the Unmanned Aircraft General (UAG) examination for the Remote Pilot Certification and integrates those with safety concepts and practices to develop well-informed and responsible remote pilots. Students who successfully complete the course  receive four credentialing opportunities:

Students should also be prepared to pass the UAG exam and industrial certification exam to obtain their:

13 ONLINE-UNIT COURSE MODULES

1. Introduction to unmanned aircraft systems: terminology, major issues associated with sUAS, and core components of an unmanned system. Students go through an aeronautical knowledge and safety test to receive their Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST), which is required for recreational use and provides education and important safety and regulatory information.

2. Unmanned Aircraft: sub-components of UA and the factors affecting UAS aerodynamics and performance.

3. Elements: the environment where sUAS and remote pilots operate.

4. Regulations: limitations and authorities vested in remote pilots by 14 CFR 107.

5. Operating in the National Airspace: FAA rules and policies for operating in the National Airspace System.

6. Human Factors of UAS and CRM: human limitations that contribute to errors and violations that can be the causal factors in UAS accidents. Crew Resource Management (CRM) introduces non-technical skills used to combat human errors.

7. Aeronautical Decision Making: the process of assessing risks and examining the decision-making process.

8. Professionalism: ethical and legal requirements of the Remote Pilot in Command (RPIC). Establishes standards of practice and explores careers in unmanned aviation.

At this point, students should have received the Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) and be prepared to take the exam for the Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. 

9. UAS Foundations: history of UAS and solving problems facing the traditional aviation sector.

10. Robotic Aircraft: Examines the robotics of an aircraft, aerodynamics of sUAS, the forces acting on aircraft, how to utilize control surfaces and changes in rotor speeds to induce moments and forces on aircraft, and how aircrafts maneuver through the air.

11. Datalinks: how to communicate back and forth from the air vehicle to the ground control station and vice versa.

12. UAS Control: advancements in ground station development and the advantages and disadvantages of this modified and simulated cockpit.

13. Payloads: sensors and science behind the acquisition of environmental information from a sUAS flying overhead.

After the 13 units, students receive their sUAS Safety Certification from USI and should be prepared to take the industrial certification exam for Industrial Credential Badge.

RESULTS

Extension Educators can be a part of educating, training and certifying this elite group of participants to support new aviation leaders, innovators, visionaries, and remote pilots. Student participants will complete the program in the Fall of 2023, with strong demand for future programming.

Initial feedback and student evaluation are very positive, and end-of-term evaluations will be collected to continue to redesign and improve the program for the following year. Evaluation questions will also measure the youth’s understanding of unmanned technology, regulations, safety best practices, and the payloads for commercial uses. The goal of the program is to promote aviation-based safety standards and empower a young industry cluster of experts with the knowledge and skillset necessary to professionally excel in this industry.

OUTCOME

Participants will complete 13 module units, 20 hours of flight practice, received their Recreational Safety TRUST Certification, take the Part 107 exam, and schedule their Industrial exam for Industrial Diploma.

IMPLICATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Practical applications for the Extension community interested in programming around drone remote piloting certification, this project provides a framework and lessons learned in this topical area, for other members of the community this work may generate ideas and break down barriers of what is possible for Extension Educators to take on. We as Educators can never stop learning and keeping a growth mindset to our program development. This presentation focuses on the aviation industry and the workforce that will supply the unmanned community. This program builds on safety, respect, excellence, and responsibility, and empowers both the Educators and their participants by expanding their opportunities in life, education, and work.

References:

1 Demand for drone pilots soars UAV jobs that pay over $100K. Vaughn College. (2022, August 12). Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://www.vaughn.edu/blog/demand-for-drone-pilots-soars-uav-jobs-that-pay-over-100k/  

2 Pilot Institute. (2022, January 25). What kinds of jobs can drone pilots do? Pilot Institute. Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://pilotinstitute.com/drone-jobs/

Student Survey Results: Pickaway County, Class of 2024

Prepared by Meghan Thoreau, OSU Extension Educator

This winter 261 student surveys were collected from all four Pickaway County School Districts (Circleville City School District, Logan Elm Local School District Teays Valley Local School District, and Westfall Local School District); refer to Graph 1. Approximately 15 questions were asked related to students’ work experience, wages, driver’s license status, current knowledge of education and training requirements for a chosen career path, and post-educational plans students were considering after high school.

Driver’s License and Part-time Employment

Of the total student respondents, 61% of students had a driver’s license and 39% had a part-time job; refer to graph 2 and graph 3.

Of the students with part-time employment, 53% also had a driver’s license, while 28% had a part-time job but not a driver’s license. Effectively, students with a driver’s license were 25% more likely to also have a part-time job; refer to graph 4.

Additional feedback was gathered from students who did not have a driver’s license, as to the reasons. The responses were grouped into 10 categories. The top three reasons are no time (36%), in process, In-Cars (21%), or no money (10%); refer to graph 5.

Part-time Employment and Wages

Of the students who reported having a part-time job, 96% provided their employer’s name, and 87% provided both their employer’s name and wage rate. The employers were grouped into 13 different job sectors for analysis; refer to Graph 8. Part-time wages reported ranged from $5 to $17 per hour. The top three wage rates paid were $12, $10, and $15 per hour, respectively; reference Graph 6.

A further breakdown of wage rates found that 20% of students were paid below the minimum wage of $10.10, 52% of students were paid above the minimum wage, and 28% paid $15 per hour or above; reference graph 7. Employers reported by students paying $15 or more were McDonald’s, Starbucks, Sheetz, Bob Evans, Kroger, Speedy Mufflerman, Moo Moo Express Car Wash, Wyngate, Walmart, and Angel Lighting.

The food service sector was the most popular employment sector for students to find part-time work. These employers ranged from McDonald’s, Goodwins, Starbucks, KFC, Dairy Shed, Joyhouse Coffee, Burger King, Watt Street, Jimmy Johns, Sheetz, Bob Evans, City BBQ, Dairy Queen, Olive Garden, Arby’s, and Longhorn. The supermarkets and convenience stores, retail, and recreation sectors were other top sectors for part-time employment opportunities. These employers ranged from Sutherlands, Circleville Nutrition, Rural King, Kroger, Pettit’s, YMCA, Pinnacle Golf Club, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Walmart; refer to Graph 8. A few higher-paying outliers worth mentioning came from the automotive, electrical & lighting, retail, and senior living managed care sectors; refer to graph 8.

Career and Education Knowledge

More than 90% of students felt they had identified a chosen career path, but only 72% of students reported that they knew the education and training required for their chosen careers. That left approximately 25% of students who did not know what educational and training path to pursue or what the employment outlook was for their chosen career; refer to graph 9.

Post High School Plans

When students were asked about plans after high school, 50% of students reported they wanted to attend a 4-year college or university. However, the next largest grouping of students, 23%, were still undecided; refer to Graph 10.

If successful, 22% of the students seeking education and/or training after graduation will be the first in their families to complete a higher level of education above a high school diploma; refer to Graph 11.

Strategic Next Step Questions

The student survey results provided a baseline for next steps. Pickaway WORKS is already planning to follow up with students and student ambassadors for a deeper dive into three areas of interest: student driver’s licensing, part-time student employment, and post-secondary education and career pathway programming.

  1. How can Pickaway WORKS remove barriers for students interested in getting their driver’s license? Are there programs or partnerships that could be developed to help students with limited time get their driver’s licenses? Is there a way to decrease the wait time for In-Cars driving practice? Are there scholarship or grant opportunities that can fund students with financial hardships?
  2. How can Pickaway WORKS support students more in balancing school and part-time employment opportunities? Can Pickaway WORKS help students and businesses build or maintain a database that connects students to employers; e.g., Ohio Means Jobs or School Links?
  3. How can Pickaway WORKS be more intentional with programming and follow-up to ensure all students graduating have identified one or two career paths, and know the education or training required, and the job outlook for their chosen career?

* Additional student survey information was gathered from students which was useful and will inform future campus tour programming decisions, but not included in this report.


This report was prepared in partnership with OSU Extension, Pickaway County. Meghan Thoreau, Extension Educator, worked with Executive Director, Christy Mills, to compile data, create graphics, and develop report, https://pickaway.osu.edu/, thoreau.1@osu.edu.


2050 Stoneridge Drive, Circleville, Ohio 43113 | 740-474-5383 |  highered@pickaway.org | www.pickawayworks.com


 

Pickaway County Commissioners Community Development Briefing

CD OSU Extension: Hands-on STEM Learning & Career Exploration

Prezi presentation on Community Development Extension programming in Pickaway County, Ohio.

2022 Select Teaching and Career Exploration Programs

Braves Expo Day Career: Careers in Drone Technologies

Click here and read the program blog highlight or the QR code below:

Tech Hardware

Quick summary of some hardware used in youth STEM programs.

2022 Select Publications

Pickaway County Annual Financial Report

Click here and read the program blog highlight.

Ohioline Fact Sheet, The She-cession: How the Pandemic Forced Women from the Workplace and How Employers Can Respond

 

Fact Sheet: https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/cdfs-4110

Elementary STEM Club: LED Display

Kids on Campus: Technology Coding Summer Camp

Elementary STEM Club: Coding & Connected Toys

Programming Thru the Pandemic

Pickaway County Extension Video Highlight, Working thru COVID

Braves Expo Day Career: Careers in Drone Technologies

Logan Elm students are taking the day to learn about career opportunities and personal career journeys from local professionals. Pickaway County professionals are helping students plan and prepare for their future careers!

OSU Extension will highlight local drone programs as well as igniting career paths such as becoming a drone pilot or technician and the transferable skill sets that apply to this growing market sector. Learn more by visiting the Federal Aviation Administration. Presentation link: go.osu.edu/dronecareers.

Remote Pilot Certification Program

Pickaway Pathways to Success has recently partnered with OSU Extension to develop a Remote Pilot Certification Program using the Unmanned Safety Institute curriculum modules which pair its course work with the OSU Center for Aviation Studies. The program prepares students to obtain their Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA (for commercial flight purposes.) This certificate demonstrates that the student understands the regulations, operating requirements, and procedures for safely flying drones.

Drone Careers Impacting All Business and Industry Sectors

Drone growth will occur across five main segments of the enterprise industry: Agriculture, construction and mining, insurance, media and telecommunications, and law enforcement, but will be increasing their presents in all business and industry sectors. Drone applications are everywhere.

Related Drone Ohioline OSU Extension Fact Sheet

Tech Recipe: Starting a Scholastic Drone Racing Team fact sheet is available online.

SPOTLIGHT – Community Development & STEM, Hands-on In-Person and Virtual Programming

The Popular Annual Financial Report provides a concise summary of the financial condition and activities of Pickaway County. The report is designed to promote transparency in government while educating the public by providing a summary of the county’s finances, taxes, services, and useful reference materials in a readable and understandable format.

Youth STEM Career Development Programming

Our programs strive to expose youth to STEM fields and careers through engaging hands-on activities that link to career exploration opportunities.

Visit a couple of program blogs from STEM clubs to scholastic drone racing, learn more, STEM Club Program and Scholastic Drone Racing Program.

Adaptive STEM Programming

Rethinking how we program by proactively using technology in our hands-on programming, but also how we deliver programming. Keeping the Growth Mind approach for both youth and educators! Offering in-person, virtual, and hybrid programming – programming through COVID-19.

Newton’s first law: An object at rest remains at rest, or if in motion, remains in motion at a constant velocity unless acted on by a net external force. As long as we are living, we are in motion, so let’s extend that energy and force to learning and maintaining a growth mindset.

Growth Mindset Heads

Ohioline Fact Sheet, The She-cession: How the Pandemic Forced Women from the Workplace and How Employers Can Respond

Meghan Thoreau, Extension Educator, Community Development, Ohio State University Extension, Pickaway County

 

Viewpoint from behind woman as she stares up at an exit sign.

Figure 1. The pandemic has had disproportionate impacts on working women’s careers. Photo by Adobe Spark.

COVID-19 has altered the lives of most Americans, but changes at home and work have affected working women significantly, particularly working women of color.

Even before COVID, women earned less, saved less, had less access to financial services and products, and had non-linear career trajectories. Furthermore, women lived longer than men. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women’s life expectancy is to reach 87.3 years by 2060, compared with 83.9 years for men (Medina, Sabo, and Vespa 2020). Since COVID-19, women face additional disproportional impacts from the pandemic-induced recession. The pandemic’s effect on women has been termed a “she-cession,” by C. Nicole Mason, a women’s policy researcher and economist, to describe the disproportionate impacts the pandemic has had on working women’s careers (Andrews 2020).

Our country has undergone an initial mass exodus of more than 20 million women from the workforce at the beginning of the pandemic (Chiappa 2021). While many women eventually returned to work, a huge number left their careers to fill ongoing gaps in childcare and to help with their children’s remote learning. January’s 2021 jobs reports showed that 2.5 million women ultimately exited the workforce compared to 1.8 million men (Rogers 2021). This imbalance raises several questions:

  • Whose professional time do we value most?
  • Who is dispensable?
  • How can employers support and retain women in the workplace?

This fact sheet explores answers to these questions by highlighting some of the growing inequities of working women, especially after the onset of COVID-19. It also presents actionable solutions where employers can start designing their working environments and adjusting employee policies to support women proactively and tangibly in the workplace. “Equality for women is progress for all” (Unicef 2014). Click below to read the full fact sheet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/cdfs-4110

 


References

Andrews, Audrey. 2020. “The Coronavirus Recession Is a ‘She-cession.’” Press Hits, Institute for Women’s Policy Research. May 15, 2020.
iwpr.org/media/press-hits/the-coronavirus-recession-is-a-she-cession/.

Medina, Lauren, Shannon Sabo, and Johathan Vespa. 2020. Living Longer: Historical and Projected Life Expectancy in the United States, 1960 to 2060. Washington D.C., U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau. PDF.
census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2020/demo/p25-1145.pdf.

Chiappa, Claudia. 2021. “The Pandemic Forced Millions of Women Out of the Workforce—Many Have Not Returned.” Daily Hampshire Gazette. November 8, 2021.
gazettenet.com/Gender-disparity-in-the-pandemic-43339268.

Rogers, Katie. 2021. “2.5 Million Women Left the Workforce During the Pandemic. Kamala Harris Sees a ‘National Emergency.” The New York Times, The Indian Express (website). February 19, 2021.
indianexpress.com/article/world/kamala-harris-covid-pandemic-women-workforce-7195552/.

Unicef. 2014. Equality for Women Is Progress for All. March 8, 2014.
unicef.org/turkey/en/press-releases/equality-women-progress-all.

* Full reference list in the fact sheet.

Kürzi’s Interactive Media Device Paired with a Hands-on Curriculum Encourages Healthy Decisions Making in our Youth!

Engaging K-12 Teachers with Kürzi’s interactive media device paired with a hands-on curriculum encourages healthy decisions making in our youth! A collaboration project between OSU Extension, Tiny Circuits, Education Projects, and COSI! The Teacher and Student Curriculum Guidebook links are included below.

partner logos

Kurzi image

About Kürzi

Kürzi is a small STEM/STEAM device with a built-in game that a player, or student, interacts with and may carry around with them during the day. Kürzi is designed to help students learn how to make healthy decisions in relation to diet, physical activity, and mental health through fun gameplay on the device, while they tend to their Kürzi creature.

Kürzi will also help students learn more about healthcare positions through in-game doctor visits for their creatures. During these in-game doctor visits, students will be able to measure their own basic vital signs, like heart rate, using sensors built into the device.

Our curriculum partners, led by nationally known STEM/STEAM curriculum designer Dr. Robert Horton, have designed lesson plans based on the CDC Healthy Schools National Health Education Standards around Kürzi that will fit into your existing 7-8th grade health classes.

Health Content

The Kürzi health lessons are broken down into four sections: 1) Healthy Decision Making, 2) A Healthy Plate, 3) Tracking Physical Activity, and 4) Modd and Mental Health. Each lesson provides learning outcomes for teachers, a brief introduction on the pertaining topics, along with hands-on activities designed both for in the classroom or at home with Kürzi. The lessons provide colorful images, diagrams, and worksheets for students to learn and participate in instruction.

A Kürzi website was created as a resource to support teachers implementing the curriculum in their health classes. The site includes videos, tech support, guidebook links, and other activity resources.

Kürzi Tech and Curriculum Teacher Training Included, October 2021

images of teacher training day

Guidebooks (pdf)

Kürzi Teacher Guide

Teacher Guidebook Cover

Teacher QR Code

 

 

 

 

 

Kürzi Student Guide

Student Guidebook Cover

Student QR Code

Ohio Christian University and Pickaway ESC Summit STEM, Session Overviews

Ohio Christian University and Pickaway ESC Summit on November 6, 2021  

Session 1: Learn about OSU Extension’s local hands-on informal STEM learning opportunities and youth career exploration programming in Pickaway County, Hands-on STEM Learning & Career Exploration Programming:

The goal of the Community Development STEM programs is to promote student engagement and interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields. participants are engaging in hands-on STEM acNviNes and career exploration with visiting professionals and educators from the community and The Ohio State University. Select programs also involve high school mentor students that assist with program acNviNes while themselves gaining both soX and technical skills, leadership, community service, and college/career exploration opportunities.

Session 2: OSU Extension: Pickaway County K-12 Teacher/Student PercepKons: Virtual/Hybrid Learning Environments Preliminary Results, Preliminary Results K-12 Virtual Hybrid Learning Study:

Prezi Presentation: www.go.osu.edu/remotelearningstudy

The COVID-19 pandemic has also forced educators to reevaluate their programming formats and plan and create more virtual learning and teaching lessons for the current 2020/21 school year forward. The study is led by me, Meghan Thoreau, OSU Extension Educator 3, M.R.P. at OSU Extension, Community Development & STEM, College of Food, Agricultural, & Environmental Sciences. The purpose of the study is to measure the experiences of K-12 teachers and 6-12th grade students in virtual and/or hybrid learning environments, to measure teacher perceptions and attitudes of virtual and hybrid learning strategies, and to identify challenges and opportunities of virtual and hybrid learning environments compared to in-person instruction. This session will share out preliminary results of the action research study currently under analysis.

MEGHAN THOREAU, OSU Extension Educator with a unique mix of skills and experience in construction management, planning, and educational outreach and programming. Meghan focuses on preparing Pickaway County youth for STEM careers. She works collaboratively with a team of Extension professionals, volunteers, campus collaborators, and community partners to provide leadership for the development, production, and evaluation of educational programs and applied research to foster STEM educational opportunities that increase career a\ainment in STEM fields. Email: thoreau.1@osu.edu. 

Quadrilateral Sphero Coding Challenges

By: Meghan Thoreau, OSU Extension Educator

Code is everywhere: agriculture, sports, education, art/design, pharmaceutics, robotics, health, entertainment, travel, law, politics, engineering, transportation, meteorology, tourism – you get the point. No youth or 21st-century workforce development program should be absent of code.

Computer Programming with Sphero Summer Camp Program with OSU Extension. Music credit: song,18 anni, by ARIETE from Anzio, in the province of Rome.

 

The highlight video above documents a middle school summer camp program where students learned about geometry, coding terminology, and how a program is written from a series of simple commands or algorithms for a computer to run through and follow. The students also explored computer science careers and had an opportunity to work together on a Sphero Quadrilateral Coding Challenge to explore firsthand how accessible and fun coding can be for anyone that is willing to try and have fun with coding.


Resources

Presentation:

Handout:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quadrilaterals: Sperho Coding Challenge Handout