The Career Connections program for fifth-and-sixth grade students at Churchville-Chili Middle School brings them together with community experts from a wide variety of fields. The program, which began in 2015, has introduced hundreds of young people to potential in-demand professions. This school year alone, workshops are featuring visitors from advanced manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, engineering, robotics and computer programming, law and public safety, the arts and mapping technologies.
At a recent renewable energy and sustainability session, presenters included Rochester Institute of Technology’s Environmental Education Specialist Kaeti Stoss, who offered experiences in recycling and plastic pollution; and sustainability doctoral candidates Yvan Hernandez and Harshal Kansara, who spoke about biodegradable agricultural plastics. Waste Management’s Nicole Simonetti demonstrated methane gas control in landfills; Justin Rowley and Laurie Picardo from RG&E discussed hydroelectric power; and students learned about renewable wind energy, creating their own wind turbines.