TCTC witnesses expansion taking shape
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CHAMPION -- Trumbull Career & Technical Center's new Industrial Technology, Career Exploration and Resource Center is expected to open for the 2026-2027 school year.
It will serve as a hub for workforce development, mental health care access and student success, providing critical resources and pathways for students, families, job seekers and employers across the region.
The 15,000-square foot addition is about 50% completed, according to TCTC Superintendent Jason Gray.
The expansion project is being funded by a $6.5 million Appalachian Community Innovation Centers grant. TCTC also received a $1.5 million Career and Technical School grant for equipment.
"The center will equip students with hands-on career exploration, provide support for mental wellness and foster direct connections with workforce development services," Gray said.
"It will allow younger students to do career exploration in fields such as health care and in technical fields," he noted.
The career center launched TCTC Tales in 2025, which is a countywide literacy initiative designed to inspire young readers and strengthen community collaboration around literacy development.
Kristofer Doran, an interactive multimedia instructor at TCTC, is working with his senior class students in assisting in the creation of a series of web videos that are creatively broadening the understanding of books written for first through third grade students.
The books were obtained with a $200,00 Reaching All Students through Language and Literacy grant obtained in 2023 by the TCTC literacy committee. The school used the money to purchase a series of 28 books for first through third graders that highlighted different careers, which were eventually distributed to the 20 schools that send students to the tech schools.
"As a father with four daughters, I noticed some of the terminology in the books likely would not be understood by some children in those age groups," Doran described. "I grew up watching PBS shows and thought doing videos that illustrated what the words mean would help."
Working with his 12th grade students at TCTC in 2024, Doran and seven other TCTC teachers created eight web videos that reinforced the terms in the books. They also created workbooks and lessons classroom teachers can use with the videos and books.
This year, the team of TCTC teachers leading the project, Doran and his senior multimedia class are doing videos for 10 more books. The final 10 books will be done by next year's senior class.
"This is a minimum three-year project," he said.
Participating seniors are getting hands-on training in putting together these videos. The videos are eight to 10 minutes long.
"They love it," Doran described. "They are creative. They want to be content creators.
Districts will receive additional books, episodes and lesson plans annually, each spotlighting a different career-technical program.
Doran last year met with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and first lady Fran DeWine, where he shared TCTC's leadership in literacy initiatives and the goals of TCTC Tales.
Doran was recognized as the ACTE Career-Technical Excellence Award Teacher of the year, as well as being named the 2026 Ohio School Boards Association's Teacher of the Year.
He was also selected for the 2025-2027 Ohio Teacher Leader Network Cohort, where he will contribute to statewide educator leadership and instructional improvement.